This Brisbane cafe is making no profit, but is staying open to keep regulars happy

Brisbane cafe Malt Pier has signs on the table telling the customer the bills aren’t being paid by staying open, but they’re doing it for the customers. It’s a noble message - but how does the food stack up?

Oh how wonderful it is to dine-in at a cafe again.

To be able to sit down at a table and have your breakfast brought to you by
a smiling waiter, piping hot from the kitchen and eat it with a metal knife and fork.

Pre-coronavirus this simple act was something we all took for granted. But after almost two months of ordering takeaway online and either attempting to eat it in my car – narrowly avoiding third-degree burns from spilt coffee – or breaking land speed records trying to get home before the poached eggs overcooked and the toast went soggy; I now consider it a privilege, not a right.

When takeaway trumps fine dining

The pizzeria that offers much more than pizza

To mark eateries being able to seat up to 10 patrons (at one person per 4sq m), I head in to Malt Pier in inner Brisbane, and what a place to celebrate the momentous occasion.

This modern, minimalist cafe sits just back from the waterfront at Newstead, offering views of the Brisbane River twinkling under the light of the morning sun. Fitness enthusiasts in their active wear jog by, while a considerable queue forms outside for takeaway coffees.

Malt Pier at Newstead. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Bottles of spray hand sanitiser now sit atop the spaced out timber tables in the window, with diners required to provide contact details on arrival, before ordering at the counter.

The menu has been rewritten to include meals that work for both takeaway and dine-in, so the eatery can continue its pick-up offering, with dishes such as yoghurt and granola, eggs your way and toasties. There’s also fresh bread and pastries available for purchase, plus chef-made pre-packaged meals including ricotta gnocchi with beef and pork ragu, roast chicken with veg, and sweet and sour eggplant.

The biggish brekky. Picture: Pic Mark Cranitch.

The Biggish Brekky ($14) is a simple affair of bacon, fried eggs and roasted tomatoes on sourdough toast, but top quality ingredients and expert execution in the kitchen make this
a winner. While it could do with just a hit of salt, the haloumi roll ($12, pictured) also gets high praise with the tanned Greek cheese reclining over a tangle of roasted capsicum strips and mashed avocado.

Haloumi burger. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Both dishes are excellent value for money.

Coffee comes from Melbourne specialty roaster Locale and is delivered smooth and creamy as a cappuccino, while a pineapple juice offers just the right balance of sweet and sour.

Milkshakes, smoothies and tea are also available from the team of three staff, who expertly and politely juggle the barrage of takeaway and dine-in customers who all seem to descend at once.

On each of the tables at Malt Pier is a sign that informs guests of the new practices and states: “While these numbers will never pay the bills, they will keep us in contact with you through this time and for that we are grateful”.

Rest assured, the gratitude is mutual.