Upmarket brunch fare arrives in Neutral Bay
FROM the folks behind Calibrate and SML comes At Neutral, a clean-lined cafe serving house roasted coffee and colourful brunch fare.
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FROM the folks behind Calibrate and SML comes At Neutral, a clean-lined cafe serving house roasted coffee and colourful brunch fare.
It may have a different name and menu, but there’s no denying the family resemblance. All three spaces share the same light-filled interiors, where swathes of oak meet curvilinear shapes and sleek monochrome details.
This time around, co-owners Murat and Dani Kum, Sam Gabrielian and Henry Lee have installed a bespoke banquette in soft lilac leather along with a ridged timber feature bar.
The three cafes also share a north-facing aspect, which is a prerequisite for any new sites, says At Neutral co-owner, Henry Lee.
“This ensures we get the morning sun, which adds light and warmth to the space, making it pleasant for those who want to sit outside with their coffee,” he says.
Heading up the kitchen is Alex Landon-Harmer, an ex-Aria chef, who has introduced some fine-dining flair to the all-day brunch menu.
His up-market creations, which feature a clever play on flavours and textures, make for a memorable start to the day.
“There’s actually very few recognisable dishes on the menu, we don’t do bacon and eggs or any of the usual stuff,” says Lee.
Instead, brunchers will have to make do with the house cured salmon on toast topped with whipped chive cream, blueberry stained onions and a scattering of dill fronds and sliced grapes. In place of the lemon squeeze there’s sake grapefruit gel for a fresh citric punch.
For something sweet and light, there’s the Hippie Lane coconut loaf, accompanied by a mint-green sphere of frozen matcha and artfully assembled fruits, red sorrel leaves, berry gel piping and violets.
“We put a lot of attention into the quality of the ingredients, the techniques used, and the presentation of the plates, so I can see why some customers refer to us as a fine-dining cafe,” says Lee.
As for coffee, At Neutral uses the same custom house blend as Calibrate and SML, which was specially created for the cafes, by co-owner Sam Gabrielian, who runs Chatswood roaster, Gabriel’s Coffees.
The Calibrate house blend reveals white chocolate and caramel notes, revealing a natural sweetness that makes it easy to pass on sugar.
Beyond espresso, At Neutral also serve specialty coffees, including batch brew, cold brew and cold drip, otherwise there’s pretty pastel pours of green matcha and turmeric latte, served in handmade clay cups.
Details
What: At Neutral
Where: 9 Rangers Road, Neutral Bay
When: Monday — Friday, 6am — 3:30pm, Sat — Sun 7am — 3:30pm
Instagram: at_neutral