We try Palm Beach’s latest cafe Mr Bengel

OFF the back of resounding success stories Justin Lane and Harry’s Steak & Bistro, owner Adam Haralampou must have felt pretty confident entering new cafe venture Mr Bengel.

Mr Bengel at Palm Beach is Justin Lane owner Adam Haralampou 's new cafe. The green breaky, buckwheat pancakes and bacon and egg burger. Picture: Richard Gosling

OFF the back of resounding success stories Justin Lane and Harry’s Steak & Bistro, owner Adam Haralampou must have felt pretty confident entering new cafe venture Mr Bengel.

But the flipside of that built-in fan base is some pretty high expectations.

Mr Bengel at Palm Beach is Justin Lane owner Adam Haralampou's new cafe.

Fortunately, whether it’s applied to pizza, steak or smashed avo, Adam’s ability to shape a strong, distinct identity for his foodie family has yet to let him down.

Mr Bengel is billed as “Your friendly neighbourhood cafe” and that’s exactly what it delivers.

The magic power of white paint has been harnessed to give the Palm Beach space formerly home to Feather and Docks a light, fresh makeover.

There are flowers on the counter, cushions plumped in window benches and a smiley face scrawled on one wall to provide an instantly recognisable anchor for the inevitable Instagram posts.

The fit-out at Mr Bengel, Palm Beach.

Choose from a fuss-free menu of accessibly priced breakfast and lunch cafe favourites, with dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options clearly marked.

I started with the staple: smashed miso avo with olive oil and lemon on two big pieces of sourdough ($13).

The slight twist is the miso in the avocado, delivering a savoury, satisfyingly salty note — it tastes like a lick of Vegemite.

Tied together with a lip-tingling drizzle of chilli oil, the green bowl is a healthy but hearty combination of sauteed broccolini, kale, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, sauerkraut, avocado and toasted nuts ($18).

The green breaky. Picture: Richard Gosling

If kale doesn’t float your boat, how about buckwheat banana pancakes with coconut yoghurt, berry compote and maple syrup ($16)?

The gluten-free trade-off in this beautiful dish is a slightly heavier texture, but the consistency is spot on and the coulis is poured with a generous hand.

James Street Deli ham is the feather in the cap of the signature eggs benny ($16) and also stars on and oldie-but-goodie ham and cheese sandwich with a dollop of Dijon mustard on thick white bread ($11).

Half roasted chicken with salsa verde and salad ($22) and an angus beef burger ($19) are also candidates for the lunch munch.

My iced latte ($6.50) was exactly how I like it — tall, strong and no trace of bitterness. There are also shakes, thickshakes, Tonic cold-press juices, smoothies and loose-leaf teas.

Efficient counter service has the feel of a well-oiled machine, but not at the expense of the human touch. I was patting a friend’s dog outside when one of the team came over to offer a free puppy treat. One very happy canine customer.

Mr Bengel may not be changing the game, but it’s playing it to win.

Visit Mr Bengel at 1099 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Open: Daily 6am — 2pm