Dulwich Hill’s Dear Delicious exudes a sense of healthy and vibrancy in more ways than one.
Located a stone’s throw away from the Dulwich Hill train station, Dear Delicious is housed in a colonial style building that takes up a large corner of Wardell Road. Meeting my friend outside the front entrance, we had an immediately positive first impression. It looked like a locals favourite – the tables were busy and people were milling around the front counter waiting for their takeaway orders.
We navigated our way through the bustle and walked through the bright and open interior to the garden at the back of the café.
The Dear Delicious garden is a rare thing among eateries in the Inner West. It reminded me a bit of the Grounds of Alexandria with its earthy, industrial feel inspired by the rustic wooden tables and shady canopies. There was a flourishing veggie patch to one side of the garden and plenty of space for kids to play.
We chose a seat at an outdoor lounge and I felt comfortable enough to kick off my sandals and recline whilst enjoying a fresh cold pressed juice with apple, pear, cucumber and ginger ($6.95).
After our drinks, we took a look at the breakfast menu. Devised by business owners Greg and James Vikiarellais, the menu is oriented by healthy, wholesome ingredients with an emphasis on creating meals from the garden bed, through to the kitchen, and to the table.
Dear Delicious has all the breakfast classics like bircher, pancakes and smashed avo, but everything has an innovative healthy twist. For example – the bircher is made with macadamia milk ($15.95), the pancakes come with sour cherries and wattle seed cream ($17.50) and the smashed avo is served on black quinoa bread with sprouted mung hummus ($18.95).
For those who are not crazy about the wholefood craze, you’ll be pleased to know that the servings are generous and despite ingredients like “cultured veggies”, “buckwheat” and “coconut gel”, everything is delicious.
While I tucked into the smashed avo with a side of house cured salon +$7.95, my friend chose “Mushroom Madness from the Woods” – mushrooms with crispy kale, puffed quinoa, pearl couscous and poached eggs ($18.95).
Both dishes were fresh, tasty and healthy to top it all off.
The lunch menu injects a similar healthy flair to classic dishes – like a chicken salad, only with activated seeds and a berry vinaigrette ($18.95). There is also “Soft Fishy Tortillas” with charred corn and a purple slaw ($18.95) and the house made burger with “real chips” and a “special sauce” ($19.95).
Outdoor garden dining spaces are usually associated with Inner West drinking holes, so it was refreshing to visit Dear Delicious and relax in a café garden. You can lounge in a green, open space with plenty of shade while enjoying healthy, ethically sourced food without the fuss that is usually associated with organic menus.
Dear Delicious also cater for functions and have a retro gelato cart for special events.
For more info, you can check out Dear Delicious’ website here
Dear Delicious
245 Wardell Road, Dulwich Hill
02 8068 1668
Open Monday – Friday: 6.00am – 4.30pm, Saturday: 7am – 4pm, Sunday: 8am – 3pm