Make a day of it at Bloom Cafe and enjoy its lush surrounds.
The day was in full bloom when we visited the organic, health-oriented Bloom Cafe in Mosman last weekend. The weather was beautiful so before visiting the cafe for a late lunch, we stopped by Wendy’s Secret Garden in Lavender Bay. Sweaty and tired from walking around the gardens in the midday sun, we were relieved to sit in the cool shade of Bloom’s outdoor terrace. A round of fresh juices were ordered immediately.
Slurping our chilled glasses of juice, we watched the hustle and bustle of Prince Albert Street (just off Military Road), as Mosman-ites enjoyed their Saturday afternoon. While we enjoyed Bloom’s outdoor seating, other patrons sat inside the relaxed, open space café housed in a heritage-style building.
At Bloom there is an emphasis on wholefoods – everything from the muffins to the pickled vegetables is made in-house. Having recently come under new ownership, we were keen to see if this local favourite maintains its reputation. Scanning the menu, we felt a slight pang of regret for not booking in for breakfast – the Moroccan baked eggs with chorizo sounded delicious, as did the tea-smoked salmon with poached eggs, avocado, pickled radish and kale.
Having said that, the lunch selection didn’t disappoint. To start, we shared the wood-fire smoked salmon bruschetta. This was my favourite dish of the meal – the salmon is cured in-house, and the capers make for a fresh and tangy light dish.
Next we dug into a Bloom classic – the nourished bowl salad. A generous serving, this colourful dish was surprisingly filling. It included avocado, quinoa, pickled vegetables and other healthy goodies.
As my date insisted that we eat at least a little bit of meat, we ordered the lamb salad. For me, the baked eggplant included with the lamb was the winner, as the meat itself was a bit dry.
To round the meal off, we shared a macchiato made with Campos coffee and a slice of homemade, gluten free orange cake. I’m usually not one for gluten free anything, so I was sceptical. But this cake was divine – moist and flavoursome and finished off with a sticky coat of icing.
Alongside the orange cake, the cake display fridge also featured savoury treats for dine-in and takeaway. Although we didn’t have a chance to try them this time – I was tempted by the ricotta and sweet potato tart and the vegetable frittata.
The cakes and savoury treats in the cake fridge change daily and the café’s menu is seasonal. According to our friendly waitress, this is to ensure the freshest produce is utilised and their meals are in keeping with the changing seasons. To finish off our day, we decided to walk off our lunch and take a stroll down the hill from Bloom Café to Balmoral Beach. The esplanade was buzzing with late afternoon beach goers and we enjoyed a quick dip before driving back home across the Bridge.
Bloom Cafe
118 Prince Albert Street, Mosman, Open Monday to Sunday 6:30am to 4:30pm
Official Instagram Page here