Nestled in Western Sydney suburbia, The Hideout Cafe and Pizza is a local gem serving up vibrant and delicious dishes so insta-worthy is hurts! With food this good and service so warm, The Hideout Cafe will be a hideout no longer, the secret is out!
"I will travel anywhere for good food!" I announce as I arrive at today's lunch. It's true as well. It started when I was a kid. Although I grew up in Summer Hill, we would make regular trips to Cabramatta for my mum to buy Thai groceries and for us to eat authentic Thai and Vietnamese food. This was not the Cabramatta of today, this was Cabramatta in the early 90's when the heroin epidemic was at its peak and I clearly remember being told to be careful not to step on the syringes lying in the gutter as I exited the family car! #carefulparenting It didn't worry me though because Cabramatta held some of the most amazing grocery stores that were a rabbit warren full of exotic delights even for a child. These days, Cabramatta is very much a changed place and I just love piling my own kids into the car, driving an hour or more for lunch either to Cabramatta, Bankstown, Canley Vale or Parramatta all to eat some of the best food in Sydney. Today I am excited to be travelling somewhere new (to me), Old Toongabbie for lunch at The Hideout Cafe and Pizza. It's a stinking hot day and so I am very relieved to enter their covered patio seating area which is fit out with a green wall to remind you of dining outdoors while protecting you from the elements. Natalie, the owner, and serving us for today couldn't be more friendly and helpful and is more than happy to indulge our foodie habits of taking approximately 4,000 photos in 4,000 different set ups of each dish before tucking in #foodbloggers #annoying #butwedoitanyway
On our table is an array of popular cafe items such as smashed avo, eggs benedict, coffees and smoothies. In a sharing situation, proper etiquette dictates that one should be courteous and allow others to serve themselves first before serving oneself but I have been eyeing off this Oreo Thickshake for a while now and all manners go out the window like a contestant on the Bachelor. I dive on that gorgeous thing and claim the first taste for myself. I love all things cookies and cream #itsmyjam so this is right up my alley. It's not as thick as I usually expect a thickshake to be, perhaps it has melted somewhat in the heat, but I am not mad at all at this. I actually prefer a looser, more milkshake consistency, so this is perfect for me. The smashed avo is lovely with the creaminess of the avocado set against the sweet acidity of the cherry tomatoes, salty fetta and sweet/sour balsamic drizzle. This dish has great balance and is a delight to eat. The eggs benedict is served with smoked salmon #fancy and just as it should be. Perfectly cooked eggs, buttery hollandaise, crispy english muffin and wilted spinach #tokengreens.
The vegetarian stack is a combination of all the vego big hitters: eggs, haloumi, mushrooms, pesto and a hashbrown! These ingredients are so filling and tasty and (dare I say) 'meaty', even carnivores have to love this dish! I certainly don't miss the meat at all. Unfortunately I can't comment on the coffee because I don't drink coffee (I know!) but the other ladies tell me its very nice. The mixed berry smoothie tastes both healthy and indulgent at the same time #greatcombo and the lemon mint crush is heaven sent on a hot day. I know kids would love these drinks with their bright purple and green hues.
“My favourite dish of the day is the fish tacos which are actually a special (please put these on the regular menu! They are too good not to be!) and I happily devour more than my fair share, much to the horror of my dining companions who also love this dish! #gottabequick It's so good in fact that the cooking cogs in my mind are turning, deconstructing the dish and figuring out how I can attempt a version at home.''
Everyone seems to be on the same wavelength with leaving the mango lychee smoothie bowl til last as a pseudo dessert and it turns out to be a good thing for me because I find it quite sweet, which is fine and welcome for a dessert but for a main dish I would be overwhelmed with sweetness. The smoothie itself is luxuriously thick and holds its texture even in the heat and the fresh fruit on top is just beautiful to look at and to eat.
This has been a drive well worth it for me as I have thoroughly enjoyed every thing set out for us in this spread. The presentation is up there rubbing shoulders with the most popular cafes on instagram at the moment and I would say that the flavour even tops these. Fresh, honest flavours without throwing in the kitchen sink are just what I want out of a cafe experience and that is what The Hideout delivers.
The Hideout Cafe and Pizza 58A Bogalara Road, Old Toongabbie
*I dined here as a guest of The Hideout Cafe and Pizza and Food Blogs but all opinions remain my own.