Breakfast at Two Trees Espresso

Two Trees Espresso
58 Vulture St, West End

I first heard about Two Trees Espresso via mention of their DIY toasting station on Twitter. I figured it was a perfect spot to visit during my weekend morning strolls through West End. Last Sunday, I had an opportunity to stop by and see what the deal was.

I was keeping an eye out for Two Trees and still managed to walk right past. It's almost like an optical illusion. If you look at it from an angle, it's too indented to spot and all you can see is couple of closed stores and garage doors side by side. Walking right up to it, the cafe emerges.

I was very taken in by the feel of the cafe. I had expected the artificial lawn, pot plants and assortment of stools. Various online sources had described this cafe as kooky in its decor but there was something else too. Something I can't quite describe.

When I approached the guy at the counter (if you can call it a counter; it was bare aside from a Macbook and glass vial of gerberas), he typed up my order on his smart phone, then asked me to swipe my bank card through a gadget attached to his phone. Very high tech. Pity it didn't actually work on that occasion and I had to go to the 7-11 to get cash out but the intentions were good.

The whole Macbook plus smart phone plus gadget thing contributed to the vibe I got of Two Trees being something of a cross between a treehouse and Apple Genius store. Perhaps, the kind of den where burgeoning baby hipters play in before they grow up, don calculator watches and step out into the world.

The breakfast menu at Two Trees is nice and simple. There is indeed the DIY toast, as promised, as well as a couple of other classics. There's also a sandwich of the day. I think Sunday's was bacon and egg or something along those lines. Tempting... but I was after something less heavy.

Latte

I sat down to a cup of coffee and the avocado and tomato salsa on toast. The coffee was very good. It was a reminder that Two Trees is first and foremost a coffee shop. On that front, they do deliver.

Avocado and tomato salsa on toasted sourdough

My breakfast was exactly what I wanted. There was a generous amount of chopped avocado on thickcut sourdough toast, topped with a salsa of chunky tomato and spanish onion.

Close-up

It was a bit like a bruschetta, without the oiliness. Even though olive oil on bruschetta makes it tastier, I liked this fresh version for breakfast. There was a garnish of basil leaves on top that didn't do much for flavor (finished in one bite) but did up the cuteness factor.

Two Trees Espresso is a great spot to start your morning. It's on a main street but it's tucked in so it feels cut off from the outside world. The staff were friendly and the coffee was great. There isn't too much on offer for breakfast but I liked what I had. If you're not after anything fancy and huge for breakfast (which is often the case), there's enough to satisfy your stomach while you enjoy your coffee.