Mindful moments: the joy of the café

Cafés are a great place to hang out. So why do so many Aussie cafés shut at 3pm, with the kitchen already closed by 2? Plus, my café-style recipes.

Australian cafés are praised worldwide as the pinnacle of brunch culture. They are also a great place to hang out, especially for those that study, work irregular hours or don’t drink alcohol, people with kids or apartment-dwellers. ‘Third spaces’ are locations that faciltate social interaction outside of work and home, and encourage relaxation. So why do so many Aussie cafés shut at 3pm, with the kitchen already closed by 2?

When I lived in London, cafés were my third space – and I shared them with many others. From parents and kids relaxing together after school with hot chocolate and croissants, to freelancers, artists and actors tapping away at laptops or scribbling on scripts. In this global city known for tea, tiny coffee shops started to pop up around 2005. Run by handsome Aussies and New Zealanders, tourists and Londoners alike (including homesick Antipodeans like me) enjoyed smooth flat whites and chewy Anzac biscuits while crammed onto long benches and little tables.

On visits home to Perth, I indulged myself in the real deal. Thick-cut sandwiches and excellent coffee at Oxford 130, with its day-to-night vibe, where I had previously worked ‘out of office’ on the regular. Pre-clubbing espressos with a Cote D'Or Bouchee ‘elephant’ chocolate on the side at Oriel Café, open 24/7. A quiet corner at stylish neighbourhood-style café style Tarts in Northbridge, drinking vanilla tea.

Where can I take my young daughter for a milkshake after school, or escape for some quiet time before dinner?

So when I returned to Australia after nearly 20 years away, I was surprised to find that I couldn’t take my daughter to a café after school without rushing for last orders, meet my book club friends late on a Saturday afternoon or escape the house for some quiet time with my book before dinner. Thankfully, after moving house I found that the café at the end of my street stays open until 4pm seven days a week.

I know Australians are mainly morning coffee drinkers, but perhaps change is afoot? Japanese cafés are popping up, transforming into izakayas at the end of the day for a drink and something to eat. Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar in Melbourne’s CBD still stays open until 9pm (10pm on weekends) – classics do it best. And many Mediterranean restaurants, from Greek to Lebanese, function as community hubs, staying open bistro-style from early morning until late into the evening.

Cafés are essential to daily living

Many local cafés took on the role of the now defunct milk bar during the pandemic, selling milk, bread, eggs and the newspaper, even pasta sauce to save dinner. This makes them even more essential to daily living. Let’s bring back the shared table covered with magazines, the affordable sandwich for the work-from-home brigade who need to get out of the house and meetups taking place in all the corners, at all times of day.

If your local cafe is closed, try some of my favourite cafe-style recipes

If your favourite café has closed the blinds and locked the door, you could host a brunch at home, make afternoon tea or serve up a late-night decaf affogato. For inspiration, check out my favourite café-style drink and snack recipes from my cookbook-in-the making, The Sunlight Sets:

• Coconut lemon truffles

• Cranberry oat bites

• Fluffy banana vanilla muffins

• Whipped ricotta toast with yellow tomato burst