The Thousands

Man-who-turns-food-into-words, A.A. Gill said “bad things always happen over dinner and good things always arrive at breakfast”. Agreed. No one gets dumped at breakfast, those dirty dishes get done at the evening meal amongst soft furnishings and piped music.

Good things that might arrive at breakfast are many, and coffee and eggs are always welcome. But newly opened Reuben Hills is a defibrillator for cafe menu fatigue. It takes a South American tack, with Baleada – a Honduran tortilla, empanadas and ceviche making appearances, while also venturing North for its namesake, Reuben sandwich. On a less adventurous morning, some items might sound like a dare, such as the ‘Dogg’s breakfast’ of an ice-cream sandwich with salted caramel, and, speaking of, shakes that come in flavours of salted caramel, black sesame, and espresso & wattleseed.

The design is sleek and clean, with pleasing details – natural light comes from the front entrance as well as the rolled-up roller door at the rear, and a semi-circular cutaway in the ceiling reveals the upper level which houses the roastery and associated coffee nerdery (cupping etc).

Having opened on January 1, these guys are ready and willing to bring you good things every day, while (most of) Sydney’s eateries take a well-earned rest.