Whilst walking around the Bronte area, we stumbled upon the Sicilian inspired cafe/deli combo called Favoloso at the crossroads of an intersection. We needed some sustenance before attempting the coastal walk from Bronte to Bondi via Tamarama, so we found ourselves a table inside. In the past, suburban cafe/delis seemed to exist due to convenience, being an all-in-one spot to pick up some groceries and grab a coffee or sandwich. Favoloso is a modern incarnation of this concept – it feels much more like a cafe with a deli conveniently tacked on, rather than the other way around, thanks to their chic red interior and Italian framed posters on the wall in the dining area.
There’s not a lot of tables available, but it’s fairly full on the Saturday arvo we drop by, which is always a good sign. It’s sweltering hot today so we start off with some cold iced drinks – an Affogato for me and a Berry Smoothie for the boy. The Affogato unexpectedly comes with 2 scoops of vanilla icecream, which is a bonus in the hot weather and I’m grateful for the added sweetness, creaminess and chill that it adds to the earthy espresso shot. The Berry Smoothie is also quite refreshing – it’s not too thick and is a lovely blend of blueberries and raspberries with ice cream and milk, sweetened by a drizzle of honey on top.
Affogato, $5.50
Berry Smoothie, $6
I opted for a simple lunch of a Meditteraneo Panini from their extensive list of Sicilian panini rolls available. This version features a few slivers of salty prosciutto, paired with some marinated eggplant and bocconcini sandwiched between 2 slices of grilled panini. While the flavours and textures are all spot on, I felt that it was missing an extra dash of sauce (probably an aioli or something) to elevate it to the next level of tastiness.
Meditteraneo Panini, $10.90
The boy had chosen the Meatball Pasta from the Homemade Specialities menu (“using Nonna’s recipes”). It didn’t disappoint with sizeable tasty pork and veal meatballs being the star of the dish naturally, in a delicious tomato and basil sugo sauce coating the pasta.
Meatball Pasta, $16.50
The chilled out vibe of Favoloso and the unexpected touches of Italian gourmet in its menu and decor make it more than your average suburban cafe/deli combo.
Favoloso
43-45 Belgrave Street, Bronte NSW 2024
Ph: (02) 9389 8002
Looks like a cool little place 🙂
Random suburban gems are the best 🙂
Yum! Looks great, especially the pasta. I bet pesto aioli on that panini would have been delish.
Sometimes it really is the little suburban places that surprise you the most with what they can offer!
Yeah we need to venture to more suburbs to discover these local joints 🙂
Looks like Favoloso gave you plenty of sustenance for your walk!! Yummy
It sure did! Good excuse to fill up on tasty carbs before we “walked it all off”…
what a nice little gem!
Always good to stumble across something unexpected and good when you’re not even looking!