Ciao Thyme

My regular hangout. The coffee here is very hard to trump (on par with Mecca on King St, Lonsdale St Roasters in Canberra and Manchester Press in Melbourne)…
You can sit inside or out, there is chilled water on tap and the place is also dog-​friendly (put it on a leash though, because the passing cars aren’t).
The food silences any doubt. Some of the best food I’ve ever had. Pity the prices aren’t student-​friendly. The staff are more than friendly and make you feel more than welcome every time. And that’s what a café should be.

Tucked down the quieter end of Darling Street this is great find for those who appreciate good wholesome healthy food offerings. Have been going to Ciao Thyme for the past few years. Standard is consistently hight with a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. Staff are very helpful and friendly. Most importantly coffee is great and the service is fast.

Ciao Thyme is a deli style café in East Balmain with a quaint European countryside façade.
A lot of this cute corner café’s charm sits in its bifold windows, which allow for Ciao Thyme’s customers to peep out onto Darling Street whilst sipping at their coffees and forking porcini, goats cheese and basil tart into their mouths. The shop is outfitted with tall stools and benches, scrubbed back country tables and outdoor cushioned chairs propped beneath striped awnings and an incredibly sweet picture of a pig on the café’s swinging wooden sign.
The rest of their charm and appeal sits inside their stretching display cabinet filled with tempting European fare, including fresh and dry pastas, salads, pots of herbs, stuffed mushrooms, pies, cakes and sweet and savoury tarts. Their vegetarian ‘sausage’ rolls with pumpkin are both large and delicious, so much cooler than your average oily cheese and spinach rolls. They also sell jars of Hank’s Jam and Nutsu gluten free cookies plus a fridge full of cold drinks (Bundaberg Ginger Beer = win).
Come here to grab food for tonight or tomorrow mornings picnic. Or, come by the in morning and grab a window-​side seat for breakfast and a coffee (Toby’s Estate — they also sell beans). The message from Ciao Thyme: Come in for a coffee; Plan a feast; Leave as a friend.

I was taking a stroll down Darling Street in Balmain yesterday and happened upon this sweet little corner café. I was in that hybrid half-​hungry, between-​lunch-​and-​afternoon snack mode, and was looking for something small to munch on.
A beautiful display case contained the leftovers of the day’s lunch. With about 6 types of salads, an array of sandwiches, quiches, lasagna, and many delectable sweets, I was lapped by about 3 customers before I was able to make my decision. Had it been proper lunchtime, I would have gone for a serve of the quail breast pasta salad with basil and cherry tomatoes. Instead, I opted for a slice of the blueberry banana bread.
One other endearing quality of this small café is its sunny outdoor tables fitted with comfy, cushioned chairs. I pulled up a seat and soaked in the early summer sun before my bread was brought out. And man, was it delicious! Ever so light, toasty, crumbly and the perfect combination of tart and sweet– I found myself shamelessly collecting crumbs after my slice was long gone.