The Grumpy Baker

I often come here sometimes as I am close by. I love their mocha’s on most days !! (be wary on sunday — different barista NOT AS GOOD) the pies here come in alot of spicy flavours like chicken harissa — which is my favourite by far and a good helping. I haven’t tried as many of their sandwiches except the salmon baguette — which I love and never fails to dissapoint The only downside is the service can be a little hit and miss as sometimes slow and a little (grumpy) staff — so try to get there mid morning (brunch time) — as not as crowded and faster service. All in all worth a visit !!

Excellent service, and the food is quite good too. My French family liked their croissants very much and even approved of the coffee, which had thick crema and high acidity — it reminded me of Mecca (Circular Quay branch). I personally found the white sourdough a bit too salty, but it was a good texture and still warm from the oven.
Unfortunately this is dog walking central in the morning, so we were stressed out by various barking dogs including one that stayed there for half an hour, emitting a precise, very loud bark every 20 seconds. Just frequent enough to relax and then get interrupted again. I even considered parting with some of my delicious sausage roll (which needed no extra condiments thanks to its caramelised onions) to quiet him. So, it’s probably 5* during weekdays and 4* on weekends because of the excited canines. I guess the real practical solution would be to take away and enjoy on a bench and watch the cricket…
It’s a busy place. Which is OK because service is very efficient. It’s also by far the best place we’ve been to in Vaucluse so far. If only they opened in the evening.

I was here in the middle of the week quite close to closing time, about an hour. Before I think. I got a mocha, which wasn’t particularly amazing and a croissant which was. The pastry was amazing, perfectly cooked and beautifully buttery.
However the woman serving me was not as great. She was brisk and, while not impolite, not exactly welcoming to me. I thought, okay, she’s had a long day I’m sure it’s almost closing, I get that but a few people came in after me and she was smiley and chatty with them, which I found quite odd.
In conclusion, I would get a pastry here and a coffee from the trail down the road, towards Rose Bay and enjoy them both in the park over looking the sea.

Nice coffee and tasty pies. Gets excellent sun in the afternoon, perfect on a sunny winters day!

The quality of the food (with the exception of the pastries — they’re made fresh and taste great) and service at this place isn’t AMAZING. The location however is great, and the fitout and on most days the atmosphere are usually pretty compelling reasons to at least check it out. I’ve been several times as it’s the only café near Christison Park which is where I often play soccer. On the first occasion I grabbed a chocolate croissant, which was on the outside crunchy and on the inside soft, and extremely tasty. On the second, I grabbed a chicken sandwich. Its flavours and texture didn’t do much else than convince me I should stick to the pastry menu.

Walking into this place today, it was packed to the rafters! A hot day seems to have brought out everyone and their dog. It was a veritable pet shop outside. I got to pet all the pooches.
Walking in you smell the divine baking smells. There’s racks of dough that’s been shaped waiting to go in the oven, there’s things that smell divine that’s just come out of ovens and they have a barista working his butt off with coffee orders. Hello little slice of heaven!
I wanted to get the pumpkin & feta sausage roll. I thought it would be normal sausage roll sized. Um, if you order this be prepared. Its enough to feed 2 people. So it fed me and a golden labrador and a few magpies plus their babies that I met in the park down the road.
It was yummy though. But super hot because it had just gotten out of the oven. The coffee was perfect, soy milk wasn’t burnt. This made me happy.
So all in all? Puppies, seating inside and outside, great pastries, fresh bread baked on site as well as all other baked goodies and a grumpy baker? I’m sold.

Tucked at the top of Vaucluse on a roundabout, this café is not likely to be stumbled upon by too many people. It’s definitely a café for those in the know. In the hour or so we were there it was mostly locals who stopped in to pick up bread and coffee to takeaway.
On the day I visited The Grumpy Baker it was bucketing down with rain, so I was glad to get inside the café but rather than serve as a warm cosy respite from the weather outside it was more of a chilly shelter thanks to a large open door.
Lucky then that the coffee was good and hot and worked its magic as we drooled over the breads, pastries and the many other delights of The Grumpy Baker. There are lots. It made me wish I lived near by so I could sample them all.
However the warmth of the coffee and food couldn’t shake the chill in the café, not helped by the high ceilings and the shabby chic décor of wooden tables and metal seats.
I think the weather got the better of the Grumpy Baker, on this visit as this place is probably buzzing on a nice day. I went along on a few solid recommendations and the coffee and pastries were very good. I’m keen to return in better weather and give it another try.