Interesting fact about The Smiling Foodie - when I’m not wearing my restaurant reviewing hat (yes, hats are cool), healthy living is a fairly significant part of my life. I’m talking clean eating and a frequent gym goer - so when paleo-inspired cafe’s like Patch open, I get pretty damn excited!

What’s paleo you ask? The paleo diet is a way of eating that duplicates the diet of our ancestors some 10,000 years ago. Incorporating foods that are unprocessed and close to its natural state as possible — i.e. real foods.

Housed in the gorgeous Studio 9 building, the sun bathing the cafe’s interior, it’s a wonderfully tranquil place to enjoy a weekday breakfast. Given the size of the interior, the designers have created practical seating options without congesting the space.

The menu offers the usual poached eggs, muesli, mushrooms and then a ‘Cave Man breakfast’ which consists of wagyu beef, bacon, eggs, tomato, sweet potato fritter, silverbeet and kale with relish. I went for the bircher.

Patch Bircher- activated hazelnuts and almonds, goji, apricots, pumpkin seeds, coconut, chia seed, honey, vanilla bean and orange with coconut yoghurt and blueberries. 

Simply marvellous - this is one dish that will leave your taste buds tingling with delight! Wonderful crunchy texture, made up with a verity of nuts and seeds. Combined with the coconut yoghurt, the muesli  had a delicate balance of flavours, combining flawlessly with generous servings of blueberries and honey. In fact, I’m going to say it, one of the best bircher’s I’ve had - both paleo and non-paleo. Who knew a grain-free bircher could taste this good?!

I’m really excited about this cafe. I really enjoyed the freedom of eating out for breakfast and still knowing I was making the right choice for my body. With a menu that will please both paleo and non-paleo eaters alike, I’m looking forward to my next visit. Melbournites….get on this!

Until next time, happy eats :)

Patch bircher