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99 Problems Becomes The Mercy Seat by Day

Photography: Dominik Staszowski

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99 Problems Becomes The Mercy Seat by Day

It might be 99 Problems by night, but by day, this Johnston Street bar assumes the guise of a cafe by a different name.

By Charlotta Lomas, 26th July 2011

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he Mercy Seat may just redeem you from the 99 problems of the night before. Named after a Nick Cave song, The Mercy Seat is the daytime cafe in the space that is 99 Problems by night, without the stains and stenches you get walking into a bar the morning after. So that by the time the sun comes up the natural daylight, pot plant adorned tables and homemade baked goods gives The Mercy Seat a nice homely feel.

Co-owners of this new venture, Ben Coyte and Paul Milne – long-term vegans and vegetarians – provide a totally meat-free culinary experience. Meat eaters, however, should not be deterred, as the seasoned vegetarian bacon on the BLT bagel tastes much like the real thing.

The all-day breakfast menu includes scrambled pesto eggs, the avocado feta smash and the vegan scrambled tofu with sweet Spanish onion and sliced avocado. The food is inspired by dishes Ben and Paul enjoyed whilst on the road touring the US with their band In Trenches. “We’ve both travelled a lot…so we just kept experimenting, ripping off food from places we liked,” Paul says. This includes the Philly Cheesesteak Roll from Philadelphia and the Blackened Tofu Mushroom Burger from California.

As well as being a vegan haven, The Mercy Seat is serving Padre coffee and is licensed, conveniently making the transition from daytime cafe into a bar (99 Problems) around 4pm, so cafe customers can set up camp and stay for the night.

The Mercy Seat
31 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Hours
Wed to Sun 8am–4pm

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