First Look: Boozy Brunch on a Budget? The Mimosas Are Always $5 at Colourful New Kew East Cafe Gilbert’s

A bright new all-day diner has arrived in the old Rémy site on High Street in Kew East.

Gilbert’s is a collaboration between Andrew Skoullos, the former owner of Fitzroy cafe Gabriel, and its former manager Benny Mazzetti – with Tobias Haegele and chef Manish Budhathoki.

A huge refurbishment saw walls knocked down to make way for a larger, more open-plan space leading into the sunny courtyard. Walls and ceilings have been painted in bottle green, while a pink-terrazzo-tiled coffee counter sits front and centre.

“We wanted to give locals a bright and colourful spot to grab a coffee and a quick bite,” Mazzetti tells Broadsheet.

Gilbert’s serves classic Aussie brunch alongside dishes with a Mediterranean slant – a nod to Skoullos’s and Mazzetti’s respective Greek and Italian roots. You’ll find a fried-haloumi-topped Greek salad, spanakopita like yia yia makes and – on the sweet front – French toast inspired by tsoureki, a fluffy Greek bread served at Easter, paired at Gilbert’s with caramelised banana and cinnamon custard.

On the handheld front, the egg-and-bacon roll and chicken burger are both solid choices.

Drinks-wise, there’s Inglewood coffee alongside a range of smoothies, shakes, cold-pressed juices and brunch-friendly cocktails – including $5 mimosas all day, every day. There’s also grab-and-go section that includes a handful of ready-to-heat meals.

Gilbert’s
713 High Street, Kew East

Hours:
Daily 7am–3pm

gilbertscafe.com.au