3.8 Baysie

3.8 Baysie is an inviting cafe turning out hi-fi breakfasts, hot coffee and house-made pastries and sweets. It’s the first joint venture by partners Kevin Dobson and Anastasia Fox.

From the outside, the bright blue-and-red facade is easy to spot. And it befits the colourful 20-seat interior, which Dobson mostly pulled together with Facebook Marketplace finds and elbow grease. It features overhanging plants, cosy seating and a large window that lets in plenty of natural light. And, through a wide opening at the back, there’s a semi-open kitchen where you can watch Dobson make the rest of the magic happen.

There, the chef turns out souped-up dishes that you’re unlikely to make at home. The all-day chilli scramble burger is a crowd favourite. It includes chilli-peanut scrambled eggs, fried shallots, coriander, pickled onion and Kewpie mayo in a grilled potato bun (with the option to add bacon for extra umami). Another standout is the Smoking Vego, which marries charred eggplant, slow-cooked chickpeas, tahini dressing, dill and roasted pine nuts on toasted ciabatta. Right across the menu, there’s a healthy balance between vegetarian, gluten-free and meat-focused dishes.

Dobson also makes most of the pastries in-house, including blondies, choc-chip cookies, lemon polenta loaf, gluten- and dairy-free banana bread, and spicy and sweet cinnamon scrolls.

These pair well with the house-blend coffee, which is roasted on the darker side by Leftfield Coffee Roasters. There are also cans of cold brew to go, house-made juices and smoothies. And, if you’d like to recreate some 3.8 Baysie at home, bags of beans are also for sale.