Valhalla Social

The owners of Glebe’s Valhalla Social, Cat and Davide Isola, also run The Wedge Espresso, another Glebe Point Road eatery. The cafe takes its name from the art-house cinema that opened in the pretty art deco building in the 1930s but closed in 2005.

They’re keeping things straight – it’s not about reinventing breakfast or lunch, but doing the standards well.

The dishes are pretty and well executed, in particular the berry-based French toast served with Panko-crusted brioche. Also for breakfast is a house-made granola roasted with maple syrup and (interestingly) tamarind paste. The omelette, which is surely one of the fluffiest in town, comes with crisp bacon or portobello mushrooms, and the eggs Benedict are served with the nice addition of thyme and rosemary roasted pumpkin. Almost everything is made in-house: sodas, milkshake syrups, all the pickles, the crackers, the hummus.

At lunch the standout is the chicken-katsu sandwich with a house-made daikon and carrot pickle, followed by a slow-braised lamb that’s pulled and served with Ezekiel flatbread and served with cashew hummus and pomegranate.

Valhalla uses a strong-tasting Five Senses Coffee blend, and there’s a selection of herbal and classic teas, as well as seasonal iced tea.