Il Locale — Restaurant in Berry

Probably the best cafe in Berry. There is indoor and outdoor seating available and your furry friend can join you in the alfresco dining area.

The cafe has a good vibe and the staff are super friendly.

We went for breakfast and the coffee is exceptional; or if you are feeling like a morning hair of the dog there is a fully stocked bar… I wish I had asked if they can do a Bloody Mary because that would cement this place as my local breakfast go to.

We ordered a half serve of the avo smash, the smoked cod croque monsieur and the buttermilk pancakes.

The avo smash was a decent serving (even the half serve was ample) and the slice of sourdough was generously topped with fresh avocado, fetta cheese and garnished with soy roasted seeds. The soft fried egg topping of a lovely dish. The only complaint here was that it lacked a little in temperature.

Purists will point out that a croque monsieur is white bread with ham and cheese but who cares about another French Australia diplomatic crisis (don’t mention the submarines)when the smoked cod croissant with a poached egg is so delicious it might even cause a mass migration of frogs lol. The buttery croissant is split down the middle and filled with creamy white sauce smoked cod. The runny poached egg completes this dish… très magnifique!!! And if you are worried that fish is not a good way to start the day then think again, the fish flavour is very delicate, even for the less pescatarian inclined foodies. Again the only criticism is that the dish was lacking in temperature. (There must be a cold plate issue in the kitchen perhaps? 😜).

Lastly was the pancakes… look, two out of three ain’t bad. The pancakes were meh. But more of a lesson for what to order next time rather than mark the review down. This was still a five star experience despite the dry, slightly over cooked pancakes (sorry guys, I know you tried twice but I’m sure we can all agree they arn’t going to be a signature dish any time soon 😣).

In summary, best cafe/ restaurant in Berry… it’s looking like a yes. Get in, get coffee, get fed and be happy!!

Thanks guys, we will be...

My dining experience at this place was nothing short of a culinary and customer service nightmare. The food quality left much to be desired; the scabbed eggs were an unpalatable disaster, and the avocado on toast was marred by an excessive dousing of vinegar, rendering it impossible to even assign a rating.

However, the real horror began with the nonexistent customer service. A lady with short hair displayed an appalling lack of professionalism and empathy. When our child accidentally spilled his milk outside, she reacted with anger and frustration. Despite our sincere apologies, she expected that we mop the floor ourselves, refusing to acknowledge the difficulty of cleaning water outdoors. To add insult to injury, she bluntly stated, "It's okay; we'll clean it for you! Don't come back!"

This encounter marks the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my entire life. The lack of courtesy and understanding exhibited by the staff is utterly unacceptable. Considering the abysmal quality of both food and service, I feel compelled to give this establishment a resounding zero stars. I implore others to think twice before subjecting themselves to such a distressing...

Update from June 2022 - New location, new design and new vibe, same great quality! Off the beaten path coffee roasters - Drumroll - very strong and with a lot of character. Italian roast full of flavor. Perhaps a bit too roasted to my taste but I can see why other people would really like it. Very generous calamari with chips meal size. Great attention to detail in the interior design with wooden panels throughout. Great friendly and fast service - Berry gets very busy on Saturday's and yet we got our coffees almost instantly and the food came fairly quickly. Ice cream bar was not open due to winter season - something to come back for. Great bar space and tap beer selection.

April 2021 - Great coffee - just the right roast! Beautiful fresh home made ice cream, we also loved home made ricotta spinach roll and toastie with salami..everything is super fresh, quick service nice interiors and great sitting area outdoors on Queen street watching the busy life...