Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore

Yeah, I’d happily nestle myself into one of Ampersand’s lush one-seaters and read a book in one sitting whilst munching on a sandwich. It’s no surprise that this eclectic café and bookstore is so popular, especially for its delectable breakfast menu. Make yourself comfortable in one of the nooks downstairs or soak in the sun outside with some scrambled eggs on Sourdough, throw in a good book, and you’ve got yourself the perfect morning.

Ampersand’s most popular breakfast dish is the Mediterranean, which I get to try (yay!). It’s a pretty plate of poached eggs, tomato, spinach, grilled haloumi and pesto on our Schiacciata, with a lemon and balsamic syrup. I’m in love. The dish is very tasty, thanks to the haloumi and pesto. And the lemon & balsamic syrup adds a wow factor that I can’t refuse.

I chuckle to myself a little when I see their cheeky take on a breakfast for the hungover folks of Paddington: the Morning-after Breakfast  is a hearty meal of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, gourmet beef sausage, slow roasted tomato and our Sourdough Batard. You can even have it with Berocca for the ultimate hangover remedy.

Ampersand has 25 rotating sandwiches on offer, which take on seasonal changes.

“We love exciting the customer with daily changes to our meals as well as our sandwiches,” says Katherine, owner and director of the café & bookstore. Great for a sit-down lunch or a quick takeaway snack, the range is exhaustive. And how they use our artisan breads is pretty nifty.

Being a bit of a veggie-lover myself, I’m pleased to find that Ampersand has a commendable range of vegetarian sandwiches. There’s a roasted mushroom sandwich with onion jam, tomato & bocconcini on our deliciously soft Rustic Ciabatta. Brie enthusiasts, let us rejoice. I can’t get enough of soft cheeses, so this sandwich gets me very excited: brie, avocado, rocket and red pepper with wholegrain mustard aioli on our Deli Rye.

But let’s move on to some of the meatier options in The Cabinet… We wouldn’t want the carnivores to lose interest.

This Tuscan number bursts with flavour. Our Olive & Rosemary Loaf is already so tasty on its own, but this sandwich has got the added bonus of salami, cheese, rocket and tomato. Some regulars that grace The Cabinet include the Chicken and Avocado on our Grande Roll and the Tuna Melt on the Schiacciata. For the more adventurous lot, there’s the roasted lamb with beetroot, salsa, artichoke and parmesan sandwich on our Rustic Ciabatta.

Three things we love about Ampersand:

1. The comforting and relaxing atmosphere

An ex-librarian, Katherine points out that this café is all about giving people an experience that revolves around good books, good coffee and fresh food. And this experience comes hand in hand with a homely and calm ambience. Ardent readers can enjoy the warming feeling of browsing and skimming through books in a library or bookstore, teamed with the tantalising aroma of coffee and the fresh flavours of a hearty brekky. The three levels make for a fun and cosy café: it’s a home away from home.

2. The continuous quest for exceptional and seasonal ingredients

Tim stresses how important ingredients and seasonality is at Ampersand. All their food is made to order, and most importantly made from scratch (even the pasta!). Pretty impressive, I’ve got to say. On top of that, they’ve been loyal Brasserie Bread customers since they opened four and a half years ago. And with their combination of Allpress coffee and Brasserie Bread, I can’t say I can fault them

3. They’ve opened another café in Surry Hills!

What’s better than having two of a good thing? The new café on Crown Street in Surry Hills has been open for about a month. The good people of Surry Hills are probably exclaiming ‘Hurrah!’ right about now. Not that the area is short on cafes. But it definitely makes a difference when the café is also a bookstore.

The Surry Hills café follows the same concept and ambience as the one in Paddington. But it’s bigger (it seats 80 as opposed to Paddington’s 58) and it’s licensed. A glass of wine or a cocktail with your Sourdough sandwich? Why, yes please!

It’s already doing very well, even though Katherine and Tim haven’t even started promoting it yet. Just through word of mouth, they’ve started to build a strong clientele.

And to make things even more exciting, Ampersand on Crown Street will be opening for dinner starting tonight! Tim has been creating a menu that’s perfect for sharing, but he says he’s steering away from the done-to-death tapas menu that so many Sydney eateries resort to.

I, for one, can’t wait to pop in the Surry Hills café as soon as humanly possible. And since the menu is changing (at both venues), there’s all the more reason for me to make another visit! This makes me very happy.

See their menu on the website.

Tweet them @ampersandpaddo or become a fan on Facebook.

Ampersand Café & Bookstore
78 Oxford St
Paddington NSW 2021
Tel: (02) 9380 6617

Opening hours:
Monday-Friday 7.30am to 5.30pm
Saturday 8am to 5.30pm
Sunday 9am to 5pm