Cafe Bouquiniste

Slow serving time for poor tasting food. Definitely not worth anywhere near the ⁴⁄₅ star rating it has on here. Not worth the trip. Wonderful if you are some sort of misguided hipster/​trendy type who likes places on how ‘quirky’ they are.

«Bookseller»
Some of the nicest finds in this great city of ours can happen when you are not searching for anything at all. Like one fine morning, driving along Merthyr Road New Farm, a little further from the main «village», is a cute unassuming little café; Café Bouqiniste.
Stepping inside is like being in someone’s loungeroom or study. Its hard to focus on where to look,
as you’re instantly hit by its charm. The Timber floors, wooden furniture, mismatched chairs, the various posters, paintings, bookshelves, books piled up, black and white photographs, various objects and other trinkets amongst it all, combine to convey an old fashioned «welcome». A perfect spot for losing yourself reading, whilst slouched on one of the couches. Its a spot where artistes, or budding authors would feel right at home.
Bouquiniste is french for bookseller, so its no surprise then that the books that inhabit this space are for sale. Looking at the clipboard menu by the counter, everything is surprisingly cheap for this area. We couldn’t go past The Bouquiniste Breakfast, ($ 10), which is turkish bread, with fried egg, ham, caramelised onion, and spinach, and the Bouquiniste Toastie ($ 9) with fried eggs, bread, spinach, mushrooms, and caramelised onion.
The friendly bearded host also recommended, what sounded like a perfect hangover cure, «mixed juice» of orange, carrot, apple and ginger. Exploring the rest of this little café, we headed outside and saw the mini courtyard to the side of the café, and decided to sit there with the retro chairs and tables. Service was prompt and friendly, the food filling, and the juice exquisitely fresh. Café Bouquiniste is a gem! Great value, far enough from the hustle of Merthyr Village, a place to unwind and watch the eccentric characters go by. Il est vraiment génial — It is really great!

This is my first 5 star café review. It’s worth it for the service, flavour of coffee and delightful atmosphere. Vive la Bouqiniste!

Quirky and a breath of fresh air when so many cafes in this area are trying too hard. The food is homely and therefor very tasty and unpretentious.
Probably more suited to sitting with friends for a coffee and a slice of cake rather than sitting for a meal due to the mismatched furniture. I liked this place.

atmosphere and nice staff are the best bits. forgettable coffee. breakfasts under $ 10. not fun or worth it, when busy.

Oh how I adore you!
Your seemingly cluttered space is cleverly disguised in coolness and flair. You are everything but beige and white walls. You are everything against anything prim and proper, yet you are. I love how your books are scattered on every wall, you make me feel like I’m in literary heaven. Every time I have coffee with you, you inspire me to be a literary genius. Alas, I fail at that, inspired all the same.
The outdoor extension of your café is dream-​like. As I breathe in the fresh air and sip on your coffee in your spot, I feel like I’m in an art-​house movie in that ‘café scene’ when the girl realises her dreams. Thanks for that.
With you, I’ve let my imagination run wild. I’ve discussed my hopes and ambitions with you over coffee or yummy muffins.
Although you’re so popular with the people on the weekends, I’m most happiest to share you with only a few on a work day and at 2:43pm in the afternoon.

Oh Bouqiniste, how I would love to be one of the smug patrons on weekends eating breakfast on the outside couch. What wouldn’t I give to be enjoying tasty, raved about food when hung over and in need of culinary delights.
Unfortunately I’ve STILL only managed to get takeaway coffee due to the popularity of this little gem. From what I see (yes lucky diner, I’m totally checking out your breakfast enviously as I wait for my coffee to go) the food is GOOD and people seem to enjoy themselves. Too much if you ask me, they don’t have to rub it in.
Bah humbug, I might have to set my alarm one weekend so I can get that elite sense of hipster superiority that only comes from watching piteous plebs enviously watching you.

I consider Café Bouquiniste an extension of my lounge room. It’s the perfect little nook to curl up with a book, a cup of tea or coffee and just daydream your time away. The converted house on Merthyr Road in New Farm plays as a second home to so many of the locals and when you’re there you understand why. It’s comfortable and quaint in an old-​fashioned, cluttered living room kind of way. The coffee is consistently good and the food is simple and not served with a side of pretense (although if you order at peak times on the weekend be prepared for a bit of a wait).
Café Bouquiniste doubles as a bookstore (hence the name, French for «bookseller») and is exactly the kind of place to find the not-​so-​necessary but oh-​so-​lovely coffee table book that you might not need. Not arranged in any particular order, it’s still a feast for the eyes while you sip on the yummy coffee I mentioned earlier.
I recommend going and perching yourself inside on rainy day with a good book, or if the weather is good, grab an old friend and snag a seat in the mini-​courtyard.