Black Squirrel

This place is usually complete with people spilling out the seams sipping lattes and waiting for a table where green smoothies and pancakes can promptly be consumed. The Saturday morning I ventured here for breakfast was surprisingly quiet, no problem nabbing a table (in fact there were many) and coffee landed before we had time to warm the seat. Being a new resident to Bayside, I’m just beginning to realise that the 9.30 crowd you might see in an outer CBD café for weekend breakfast is instead replaced with bay front joggers with prams and dogs enjoying the sun and fresh air. I’ll take this with pleasure if every brunch date begins with a piccolo within minutes of arriving!
Black Squirrel is one of the best performing (read: always busy) cafes on Sandringham’s Bay Road strip. Interiors are pretty cool, a sorts of funky which borders on mainstream «cool», complete with rough part-​exposed brick and all. The coffee they spit out for their many patrons is key to their success, a great coffee from the very first sip.
Breakfast for me was the eccentric on the list of veggie options where normally I’d jump straight to poached eggs on sourdough. Definitely try the kale and goats cheese dumplings, served with a base smear of passion fruit yoghurt (the odd hook that drew me in!) and some classic pretty looking green bits on top. Vegie patties are notoriously hard to ‘cook through’ and while these kale dumplings seemed a bit wet inside, the flavour was fantastic and the hits of goats cheese a highlight within a crisp coating. I can also report from my sources that the smashed avo and herb convo on sourdough was also pretty ace.
Give Black Squirrel a shot if visiting the bay or still cautious of the big kid on the block. Getting there at the right time to instantaneously feed your caffeine and food desire is recommended.

This place was absolutely packed when I came in here to meet a friend — clearly a local favourite. It’s nice family-​friendly suburban café with cheery staff and a love for coffee. Not far from the beach either.
Unfortunately on this occasion I didn’t try the coffee, but I did have a nice fresh squeezed OJ.
There’s a classic café menu on offer with pancakes, egg dishes and sandwiches etc. I tried the corn fritters with avocado, slab bacon and hommus. The addition of hommus was perplexing and didn’t work at all with the dish, so I kind of ate around it — devouring the tasty thick bacon and smashed avocado.
They’re all set for looking after kids, with colouring in on-​hand, a kids menu, and happy to cater for any little fuss pots.
It was a bit loud for a meeting place, but definitely a good spot for brunch with the family.

Good atmosphere, well managed, good coffee and interesting food.

Black Squirrel is a rebranding and re awakening of a café I don’t even remember it’s name. Thats how much of a change there has been.
The refit is fantastic, the weekend and weekdays tables are filled with happy people drinking a range of great coffee (I think there is 3 – 4 different types of bean you can order)
The food, drool. The beans… drool. Order me one and let me know as i’ll be there in a flash. Everything else i’ve had as been equally awesome.
Really close to the Sandringham train station, so why not jump on the train, head here grab a coffee, walk across to the beach, then come back for food then get back on the train and tell others of your discovery… go on!