Five Sisters Cafe

141 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane

The Five Sisters Art House Cafe is tucked up a laneway off Melbourne street – you’d almost miss it if you weren’t looking. Which would be a real shame, because they make lovely Greek coffee.

The cafe location is nice enough. There are tables in the laneway (although I opted not to eat there – they were on a slope that suggested my breakfast would have ended up in my lap), which opens out onto a small courtyard, with the counter and display cabinets against one wall. We were fortunate to visit on a sunny day, but the courtyard is uncovered and probably wouldn’t be very pleasant in the rain. The opposite end of the courtyard also backs on to another laneway, down which utes and trucks were driving intermittently – a bit disruptive when you’re trying to enjoy your breakfast and a chat. Amenities were nice and clean, which is always important.

The staff were very pleasant – the cafe is a family-owned, family run business – and the food was nice. The Greek coffee was probably the standout for me. This was my first experience with French toast, so I don’t have much basis for comparison on that, but I certainly enjoyed it. The cold, sweet ice cream balanced the tartness of the berries and the soft toast was almost pancake consistency, making a great base. The Greek brekky wrap was reportedly tasty as well, although a bit smaller and less filling than the toast for the same price of $12.50. Both meals were nicely presented.

It was almost empty when we arrived around 9am, but there were people from all walks of life arriving for takeaway or sit-down breakfasts by the time we left – business people, construction workers, friends catching up. I would probably go back for a coffee (and maybe some of the Greek short-breads I didn’t get to try), but there are cheaper places to get the same sort of breakfasts in the area. Overall, I enjoyed my breakfast at Five Sisters and now I know what’s hiding down that particular leafy laneway!