Surprised to find the cafe filled to the brim on a weekday morning, and even more astonished at the quality of their coffee! With beans roasted in-house, the flat white ($5) is robust with a strong, well rounded malty flavour and substantial caffeine boost.
No complaints for this price point - the hojicha latte ($2.90) is a tad grainy and thin, but its flavour comes through. Wish it was served hot because this was lukewarm at best!
Selection was limited by mid afternoon on a Saturday. The cranberry scone ($5) crumbled nicely and was moist inside. The brownie ($5) stole the show with its crisp edges and fudgy interior; very rich and decadent! Found the hot chocolate ($5) too sweet and milky, especially when paired with these bakes. The white ($5) surprised us with its well rounded strong flavour!
Rather expensive for a grilled cheese sandwich ($16), but this was enjoyable! I wished they used a cheese stronger than cheddar, but the ham was lean and not too salty. It was layered with caramelised onions and the sourdough had a great chew! The rocket and roasted tomatoes on the side helped to balance the heavy flavours.
Expected more from their coffee, given the origins of the cafe. The white ($5) was smooth and nutty but too milky for me! The filter coffees might fare better but they’re priced steeply.
Was feeling something savoury, so I got the duck focaccia ($6). The crumb was too dense and sticky, made worse by the grease. The pickled onion helped cut through the heavy flavours! Might have been better if it had been toasted til crisp but it was barely warm when served.
The cafe is bustling over the weekends! Have heard rave reviews about the ice cream here, but it fell short of expectations. Bought a double scoop ($6.90 + $1 per premium flavour) of rum & raisin and lychee martini. The first was a tad too sweet, albeit balanced by bitter alcohol-soaked raisins. Enjoyed the small pieces of lychee in the latter but found it a little too icy!
The waitress recommended the meatball tagliatelle ($26++) over the ravioli, so we went with her suggestion! I must confess that I had my reservations when the dish arrived - it looked terribly plain, like something I could whip up from cans at home. But this is, hands down, my favourite pasta at Lino thus far! The homemade tomato sauce is tangy and savoury; the pasta had a firm bite. What won me over were the meatballs - a medley of beef and lamb, they had a great depth of flavour that pulled the whole dish together without being too heavy. This paired perfectly with the burrata pizza!
The beef short rib fettuccine ($29++) is highly recommended but average at best - the sauce is one dimensional and a tad too salty, whilst the beef came across more like bolognese. I’d stick to their pizzas!
I’m a big fan of Edith’s cakes and brownies, so I was really excited to try their new offerings! Served in a cone and drizzled with honey, the soft serve ($4) is light, slightly sweet and floral. The ice cream is a tad icy but otherwise very enjoyable! Do catch their opening promo of 15% off until 18/04/21 :-)
A pity that the burpple beyond deals no longer include the oriole classics, which I really enjoyed previously! Settled for the spicy crabmeat capellini ($28++) - despite the copious amounts of chilli enfolded within, it lacked the distinctive heat and instead tasted strongly of cardamom. I found the pasta a tad dry! The portion of crabmeat was fresh and generous.
Previously tried their white with dark matter blend, so I thought to try their black ($5) with equilibrium this time! It comprises beans from Santa Rosa, Konga and Ethiopia, resulting in a mild fruity acidity and light mouthfeel. Their filter coffees ($6) are quite popular!
