Coco Cubano, Parramatta

Viva la revolucion!

For a hot summer’s day on the corner of Philip & Church Streets in Parramatta is a little slice of Havana, a place you can sit in a big leather chair with a mojito in one hand and a cigar in the other like the boss you are.  Well out of Fidel’s reach, owner Tony Melhem who aptly takes the dictatorial title, “El Presidente”, has big visions for his cafes’ revolutionary inspiration.

A group of bloggers were cordially invited to sample the menu, and I cordially accepted.  So, arriving a little late for the high-noon start, I found a table full of happy (thanks, Sangria) bloggers ready to indulge and explore.

Grilled Chorizo with Warm Olives — $9.9

The Grilled Chorizo with Warmed Olives starts out our feast.  You gotta love chorizo!

Vegetarian Sandwich

This vegetarian sandwich was for our own Miss Piggy.  I couldn’t find it on the menu; you’ll have to watch her blog.

Patatas Bravas — $9.9

The Patatas Bravas are wedge-like spiced chunky chips with a lovely hot tomato sauce/salsa on top.  Mmm!

Vegetarian Nachos — $12.9

The Vegetarian Nachos were oh-so-tasty as well, with lots of toppings!  But I think I would lean more towards the beef nachos than the beans.

Sliders — 2x for $9.9

The Mini Beef Burger Sliders were one of my favourites of the Tapas dishes.  Nicely seasoned beef burgers which were almost like a meatball sat on a toasted sesame bun with grilled cheese and onion jam.  Onion jam!  I loved it.

Chocolate Suze loves Sangria

While I ordered a Corona & Lime, the girls ordered a sampling of the cocktail menu, and Suze occupied herself whilst waiting for the next round of food…

Chocolate Pots with Strawberries and Lady Fingers

As the first of the desserts came out, so did the cameras.  The coverture chocolate at Coco Cubano is delicious!  Here were two pots of milk and dark chocolate, smooth and silken, with stawberries, marshmallows and lady fingers to dip.

The Adventures of Miss Piggy

Mojito — $13.9

Chocolate Suze

As the mojitos came out, I began to see a pattern.

Chocolate Cinnamon Churros — $13.9

And here are the churros!  I love churros, and I have to say these were very yummy.  They reminded me alot of the kind we get in North America, doused in cinnamon sugar.  Crisp on the outside and chewy-warm on the inside.

Chocolate Pot. See the drizzle!

Revolution Waffle — $13.9

Lastly came the Revolution Waffle: a belgian waffle topped with ice cream, melted chocolate and strawberries!  The breakfast of champions..er..if they serve it at breakfast.

Mojitos — $13.9/each (options: passionfruit, raspberry, strawberry, mango, lychee, coconut or classic)

Daiquiris (Mango & Strawberry) — $14.9/each

Everybody Loves Ramen dined as a guest, courtesy of Coco Cubano.

Coco Cubano 
302 Church St
Parramatta NSW 2124
0450 956 382 

Campos @ Coco

If you weren’t already aware of Campos Coffee’s presence in the CBD of Parramatta, this post is for you.

Interestingly, I had only heard rumors of a hidden cafe near the train station which served up Campos at high quality.

 

Last Tuesday in a fit of spontaneity I headed to Parra to shop and check out said cafe.

Crossing the street from Westfield towards Macca’s, I veer left down the alley-street parallel to the trains, passing half a dozen convenience stores and average looking cafes and salons.  I began to wonder if the place existed til the very end of the street – and emerged the cafe, Coco Lane Coffee Bar in all it’s decorative beauty and proudly flourishing the Campos florette logo.

A lone barista worked rhythmically behind the bar, taking batch orders of 3 or 4 before returning to pull shots and spin milk.  I am not sure of the total association of Coco Lane with Campos but I was pleasantly surprised to see their identity everywhere, from the walls and t-shirts to the signature green florette take away cups.

I ordered a latte and a ham, cheese & tomato toasted sandwich at an amazing value – $7.00!  That’s right. Great coffee and a breakfast sandwich or wrap for $7.00.  Several deals of such price and nature grace the menu board for lunch and breakfast.

Although the sandwich is average, the coffee is excellent – only a little bettered by the one I had at Campos in Newtown two weeks before.

Pleased I found this cafe, and I will definitely be making it a staple of my trips to Parra in the future!!

You can find Coco Lane Coffee Bar at:

1 Smith Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
(02) 9635 6651

It also has a sister cafe in the lobby of the office complex on Smith street – Limeline Cafe.