Inside the new cafe De Clieu in Fitzroy. Photo: Shaun Lee
AFTER Brother Baba Budan and Seven Seeds, comes Mark Dundon and Bridget Amor’s latest venture De Clieu.
The cosy corner cafe on the corner of Gertrude and George streets was already bustling when Meld Magazine visited on its opening day.
Everything was running as it should be, and if there were any hiccups, we didn’t notice.
Photo: Shaun Lee
After all, the staff are old hands in the trade – regulars at Seven Seeds would recognise the same smiling faces behind the counter at the new joint.
Like its predecessors, expect the same silky cups of coffee at De Clieu, a modest but creative menu offering, yummy sweets, and excellent service.
Sandwiched between our ground lamb pizza was a yummy spinach, pine nut and currant salad tossed in a pomegranate molasses dressing; and the strawberry aniseed jam slathered on our buttered up organic seeded toast was finger-licking satisfaction.
Creative menu offerings. The ground lamb pizza at De Clieu’s. Photo: Shaun Lee.
Granted, our eyes were hungrier than our stomachs, and other items we’d ordered if we could: the spring onion roti with sweet roasted pork neck, barbecue sauce and fried egg; fermented lentil and rice pancake with a spicy coconut and potato and pea filling; and the pickled calamari with a blood orange, fennel, green chilli and whitlof salad.
And if you’d like to take something home at the end of it all, there’s a little nook dedicated to retail, where you can handpick your favourite bean and press pot.
The cafe certainly lives up to its namesake, the famed Captain Mathieu de Clieu, who introduced coffee to the French colony of Martinique in the early 1700s. Legend has it the French naval officer went so far as to share his water ration with the precious lone seedling in his possession on his voyage.
Go De Clieu.
De Clieu is open daily from 7am-5pm at 187 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. Details: 94164661.
Oooh…can’t wait to check it out!
you have to try the roti with pork and fried egg. its really good for a cold day.
thx for seeking and finding a new joint to experience!
I’ve gone and checked it out and can say that service was…passable.
Food was good – had the spring onion roti, but it was really hard getting anyone’s attention upon arrival; the 3 of us waited for a good 6 mins before our presence was even acknowledged, while 2 waitresses swished by within centimeters, made eye contact, then walked on. I know they’re the hip new kid on the block, but I was made to feel like I was at a club waiting for the bouncer to let me in.