Pollen 185 is a cafe located on the southern end of King William Road in Hyde Park. It’s menu is vegetarian and vegan with a small selection of breakfast items, such as the classic Avocado Smash or Baked Eggs, served until 11:30am. From noon onwards, the offerings are more interesting with dishes such as the Samosti or the Raw Zucchini Pasta.

The cafe is not overly huge, with the bar area to one side as you enter, and a small open kitchen area towards the middle of the room. The space is efficiently used with seating along the windows and a communal table in front of the bar area. The use of glass right up to the top maximises the amount of natural light that flows through.

For breakfast, I had the Herb Mushroom Toast. The dish arrived 15 minutes after ordering and was nicely presented. I counted at least three varieties of mushroom that were soft and delicate, and nicely flavoured. I could tell there was a lot of butter added to this dish and the garlic was also quite prominent. The sour dough toast was firmer than expected, but all in all, it was a really tasty dish.

The staff were friendly and attentive, and the service was fairly fast and efficient. One thing I did pick up was the cleanliness of the table I was sitting at. It was filthy and I wasn’t too pleased that my cutlery made contact with the table.

The atmosphere was relaxed, although it was a weekday and before the lunch period. The cost of breakfast was $14.50 which wasn’t too bad considering the serving size and the fact that it was delicious. Sometimes simple dishes are often the best and this is an example of it.

A good selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes that works quite well with the paleo cafe next door.

WHERE: 4/185 King William Rd, Hyde Park