Sarah’s Sister’s Sustainable Cafe is an Adelaide institution which was first established back in 1978. Back then they were located on Hutt Street, and were already promoting the use of fresh, seasonal, local produce. Their breakfast and lunch offerings initially appear small, but this is made up for by their all day French department menu.

From the outside, this place looks like a small boring cafe, but the inside is somewhat different. At the rear is decking which overlooks a beautiful nursery. It’s almost like being in the French countryside. With regards to sustainability, the cafe is based inside a disused 1860’s heritage building which has a passive low energy design. It uses orientation and microclimate to reduce energy emissions by up to 50%.

For breakfast, I had the Croc Madame which is a modern version of the Parisian grilled gruyere sandwich. The dish came out after a 15 minute wait and was nicely presented. Cheesy sauce covered two thick slices of bread with a generous serving of fake bacon in between. The perfectly fried egg, with the yolk still runny, complimented the star of the show, the gruyere cheese, which had a delicious earthy nutty taste. A bit boring at first but once you get into the gruyere cheese, you’ll quickly change your mind.

The staff were really friendly and the service was very good. Drinks arrived promptly and they even showed concern that it was too cold to be sitting outside. The cost of the Croc Madame was $11.50 which wasn’t too bad considering its size and the gourmet nature of the dish. The meals start from $8.90 and go all the way to $19.90, which is typical cafe prices but healthier than what you would get elsewhere.

There aren’t many places that can say they are truly sustainable.

WHERE: 117 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore