When I was invited to review a pop-up cafe on 22 Crwys Road, I had the feeling where I was sure I’d been there before. Waking up after a heavy Juice session, I eagerly skipped off with a hungover stomach that was DYING for an avo-based brunch. And when I got there I found I was at none other than the door of Munchies! If you havenÔÇÖt already seen, at the beginning of this academic year I popped over to Munchies to try out their menu as they were a relatively new caf├®! (IÔÇÖll post the link below if youÔÇÖre interested.) But for now, Munchies has taken a backseat to allow the all-new, all-shiny, Avo Caf├® to take over. I went in, totally ready for the pop-up to guac my world.
Offering an EXTENSIVE menu of avocado-based meals, snacks and drinks (honestly, I thought the potato was meant to be the jack-of-all-trades, but step aside, humble spud), I was stumped as to what to get! They offer a breakfast menu with the things youÔÇÖd expect: smashed avo and poached eggs, bacon etc. but with an added level of TLC for the menu with the option of nice sourdough toast or sweet potato ÔÇÿtoast’. They also offer a breakfast burrito, among other brunchy delights.
The Lunch menu was mad. An avo burger, avo-pesto pasta, avo sliders, avo chips. I really didnÔÇÖt think it was so versatile! I opted for the avocado pesto pasta, and if IÔÇÖm totally honest, I feel like the danger with avocados is that it can sometimes be too bland. I ended up being mildly disappointed that my pasta didnÔÇÖt have as much zing as I wanted. I know, obviously the point is that I wasnÔÇÖt having real pesto, but I donÔÇÖt think the quality of taste should be compromised for the sake of the substitute ingredients. That said, it was creamy, the fried chicken and bacon pieces in it were delicious, the pasta was well-cooked and the portion size was fantastic ÔÇô perfect for the hangover belly rumbles. My friend went for the avocado chicken burger and that was something special, let me tell you. Where the words ÔÇÿburgerÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿavocadoÔÇÖ collide, you will find paradise. Holy guacamole, you need to book in right now and order that ASAP because it was pure magic.
I was also super keen to try the avocado brownie for dessert, but sadly theyÔÇÖd ran out so I will have to try and pop back in to grab one of them! But I did get to try the avocado and fruit smoothie, which was both tasty and made me feel like a health-kick queen after my night of a questionable consumption of VK. The Cranberry Splash drink was also lovely.
The vibe, being in the building of Munchies, was much like Munchies ÔÇô relaxed, welcoming and warm. The staff were on hand and helpful for all customers so far as I could see and seemed genuinely excited about their latest business venture which was great to see! The geniuses behind this idea are Jordan, Christian and Elliot, and theyÔÇÖre hoping to take this pop-up to the road! With Bristol looking like the next target!
The pop-up will be open for a total of 4 weeks and ends the 13th May. They have been very popular so far so highly recommend booking ahead if you want to guarantee a table.
By Charlotte Clark
Munchies Review: