This is a very overdue review.

I ate at this cafe almost daily when I was pregnant and I miss it almost every day since leaving work in the city to have Alice. I would sit at the long bench at the back, as it was always so busy, and would read my books on pregnancy while eating whatever I craved that day.

If I was taking breakfast back to the office I would have Bircher and my decaf soy (and they did not roll their eyes when I asked for decaf like a lot of other places)….If I was sitting in I would often have one of their egg dishes, the scrambled egg is so rich and delish you do not feel hungry till lunch at least.

As I am writing this I am thinking about how I might get in to the city this week to visit again.

It is busy, ALWAYS busy, the staff are super efficient and you never feel rushed to leave. From the bench I called home at the back I would watch the chef and staff working in the tiny kitchen creating these amazing lunch dishes. How they did not crash into eachother more is quite the mystery.

There are some dishes that are part of the menu, such as Quiche and Empanadas, but it is the ever changing daily menu that was always something to look forward to. Depending on what was good and in season you could find rabbit, scallops, fish of all types and … well, you never knew what was next really.

It can be daunting when you first walk in, just how busy they can get, but if you catch Di’s eye she will tell you how long the wait might be and does not forget you if you wait loitering out the front for someone to vacate a precious table.

The salted Caramel Macaons were a favorite of mine as were the little doughnuts that come with the coffee.

The really amazing thing is that the food is not  expensive, for the quality and care taken in the preparation and the thought given to the menu it is a pretty good deal.

I miss this cafe, I really really miss it.

Here are some other reviews of Hardware Societe

Urban Spoon

Broadsheet