Nestled down the Darlinghurst end of Crown Street you’ll find Proteini, a quaint health café serving up feel-good food and positive vibes.
Greeted to a large HELLO written above the entrance, Proteini is as inviting as cafés come – inspirational comments adorn the walls, a mirror assures you that ‘you look good’ and it’s decorated with an eclectic mix of furniture and scattered plant life. In some ways, it feels just like a living room.
Open for breakfast and lunch, Proteini offers an all day menu full of healthy, homemade food. With a motto to ‘love your guts’ almost everything is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar, or can be made so. Choose from ‘something light’ (avo and rosemary smash, mushroom and goats feta toast and of course, poached eggs) as well as ‘big bowls of good food’ (think paleo pumpkin loaf and nourishing vegetables with protein), or you can pick from the daily display of ‘supercharged salads’ with an endless list of dressings (basil pesto, nutty turmeric, cashew and zucchini hummus).
If you’re after something sweeter, health goddess Lola Berry frequents the café and believes “they do the world’s best paleo pancakes.” She also swears by the Warrior (kale, broccoli, pineapple, spirulina and coconut water) and Morts (blueberries, cocoa, hazelnuts, maple syrup, protein powder and milk) ‘Proteinis’ (smoothies), which the café is known for.
When it comes to coffee, they’re serving up Will and Co in a number of forms. Try a Cocoa Bullet Proof coffee (a long black blended with organic grass-fed butter, MCT oil and cocoa powder), or a Willy Coco coffee (a black coffee with a scoop of coconut ice cream). If you’re going for a caffeine fix, try to get there between 8 and 9 am for happy hour ($2.50 regulars).
At Proteini croissants are vegan and coeliac safe, the toast choices include protein bread, you can add probiotics to your smoothies and get a ‘health booster’ in a shot glass. But aside from being a devoted ‘paleo’s’ dream, this café is also a local favourite… and I promise they still do eggs on toast.
Proteini
Address: 1/256 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Website: www.proteini.com.au
Instagram: @proteinicafe
Facebook: www.facebook.com/proteinicafe
