The Annex

The food was good and my company was even better, but it was a hot morning in the bay and the aircon was broken, so a room full of people made me feel hot, bothered, and claustrophobic.
Good on them for being so busy, but it impacted heavily on the service. After waiting 15 minutes for a coffee (let alone food), the waitress who took all of our orders needed to re-​confirm verbally the entire group’s orders. We then got our coffees in takeaway containers because they’d run out of coffee cups and mugs. The food did take a good half hour to come out which was fine in the end because it was Sunday, but I will need to return another time to have my mind changed about the ability of the managers to operate a squeaky clean estaiblishment.
All in all, they got a bit overwhelmed with the big numbers of patrons. Fingers crossed next time is an easier adventure!

The coffee is worth the trip. Probably the best long black along the Holdfast Bay currently. Very smooth.
Food seems nice as well — although I only tried the Salmon Bagel. Service also very friendly and attentive. Which is not often the case around the beach.
Will be back. Nice job !

It’s a very nice little café at the bay. Lots of parking spaces. You can park in Coles car park or near by. Close to local shops. It has both outdoor and inside dining areas. Can bring your pet with you if you want to. Most the menu are vegetarians, can pay bit extra for chicken or salmon in your dish. They also offer fresh juice. I didn’t really like their combination juice choice, but they let me pick my own combo. Food was fresh and delicious. Nice place to check out.

The old owners have moved on from The Annex and quite frankly the customer service is not the same.
Could I pass time in this café like I used to in the past, not really.
The food and coffee is still of a very good standard and they are one one of the only places in the vicinity of Jetty road serving raw goodness and exclusive vege an vegan options. At times it feels as though you are intruding on something though, or being judged somehow, I’m not that weird am I?! The staff and service is not the same.
Gone are the days of music/​poetry events that the venue used to host or collaborate with too, or perhaps these nights are just not advertised enough. Nonetheless its not the old Annex I loved and adored so much.

The Annex is a breath of fresh air at Glenelg, amid the bog standard mega cafes that adorn the Jetty Road strip.
The coffee here is really good and I note that they are one of Adelaide’s few cafes serving cold brew. I forewent the coffee on my most recent visit opting for a vanilla smoothie instead. I suspect they need to soak the dates a little longer or use a more powerful blender, as there were a few chunks — I didn’t mind though.
I chose a cherry ripe slice, which was chocolatey, but fresh and had cherry chunks and coconut — delicious and just right for afternoon tea. My friend had the orange and almond cake which looked moist and fresh too.
I will be back to Annex for a cold brew and chia pudding!

Nooks and crannies, this little annex to Jetty Rd is the perfect ying to a yang full of cheap clothes shops, random Primo style cafes and truck loads of ice cream joints.
If you know about or have ever been to The Annex you are probably sporting a beard, fedora or attitude towards «the man» right now.
With a beautiful little verandah and small smattering of tables and a couch in the cosy, Bondi Beach style interior, this café caters to all those who go gluto, lacto, meato free in life.
The smoothies and freshly squeezed juices are refreshing in summer (even though they are a tad grainy for my liking) and their cabinet of vegan and vego friendly sweets, quiche, pre-​made burgers, muesli and salads are a healthy and light breakfast and lunch addition to the neighbourhood. They also have a regularly changing daily menu with a few of seasonl specials on it — some days smashed avo on bruschetta with eggs (if you’re lucky), other days home made soup, The Annex Burger (when I went it was with a chickpea patty, other times it’s with mushroom or haloumi) or even their «The Gritz» with hashbrowns and roasted veg. As long as you’re not looking for meat, there is definitely something for everyone.
Smashing coffee, stellar service from super talkative and helpful staff and a very laid back atmosphere makes this the perfect little café to come to solo or with one or two friends for brekkie or lunch.

This place is like my heaven on earth — café version. Cakes abound with so many options for all. Lactose free? Check. Gluten free? Check. Raw? Check? Lactose free vegan gluten free raw cake? Check.
Different varieties of healthy allergy-​sensitive food like chia pudding and various delicious salads are available too. Normal options for people without allergies can be found as well (and apparently are uite tasty!)
The coffee is smooth and delicious, and Bonsoy is used (as well as lactose free milk, and regular milks). Lactose free hot chocolate is one of my favourites to have, although they have a regular hot choccie as well.
Décor is hipster, but friendly hipster. Glass bottles of water in crates and wooden tables. Only thing is, dont bring a group because it doesn’t have the space or table layout!

Great coffee, genuinely friendly staff and great service, the only place I go in glenelg. For anything.

Great spot. Lots of vegan and gluten free options. Coffee is Veneziano and they use Bonsoy. They offer a single origin aswell, but their second grinder was broken on my last visit. Cute recycled and retro furniture. My favourite spot at the bay at the moment.

I am starting to love organic, vegan cafes more and more so I thought why not try the Annex Café at Glenelg. The place is quite small so there is limited seating available but you can sit outside. The décor is arty and funky which I like. Their menu selection is quite small for food, but they have plenty of drink options like a chilli hot chocolate, cappuccino, latte, or teas. I enjoyed the chick pea turkish bread melt and you must try the jaffa cake. I think it has coconut cream in it or something really tastey. It’s very light too. It’s a good chilled place to visit off the busy Jetty Rd.

Yes, this *is* a hipster café … but on both occasions I have visited here, it still feels warm and inviting.
I am still full from the amazing peanut butter and Belgian chocolate thing (slice, cake??) I had this morning — perhaps my eyes *were* bigger than my stomach! The $ 7.50 pricetag should have warned me how rich this would be ;)
Soy lattes are delicious here — made with Bonsoy (extra point!) — I have yet to try savoury items, but they look amazing (especially if you follow them on Instagram, and see the range of delicious vegan/​vegetarian food on offer).
My only criticism here is the tables — mainly for 2 people, there is one for 4 people, and a bench on the side. With my partner and her 6 year old, we had to find an extra chair to make up the 3. So obviously they are catering mainly for couples … which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering the average age of the clientele. I understand cafes not wanting to encourage mums with their monster prams (which you see quite often in Glenelg) ;)
All in all, a great trendy hipster café — you know, retro touches and a bit of designer scruffiness.

I hadn’t been here before but had heard many awesome things. I finally got the time to visit and I loved it. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere was chilled out and the food was delish!
I have only recently been diagnosed with gluten intolerance and the staff there were more than happy to whip me up the yummiest GF sanga I have ever had. Being a bay local it is awesome to see some vegan/​vegetarian café’s popping up in the area. It used to be you had to travel to town to have any access to this particular market.
I will definitely be back :)

Hipster cafes are on the increase. This is a good thing if you’re a vegan. The Annex on Waterloo Street, Glenelg, is a relatively new hipster café and does wonderful vegetarian and vegan nosh.
The service — I sent an email the night before to book a table. Responded to within 12 hours. Good start. I have sent many an email to many an eatery in the past that have gone unanswered – as though they’re unattended. Nothing annoys me more. Have an email address? Use it!
The staff, hipsters as you’d expect, are friendly, chatty and have great taste in music. Paul Simon with brunch? I approve.
The ambiance — The Annex is quite wee. Three tables under the annex out the front. Double that and a bit inside. It doesn’t hold many people but that’s all part of the exclusiveness, right? The place is fitted out really nicely. Lots of art hanging around the place and creative bits and bobs. And, as you would expect in a place of this ilk, copies of Smith Journal for sale.
The food — I opted for the hash brown scramble, «The Gritz» they call it. Served with a side of toasted rye with basil and almond pesto, the scramble was oniony, mushroomy, hashbrowny and the toast garlicy. Man, they guys know how to make flavour. Cheery-​oh, bland vegan food. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out… My partner opted for the BLT: soy crisps, lettuce, tomato and what seemed to be a homemade mayo. It was wet with condiments – a mark of a good sandwich. There is nothing worse when the bread soaks up all the moisture. This BLT was oozing with fatty, vegetarian goodness. Top marks.
The coffee — Perfection. That is all. I had two.
I notice amongst the online reviews that the overall ratings, here and elsewhere on the interwebs, are impossibly high. I wondered whether they were rigged. Nah-​ah. The Annex guys just know how to put on a good show. One of Adelaide’s best new cafes.

edit: Below is my original review, although I’ve heard the café has changed owners and the bread is no longer vegan. They also have fish on the menu now. Might be good to double check the ingredients next time you go in there as a few things are no longer vegan.
I love it!
I actually went there to catch up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in so long. As we’re both vegans, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to try this café out. It’s a bit hidden, so I didn’t even know about it until I was taking a shortcut from Coles.
The staff are friendly, polite and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is relaxed and lovely. The food is so good too. There are two (or three?!) benches out front that you can sit at or you can sit inside of course.
I definitely recommend everyone check this little café out!

The Annex is snuggled away of the main street of Glenelg and appears ever so sweet. With the hipster vibe dialled up to 11, be prepared for top notch coffee, twee furnishings and somewhere you can easily spend your whole afternoon reading beat up paperbacks.
Completely vegetarian with some good vegan offerings, be amazed at the degree of soy replacement in your sandwiches with the magic soy bean pretending to be bacon, pancetta and other types of piggies. The ciabattas and wraps on offer are mouthwatering and well worth a proper peruse. Personally I loved their salads on offer, the dressings are top notch and the flavours are creative to deliver something which is filling and tasty and yet not a poached chook in sight.
Coffee is top quality, lattes smooth and creamy, just as they should be.
The Annex also acts as a live space, the piano smooshed in the corner does cop a beating occasionally and the café holds court as a live music venue on special nights.