The Essence

NEW OWNERS AS AT MARCH 2016 — OPENING HOURS HAVE CHANGED!
Not often, but sometimes, i suffer from hangriness; the unfortunate side effect from not eating at the appropriate time of the day.
So I was really happy when I had such a pleasant experience, and a cracking baguette and coffee from the Essence, sufficient to quell the hangry beast that had raised its ugly head.
I arrived at the Essence at 2.15pm on a Saturday arvo. Although there weren’t any punters in the café, they were still open. I had a really great chat with the new owner who was really friendly and passionate about her business.
The renovation looks great and these guys will go gangbusters on market day. It’s not on main st but it is well worth checking out if you find it. I’d recommend making a trip up to Stirling for a visit if you want somewhere different to go.

You guys need to update your open hours. We arrived at 7:45a today and apparently your hours have change to open at 9a. Annoying.

This is now my favourite place in the Adelaide Hills. The venue is hidden away, and I was kind of thinking I was in the wrong area — but the café has a nice outlook and easy easy parking. Inside is lovely and there’s a decent outdoor area which we sat in and enjoyed a cool hills breeze on a warm summer morning.
The service was impeccable, friendly and knowledgeable.
The food… What can I say about the food?
YUMMMMM!!!
I ordered the bacon and egg (scrambled) roll — and when it came out I was a bit. What the? The egg looked a bit burnt, and ditto with the bacon. I liked the fact that it wasn’t served up «pretentiously» — it was just a simple roll on the plate. Then I took a bite and OMG. It was heaven. I don’t know what they do to their scrambled eggs (and I am a very fussy egg person), but they were so soft, delicious, just. Melt in your mouth. Lovely crunch of the bacon — and the baguette was so fresh, I’m sure it was baked that morning!
My friends serve of the French toast was equally delicious: he described the food as evil :) (in a good way) lol.
Lastly — perfect coffee and milkshake!
I highly recommend this place!

A city slicker like me looked at this place from the outside and thinks «hang on, am I in the right place?» But I persevered, wondering if the simplistic looking café set overlooking a car park and hosting canteen style menu board of sandwiches aimed to fool the hipsters of Parkside into thinking they should move on an eat at other hard wood floored establishments on the main road. I was right.
It’s the essence of things, it’s the friendly country service (even though you’re 20 mins from the city), it’s…Mabo. Hearty soups and huge baguettes caught my eye on a cold winter’s day in Stirling.
My seasonal veggie soup came out with crusty bread and steaming hot. All I wanted to do for 15 minutes was eat that bloody soup but I had to wait for it to be less than burning. That soup-​er temptress was worth the wait as she was peppery and full flavoured and very filling.
I’m currently planning my return for a less heated affair and one of their big brekkies. Soon my pretty…

My boyfriend and I Love this place!
It’s tucked away from the Main Street in Stirling and faces out to the carpark so view wise it’s not astounding but I think that takes away some pretentiousness that can be found in some Stirling eateries.
I’ve been here 2 – 3 times for lunches & 3 – 4 times for breakfast.
They have quite a wide variety to choose from, including a daily specials board, without being over complicated.
They cater to the gluten & lactose free crowd also & they do it well.
I have never had bad service or a bad meal here.
The staff are quirky, friendly & accommodating.
We came for lunch one day with my Aunty for my bday & hadn’t called ahead. It was super busy & they were about to have a big group come in. But they did not turn us away. The woman behind the counter discretely pointed out a couple of tables of patrons that she thought would probably be finishing up soon & invited is to sit on some bar stools to wait.
As soon as a table was free she quickly ushered us over, cleaned the table & took our orders.
Food always arrives promptly & always looks, smells & tastes divine.
Every time the bf & I come here for breakfast he orders the Philly Cheese-​steak & I order the salmon scrambled eggs. We normally both like to mix things up a bit, but these two dishes are too yummy to move on from!
They also offer a range of pre-​made meals to takeaway & a large array of brownies, slices & biscuits.
The coffee is pretty great too… although usually a bit too hot.
Oh & they happily made up a little ramekin of Greek yogurt for our 7 month old for breakfast :)
I think that’s it!

I’ve been wanting to review this place for ages, but I had to try every baguette first.
(and the burrito)
(and the New York Rueben)
There are 15 different baguette options on the menu, not including variations. It’s a tad overwhelming but I prefer this to the chain sandwich store, production-​line style of ordering. Also, The Essence baguettes are well over a foot long with heaps of filling all the way to the end. No need for a tape measure.
The staff are really friendly, and it seems genuine. Even when they aren’t having the best day, the inner awesome shines through. Given the success of the place in it’s hidden location, it would seem the fickle people of Stirling agree.
The baguettes. They’re just that good. All the ingredients look, taste and smell super fresh. I haven’t been able to decide on a favourite, but all that come with pancetta are droolworthy. Crispy salty awesome with fresh herbs, it sounds simple but it’s done so well. The chicken ceasar is really good too, as are the turkey cranberry and the chicken avocado.
The philly cheese steak owns my stomach, so filling, so good. The smell alone makes my mouth water. When I tried The salami baguette I had my standards set pretty low (I’m not a mad salami fan) but upon recommendation I had it toasted. To say I was impressed is an understatement. Possibly the best cheese toastie I’ve ever had.
There are two vegetarian baguette options on the menu, both are really good quality full of roast vegetable and herb deliciousness. I haven’t looked for a vegan option, but I’m sure these friendly folks won’t bight your head off if you ask nicely.
They also do good coffee, and like most places in Stirling these days they do breakfast. Unfortunately I’m yet to have the Essence Breakfast experience but it’s certainly on my to do list.