Willow & Spoon

I do enjoy this place a lot! First time in a long time, but the food and coffee is great. The new reno looks great as well!

Great little spot for a brunch. Prices are a bit expensive but the milkshakes were great. Will be coming back to try the coffee. French toast is awesome, eggs were great the tomato relish though was a touch bland. Excellent little spot

I came here a few times back when it was in Alderley, and was not blown away. It was ok, but not great. So I didn’t really bother with a review back then because it would basically have read «yeah it’s ok» and that’s it. As a result I didn’t go out of my way to follow up after the location move. I was in the area recently though, and in need of food, so decided to give them another go.
And you know what? I think I’ll come back. This premises still has that ‘café in an old house’ vibe, but it’s a refreshed, cleaner, less dingy version, which I like. There is footpath dining (not that there are many passers-​by to watch, mostly just traffic) as well as seating inside and in a courtyard. Parking on the main road or down the side street is readily available, and the train line is across the road.
The menu was interesting, but brunch-​like enough that it felt like a comfortable thing. Honestly, I appreciate the idea of doing something different but the time for avant-​garde is not 10am on a Sunday. I had haloumi and zucchini fritters and they were tasty although a bit soft especially when combined with the poached egg and pea purée — the dish needed something crunchy I think.
The treats cabinet had yummy looking items at good prices. (I do not like paying $ 6.50+ for an apricot slice, call me stingy, I don’t care) And they were mostly gluten-​free, which is nice.
Coffee is Supreme Roasters, which I love, so that made me very happy.
Service was friendly and helpful, and I noticed that they allow BYO all day, so I guess you can have a champagne breakfast if you want! Willow & Spoon is going back on our café options list.

This was difficult to review because I appreciate quality but also like value.
The food and coffee was great; however when you pay $ 50 for brunch for 2 people you want to leave satisfied. I’m not a big guy and I thought the portions were a bit small.
I ordered the voodoo chicken and my partner had the French toast. The chicken was nice and spicy and well balanced. The French toast was very Yum and not too sweet; however… It was French toast and $ 16 is a lot for egg and bread. The coffee was great.
The décor was nice and quaint, but some seats were in the sun. The service was very good.
I would come back again, but unfortunately it won’t be a regular occurrence.

We went there for breakfast. It was disappointing and expensive for what you get. The menu changes often which is a pain and a blessing. Coffee was great and staff were super friendly. But overall we won’t return as it was way too expensive for nothing special kind of food.

Not sure what everyone raves about. We’ve been once since they moved to Wilston and a couple of times at the Alderley location and it’s always been a disappointing breakfast. The staff are absolutely lovely though. Big thumbs up for service.

Very good coffee, friendly and prompt service… But my fruit toast was a bit dried out and the butter was cold and hard. But ya know, it seems like they care about decent food and that’s a bit of a rarity in the ‘burbs

Sunday breakfast after visiting the council dump with my 6 yo and 2 yo, awesome food for kids the right amount and type to appease my guilt as a dad but special enough to satisfy my cherubs.
Great coffee a place that underlines the emergence of Brisbane from sleepy hollow to food lovers destination.

Bonus points for the fun relaxed setting, attentive service, and creative menu! Still only ³⁄₅ stars from me. We all ordered nice and tasty looking things from the Brunch menu, yet only 1 our of 4 in our group was happy with the meal…
Old Boy (Lamb and rosemary sausages, soft creamy polenta, poached egg and gravy). Sausages were ok, but not lick-​your-​lips great. Polenta was a tiny bit creamy but really quite regular.
Verdict: Not as exciting as the menu suggested.
Sylvester (Braised pork belly, fennel succotash, salted pear and a fried egg). Pork belly was soft, but not juicy from the fat in the meat.
Verdict: A bit disappointing
The Liege (Belgian waffles with ricotta, passionfruit and honey). Passionfruit ricotta was very creative and tasted nice, but the waffles were quite dry. Small serving too.
Verdict: Disappointing.
In a Shoal (Pan fried sardines, herb Napoli sauce, potato rosti, poached eggs). The consumer of this meal kept munching away quietly and was happy.
Verdict: Good.
Overall opinion: Nice place, but the food was a bit of a disappointment after reading a lot of great reviews.

Simple, but really good breakfast. Service a little on the slow side, but attentive once it turned up. Popular with families & can be very busy but a decent amount of space. Good coffee.

Really disappointed with the effort from Willow & Spoon. We ordered the sliders with potatoes, which totalled at $ 18. The potatoes were nice, but there was only a few pieces on the plate. The two sliders weren’t worth the money at all. They were as small as you’d expect, but they were on cheap dinner rolls from the freezer and the meat was obviously reheated. I wouldn’t be happy paying any more than $ 12 for what came out on the plate.
The service was also pretty lacklustre, although they were a bit busy. We waited quite a while for drinks, and also had to wait a while for the cashier to finish making coffees before paying. It was made worse by simply not being acknowledged while we stood their waiting, which made it feel awkward.

We specifically ordered iced lattes with no sweetener but they came out very sweet. When we informed staff, they didn’t believe us and were quite argumentative.
My poached eggs were a little over done and had egg shells all through them. When I informed the staff, they weren’t very apologetic and seemed disbelieving.
It’s really hard to believe this place has won best breakfast award for two years running.
I won’t be returning.

So… It’s still a delicious place to eat, friendly staff, etc. But we headed over on the weekend with my girl friends and it left me lacking.
Coffee orders took a very long time to arrive, staff were difficult to get hold of as it was busy and our breakfasts turned up after 1 ½ hours. I could have created something spectacular at home within that time for half the price.
Won’t be going back.

Not a fan, have been here twice and the same things occurred:
1. Uptight staff who weren’t very helpful
2. Expensive for what you get
3. Coffee was ²⁄₅
4. The cornbread is bulls**t
Would recommend going down Samford road for a few minutes more and hitting up Hansell & Gretel. (as of Sept 2013)
Really didn’t enjoy this place either time.
The bathroom is very clean however.

Just go here already. Really. The staff are lovely, the atmosphere is beautifully Queensland/​relaxed. And the food is unconventional, delicious and I was left telling people for days.

There are certain ways to get the most out of your Willow & Spoon experience.
1. If you want full choice, get up early. Menu items have a tendency to sell out. I’m a big fan of weekend sleep-​ins, but one week I showed up for breakfast at 9:30 and the meal I was looking forward to eating was already sold out. So you’d better believe I was up at 8am the next Saturday. It’s a rare feat that gets me out of bed this early on a weekend.
2. If you fall in love with a meal, you’d better get back before the end of the month if you want to have it again. W&S run a monthly menu, and at the end of the month, they change it up. Some items from months ago return, some new items show up, some items keep their name but get an ingredient revamp.
3. Sign up for the mailing list. I haven’t run into many venues that do mailing lists well, but W&S nail it. Birthday treats, notice of events, new menu notifications, and nothing very irrelevant. No junk mail. Follow them on facebook, too, while you’re at it.
4. Go along to one of their dinner events. A few months ago a few friends and I went to their cult movie-​themed dinner; five courses of movie references (no Royale with Cheese, but there WAS Project Mayhem clam chowder and a full metal doughnut). Advertised via their mailing list, facebook page and the venue itself when you go in for breakfast or lunch.
5. Enjoy. Another thing I love about W&S is the satisfaction they provide. They love their customers. Last December they had Christmas gifts for their patrons — an envelope with a voucher inside that might have been a free meal for one, a free meal for a group, or a couple of other options — but the trick was that you weren’t allowed to open it until you came back to W&S in January. I opened mine in early January and got my meal for free.
I always sit out the back, and I love walking through the kitchen. I like to call the walk from the front of the shop through to the back «running the friendly gauntlet», because you usually get greeted by at least half a dozen staff members on your way through. Good times.

There’s a secret (soon to be not so secret) spot on Samford Road in sleeping Alderley. Its name is Willow & Spoon and by George you should get your hot little hands there for a dose of the charming and quirky.
As all of the previous Unilocalers have noted, the staff are super friendly here and that makes part of the experience. The coffee is pitch perfect and the food is always respectable. The menu changes monthly so don’t harbour crushes on your favourites thinking you’ll get another change — order in the moment and without regret.
Meal names like «Drunken Pig» (Cider Braised Pig Belly, Leek & pommes gratin, fried eggs, apple and pickled walnut chutney), «The Pasture» (Beetroot relish, white camembert, heirloom carrots, rocket, poached egg & sourdough) or «Sleeping Beauty» (Poached eggs, mushroom and tarragon muffin, tomato honey and garden pea sauce) will have your tummy rumbling and tastebuds chomping at the bit to bite into one of Willow & Spoons speciality dishes.
Your setting is appropriately quaint and a little vintage. If you don’t fancing sitting inside you can make the most of the morning sunshine on the front footpath in retro lounges or wander out to the backyard and sit amongst the nature and a wicked graffti wall.
If you’ve never ventured further than Newmarket, I suggest you keep driving, just a little further, to discover Willow and Spoon.

Alderley is one of my favourite suburbs in Brisbane. Bordered by Newmarket, one of the more upmarket suburbs on the Northside, it has this sort of chic seediness (does that make sense??)…
Willow & Spoon is one of the little extras that makes this place so unique. It is certainly different but I can’t yet decide if I like it or not. The staff are friendly and the food is great, but it gets a little crazy having to walk back and forth through the kitchen while the staff are cooking — you almost feel like you are in the way. I also think it is a little pricey, at around $ 17 for bacon and eggs.
The changing menu is good and bad — if they have something you like, unless you dine here twice in the same month you won’t be able to have it again. You can’t get too attached to their dishes, and unfortunately I am the ‘order the same every time’ kind of girl…

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been charmed by Willow and Spoon from their very first visit. Located in a fairly suburban area which until Willow and Spoon opened was experiencing a serious good coffee drought, Willow and Spoon brings a little bit of hip to Alderley.
Willow and Spoon is full of cosy little nooks to sit in, complete with armchairs, couches, and fairly lights. There are street-​frontage tables, but I suggest you wander through the welcoming interior and out to the back area. There’s a grassy area and a choice between sunshine and shade.
Blue Sky Coffee is the brew here, and it’s very acceptable. The coffee is good, but I think that where Willow and Spoon really shines is with its food. Because they’re new and maybe just because they like to mix things up too, the menu changes often and that’s always a good sign because you get to enjoy foods that are fresh and in season. As well as a menu, they have a cabinet that is packed full of delicious looking salads, wraps, sandwiches, and of course cakes and sweets.
This is one of Brisbane’s freshest and shiniest gems and if you’re looking for a somewhere new to hang out, Willow and Spoon is the perfect home away from home.

Monthly menu alert! I got to try the very first menu for 2012 and although not all the items appealed to my sensitive palate, I had a very enjoyable breakfast nonetheless.
I came here on the recommendation of a friend, and it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Willow & Spoon is exactly like a residence, complete with parked cars out the back and a play area for the kids. Walking in, it looks like any typical café with squeezed in tables and your specials menu with sweets in the front window. But then you can actually walk through the kitchen, yes through the kitchen, to the outdoor seating area. This is where things get a little more casual.
It’s definitely a novel idea for a setting and I thought it was quite charming. It’s a very related atmosphere and there’s a lounge area between the inside and outside seating areas. It’s a simple idea executed very well.
I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee and the Big Lebowski menu option I ordered with a side of avocado was fresh and delicious. I was also really taken in by their table numbers: glass coke bottles with a numbered spoon inside them. Again, it’s a simple idea executed very well, which just goes to show that Willow & Spoon knows how to make more out of less.
I had a very enjoyable breakfast experience here and I’d recommend giving it a go to see each month’s featured menu.