Voila Cafe

I have to downgrade Voila from a 5 to a 3. I have loved going here until today. The server was pleasant enough and the coffee was great, but the food took a really long time to be served and it wasn’t very good. Both my partner and I had La Poularde (sp?) and the chicken ballotine was SO dry. It was a big disappointment. It’ll be a while before I’m up for trying Voila again, I’m sorry to say. I hate that I spent over $ 50 on a lunch that took forever to appear at my table and then was so dry I couldn’t even finish it.

Voila is one of those little unprepossessing places that looks like it could be quite ordinary — there’s nothing about the frontage or design of the place that makes it look special — but when you’re inside you realise that the owners have just put their care into the food rather than the decoration.
My favourite thing here is actually the Moroccan mint tea: it’s totally simple, just mint leaves, honey and a bit of spices, but they seem to get the balance between all elements exactly right. The pastries here are all baked on site and are definitely worth the trip alone if you’re a fan of French baked items (and who isn’t?)
It’s often quite busy here, as it’s really the only café in the area, and the tables are sometimes a little bit close together, but if it’s really too full, you can just takeaways and sit in the little park just across the road.

There are two special elements to this French-​inspired café that I enjoy. The main reason I head to Voila is to decimate the breads displayed in the cabinet. You have to get there early in the morning to get some of the more special breads, but if you’re a late riser — like I’ve been known to be — there are still plenty of baguettes and lots of bruschetta left by 11am (ish) so don’t be discouraged if you don’t wake with the sparrows.
The other reason to head to Voila is the brunch menu. A nice array of different crepes is on offer — both sweet and savoury. I’m not much of a sweet breakfast person, so the first time I tried Voila’s crepes I went for a cheesy, spinachy option. It was cooked to perfection and very well presented, but I think in the end I just didn’t enjoy crepes cooked with a savoury filling. I know this for a fact after heading back there and trying the sweet crepes, which were amazing!