A few weeks back Pip tipped me off about a new vegetarian cafe in Thonbury, and today I went to investigate. I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised to find a really cute and laid-back place.

First up, the coffee is exceptional. That’s important. And it’s priced fairly – $3 for black, $3.50 for white, and no surcharge for soy.

Latte of joy...

There is also a range of yummy sounding teas, served in a cute mismatching op-shopped teapots.

The menu is really small and when I asked about vegan options the guy in the (teeny) kitchen used the word ‘veganisable’, which made me happy. This is not really the place to go to if you’re hankering for a big fry up, as the menu currently includes mostly bread-based things, like toasties, fruit toast (with lemon curd, yum) and ciabattas. They do veggie fritters and muesli as well, and baked treats including vegan cupcakes that don’t cost the earth ($3). Also, the menu has no egg! Which is a bold (and wonderful) move for a veg cafe.

I ordered the toasted ciabatta with roasted eggplant and hommus, hold the feta – the same thing Pip had, in fact.

El Joyero is el yummo

Pleasingly, they added avo rather than simply removing the feta. Piled high with lettuce and served with lemon and salt, it was incredibly tasty – crunchy toast and fresh, creamy toppings.

Ciabatta money shot

My toast was $6.50, which with the coffee brought my breakky price up to $10 – a bargain. It’s nice to see tasty, simple homemade food offered at reasonable prices.

As well as the edibles, I just really enjoyed the unhurried vibe and all-round sweetness of El Joyero. And I’m obviously not the only person to think so – there was a steady stream of customers while I was there, a good sign for such a new cafe.

El Joyero, 923 High Street, Thornbury. Open 8.30-3.30 daily except Tues.