Walking in on the converted brick house turned bakery on this unseasonably warm Autumn day the first thing we notice is the buzz. You know the buzz that every shop owner wants? Sprightly waitresses in shorts and t-shirts abound fetching plates to hungry hordes. At one table there’s a couple with their baby ensconced in a high chair and they’re feeding him little cubes of a sourdough roll dipped in oil and he’s reaching his chubby arms out for more.
The next thing I notice is that we’re needing to play a game of musical chairs this Sunday. There are small tables that seat two to four as well as large communal tables so we perch quietly on seats at a communal table before spying two diners getting up and pounce for their table (well not literally, let’s not embarrass ourselves). Service comes with a smile here and I’m thankful to my friend @carmr for recommending it. I do a quick reconnaissance of the front pastry display cabinet and I spy a Schulz sandwich with wagyu, pickles, cheese, mayo and cos lettuce and my mind is made up. After all as it is a bakery I’m here to try the bread. Mr NQN goes for breakfast, the two poached eggs served with baked beans and bread and opts for a pork and fennel sausage to go with it.
Coffee
A coffee miraculously appears within minutes and Mr NQN sips it and gives a smile. It’s good he confirms.
Schulz Sandwich $11
I prefer this view though…
I asked for the Schulz sandwich to be toasted and it is toasted lightly. I take one half and bite into it and the bread is delicious with that lovely spongy yet firm texture. The thinly sliced cured wagyu, slightly sour pickles, creamy mayonnaise and Cos lettuce give it an almost Reuben sandwich feel with a twist. It’s the kind of sandwich designed to knock you off your no carb kick (and they’d be perfect sandwiches for a dipping sauce a la 30 Rock).
Poached eggs with baked beans and toast $12 with extra pork & fennel sausage $ 3
The two eggs are poached perfectly with a gorgeous runny orange yolk. The beans are cooked with Indian spices giving it a more interesting flavour than regular baked beans and the pork and fennel sausage is fantastically fat and juicy.
Pear & Mascarpone tart $4.50
Resistance to tarts is useless for a pastry nut like me so I order a pear tart which has sweet, stewed pears underneath and a generous dollop of mascarpone on top and then a swirl of a port reduction. The whole thing reminds me of poached pears in red wine served with mascarpone in a pastry form.
Custard tart $4.50
As much as I love Portuguese custard tarts, there’s always a place in my heart for those old fashioned wobbly custard tarts topped with nutmeg. The base is a dark baked crispy base which reminds me of the Bourke Street Bakery cases (no wonder as the owner Simon was formerly of Bourke Street Bakery). On cue as we’re about to leave, he breezes in. He introduces himself and after a quick chat he shows us the kitchen where the kitchen staff greet us cheerily.
“Hey dudes!” one guy says looking up and waving from his dough. Simon shows us the sourdough in the cold fermentation fridge which he believes is the key to the best sourdough and gives it a good crust and a nice blistering on the outside. “Everything is made the old fashioned way, there are no shortcuts” he says and he shows us the bread baking on the stone in the oven. He says that with stone they get better heat on the bottom and the steam contributes to giving it a good crust and colour, even for pastries.
Sourdough’s key blistering and crust
Owner Cancio is 30 years old, born in Paddington and raised in Bondi and formerly worked at Brasserie Bread and Bourke Street Bakery, two icons of Sydney baking. He has dried flour edged in his fingernails and flour in his arm hair. “If you have hairy arms you need to wash them straight away” he advises and we can imagine the ensuing glue would be painful to remove. He had the idea to branch out himself about one and a half years ago and he has two business partners, one who owns the Luxe in Bondi Junction.
Business he says is based on locals and loyals. They’re the ones that keep the business busy even during the week alongside the nearby hospital staff and university students. They’re the ones that he says get excited when there’s a new addition to the menu and he mentions that they’re about to put a new strudel on the menu. His inspiration comes from visiting places such as a recent visit to the Berry Sourdough Bakery as well as his staff who collaborate with him to come up with new ideas. Everything is house made except for the cheese and the cured meat and there are huge mason jars on the shelves filled with preserves and pickles (yes the pickles are house made too).
Blind baking tarts
At 4am the bakers start their baking and he takes the 4am shift 4 days a week riding in on his bike. Outside they’re expanding the footpath and he is asking the council for some bike stands to be put there. And a rather cool moment was when his former bosses at Brasserie Bread and Bourke Street Bakery came in and gave his shop and bread their tick of approval. Iggy’s Sourdough visited yesterday with words of praise too “When the benchmark is complimenting you, that’s pretty cool“.
Herbs from the nearby community garden
Simon Cancio
For all of Luxe’s success, there’s a real otherworldly quality about him, he’s slightly distracted and you get the impression that he’s thinking about other things. He shows us the community garden across the road where he uses the herbs if they’ve run out. He peppers his conversation with the occasional expletive but he still lives with his mum in Bondi. He grew up in a Lebanese Spanish household (mum is half Lebanese and his dad Spanish) and he tells us that “I grew up with ridiculously good food“. In the future, the businesses’ growth will be organic and careful. They declined being in the Short Black section of the SMH as they weren’t ready when they were approached by them. As we pay, he gives us a bread loaf to take away, a lovely grainy sourdough with of course you guessed it, a beautiful crust and a nice blistering on the outside.
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your Sunday brunch order? Breakfast or lunch?
Luxe Espresso
195 Missenden Street, Newtown, NSW
Telephone: none yet, they’re still waiting
Open 7 days. Weekdays: 7am-4:30pm. Weekend: 8am-4:30pm.
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61 Comments | Add your own
This looks really interesting! Mmmm takes me back to Berry
I’m a big fan of Luxe – a regular haunt while working at the hospital. It’s always busy. I love the baked beans! And the tarts are gorgeous. The coffee is good too (it’d want to be, competing with Campos next door).
Oh I love a good bakery and I think you have found another quality specimen here. The sour dough looks amazing and the pastries look alright too. I would love to peruse the whole menu.
Oh! Luxe! I’d been thinking, I’d love NQN to post about Luxe and voila, you did. Great work, loved the interview with the owner
Incidentally their spelt muffins and pickled carrots are divine (not together, though!) and I’ve heard it said that they make the best croissants in Sydney.
Luxe is usually our saturday brunch fix..
Its pretty packed on weekends so we most the time we just grab takeaway. Their takeaway coffee cups are 100% biodegradable.. their sandwiches are great but the danish pastries are my favourites 
I came across Luxe after a meeting. My boss was really hungry so we decided to relax for an hour and eat. I had the poached eggs with beans and I was so satisfied. I even took a few pastries back to the office for the girls. It’s a lovely casual place that I would go to again in a heartbeat.
You had me at “pickles”. And brunch? I usually opt for poached eggs in some format… so does that mean more like breakfast?
Oh yum, this looks good. Luxe at Bondi Junction is my regular coffee haunt but I didn’t realise there were others. Oh how I love a good bakery…
This all looks so wonderful! I am a breakfast kind of girl when it comes to ‘brunch’
oooh Luxe. This is my hubbies fav in Newtown. The fig bread is divine! I haven’t been able to eat there yet, but looking at that menu, I am very keen.
I always choose something breakfast-y for brunch.
That sourdough looks soooo good!!!
oh wow. what a great find. i haven’t even heard of this place but i must visit. it certainly does remind me of Brasserie Bread and Bourke Street Bakery. thanks for sharing
Thank you for your review and for giving Luxe the attention it deserves.
It’s one of my favourites in Newtown. The staff are super cool.
I am tempted to return for brunch this Sunday. Or Black Star, where I haven’t been. No, let’s do both.
SSG xxx
That sandwich ticks all my boxes!
Lovely! I was reading an article on the Herald Sun and it mentions that Newtown is boring to eat. You have proven that he may want to do his homework again?
Damn, that’s my ‘hood’ and I didn’t even know the place existed! I’m heading there right now for a Rueben. Thanks Livingstone, you’re a great explorer!
What an intriguing and inviting place, I must go sooooon!
I usually opt for a breakky brunch and I think Mr.NQN and I are twins as I would have nodded at that divine cappuccino and his breakfast selection.
Thanks Lorraine, another great review and don’t you just love it when you go to an eatery and that ‘buzz’ is there. It’s almost like an unspoken guarantee that the food must be great.
I have been loving going to Luxe…and the coffee is comparable to Campos and Toby’s down the road…their brownies are to die for!
i havent been to newtown many times i only vaguely remember eating at a thai place, and a vegetarian place, i should go back soon i remember there were lots of cool shops there and this massive book shop with old antique books (do u know the one??)
I walked past there the other day and thought it looked great! Will def have to go and check out the breakfast beans, I’m a huge fan of proper homemade ones and the Indian spices sound intriguing. Great review of both sides of the business Lorraine!
What a lovely place this is…so full of character, Lorraine! The food looks delish too — that pear & mascarpone tart is calling my name!
I have been looking for a new haunt in newtown and now you have found me the perfect place! so excited to try this. on my ‘to eat’ list!
Good looking tarts! I was going to suggest they looked Bourke Street-ish
Sunday breakfast please! The Schulz sandwich looks fantastic.
cant believe there are so many hidden treasures in newtown and not on king street
i’ve already been to the place u recommended last time with the watermelon slice cake.. mmm!
Beans and toast…I really must make that some day!
Oh I would have gotten that pistachio meringue at once! Looks incredible!!
I ate the most divine lamb quiche there a little while ago. Mmmm. Wonderful it was. I’m so glad this place is continuing to be popular!
Lorraine! I’m a bit miffed at you tattling about one of my favourite locals!
Hope to see you soon for more ducky goodness!
looks like a nice place to have a friend outing… I really glad that every one is enjoying the traditional and basic cooking and no shortcuts… and it pays
great posting
Those tarts are just beautiful and I am starting to wonder about those pistachio meringues.
I’m definitely a Sunday brunch person: eggs Benedict (or eggs Florentine) + a mocha = bliss.
What a fab looking place! Pity it’s a bit out of the way, but now I know of a place I can visit if I’m ever in the area.
oh that’s why the tart base reminds me of Bourke street bakery… I was really wanna try the sandwiches when i was there … ok, next time
That pear and mascarpone tart looks delicious! And what a great combination of experience from two of my favourite; Bourke St bakery and Bread brasserie… Can’t wait to try it..
I am regular coffee drinker here. Awesome coffee. It’s like the fancy coffee of campos next door but it’s made with love!! really friendly staff.
I had to laugh at your observation re the communial tables – I do the exact same thing!
When are restaurants etc going to learn that people hate sharing a table?
Sounds like a really interesting place and the food looks delicious.
That pear & mascarpone tart looks delicious!
Ooh this looks completely divine! I love when it’s one of those perfect days and a place has ‘the buzz’. I got that in Jamie Oliver’s restaurant on the weekend – perfect spring day, perfect food, perfect atmosphere.
I particularly love the look of the pear and mascarpone and the custard tarts. Actually it was your recipe for portuguese custard tarts (a lighter version of Bill Granger’s) which led me to your blog a couple of years ago (i’ve been loyal ever since), so now they always remind me of NQN!
Briony x
rarely does a savory dish appeal to me more than a sweet one, but that egg/sausage/bean concoction wins!
Oh I love this place! I’ve stopped by numerous times on the way to uni and I absolutely love it! First time I was there I had the pear frangipane tart; absolutely DELICIOUS! And then I had the strawberry danish; it’s so wonderfully good with its flakey buttery pastry. Mmmm…
What a lovely discovery! Perfect for brunch all the way!
Lovely write up as usual – the pear and mascarpone tart looks delicious! I’m happy to see more cafes popping up around Newtown. Is this right across the road from Campos? Does it give Campos coffee a run for its money?
I read your post while eating a bowl of cereal. I like your brunch much more than my breakfast!
the pear tart looks super yummy! what a fun place to go! It looks like a good time!
Great blog – the name is great!
xoxo
KC
Sounds like a great place, a lovely brunch!
I am so jealous. We have no good bakeries or breakfast places near me. Mainly no bakeries. I’ll have to try and make the poached eggs and baked beans at home.
I bet their grain bread is divine! Your photos are wonderful and you made me feel as though I was there with you. (I wish!)
Loving the pear tart…certainly we can make that ourselves? Yes? It’s the way things are put together that’s the trick. He thought it up and we can copy! The idea of a port wine reduction on it is intriquing.
Great post!
I think I have to move to Australia…
My favorite lunch – I’m a bread girl.
Give me a thick slice of whole grain bread, home made, with real butter and Norwegian goat cheese (a sweet, brown, semi-hard cheese, not the white kind). And a tall glass of skimmed milk. *yum*
If I haven’t yet eaten that day I am a traditionalist at heart. The day starts with brekfast and if it happens to be Eggs Benedict so much the better.
I wish my bakery next door had a couple of those pear tarts *sigh*
Fantastic! I am off on my visit to both Lyon and Annecy and your café and restaurant visit posts inspire me! This time I am off with notebook and camera! And if I go to brunch it is usually lunch since I have probably already had my breaky at home.
Oh, this sounds like a lovely place. Is it near Janani? Hehe, I like that they’re still waiting for a phone but they’re so super busy anyway!
Nothing like good food that is made with a generous does of care and love. And at first glance, I thought your sandwich looked like a Reuben too!
Gorgeous food, gorgeous owner. What more could you ask for?
Hi Maria -Hehe yes I can imagine!
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Hi KT -Ah of course! Yes it’s a brave move being near Campos!
Hi Mark-The whole menu is actually at the bottom of the story!
Hi Lucy-Hehe did you know that I can read minds too?
Ahh cool, good to know when I go back! 
Hi lis-Yes we noticed that it was very full when we got there! The cups are cute too with the hearts! Ahh so much to try now!
Hi Katherine-Yes its’ a great place to stop by and get something to take away or eat in!
Hi Hannah-Hehe now that’s a line for a movie!
Hi Alex-Ahh is it very similar to the BJ one? Me too!
Hi Lisa-Yes me too! I always get excited when I see breakfast items on the menu!
Hi Kel-Oh no it sounds like I need to make another visit there to try the fig bread too!
Hi sandra-Me too!
It was divine I have to say! 
Hi Simon-You’re welcome and yes you definitely should go!
Hi Sydney Shop Girl-Yes the staff are lovely I have to agree!
Hehe good idea! 
xxx
Hi Kristy-Hehe mine too!
Hi Anh-I have to disagree!
There are so many great places to eat there (and some not so great but you get that everywhere)
Hi Bev-You’re welcome! How did you find it?
Hi Matilda -hehe you must be breakfast twins!
Absolutely, it’s that hard to attain buzz that makes it that much more enjoyable! 
Hi food.4.two-Ooh I must one of their brownies too!
Hi Betty-There are a lot of Thai and Vegetarian places there
Oh yes I don’t know the name but it’s huge! There are some really cute shop-Pentimento has
the best cards!
Hi Christie-yes these are proper ones and yes they’re so good when home amde!
Thankyou! 
Hi Faith-Hehe that was sucha lovely tart! Like eating red wine poached pears!
Hi edwina-Ahh fantatsic! I hope you like it!
Hi Tina-They are indeed! Hehe yes very much so
Hi Cakelaw-mMmm I’d love another one now!
Hi isLa-I know, isn’t it funny! Thanks to @carmr for the tip! Ooh yum, that watermelon cake is the best!
Hi sophia-Oh you should! I bet you’d do a great version!
Yes I should have given that a go!
Hi pommiefoodie-Yes it definitely is, it was hard to get a seat! That sounds lovely, I don’t think I’ve ever tried a lamb quiche
Hi Anna-haha well word was bound to get out!
Hi Arlette-Absolutely agree on that!
Thankyou!
Hi Midge-Hmm yes perhaps I should back and research it a bit more!
Mmm yum! I’m with you!
Hi Y-I know, but it’s worth the trip!
Hi Ja-Yes I guess that’s the way he was taught to do them when he was there!
yes next time! L)
Hi foodie-central-Yes you can’t go wrong with that combo can you!
Hi mike-Ahh fantastic! You must be one of the regulars he speaks of!
The guy that makes the coffees seems really lovely!
Hi Clare-Hehe I wonder what everyone else thinks?
I’d love to know!
Hi Gab-It’s great I have to say!
Hi Karen-That was so good!
Hi Briony-Ahh it’s when the stars slign isn’t it!
Haha isn’t that funny, hey that’s a good thing so I don’t mind at all! 
x
Hi grace-Hehe it’s a goodie isn’t it!
Hi Phuoc-Ahh I really need to try that strawberry danish now methinks!
Hi Moya-Yes, I was so glad to have come across it! Something to get one out of bed on the weekend
Hi catty-Thakyou!
It’s right next to it in fact which is rather daring! I haven’t tried the Campos coffee here in Newtown so I’m not sure but apparently
it does!
Hi Mary Poppins in Heels-hehe you are too funny!
Hi KC-It was delish!
We had a great time there filling our tummies 
Thankyou! xxX
Hi 5 Star Foodie-It was a really nice way to spend a Sunday morning
Hi Deanna-Oh no, you poor thing!
Yes if in doubt, make it at home 
Hi Barbara-Thankyou so much Barbara!
Yes I’m sure you could make a version of it and it would be lovely! Thankyou!
Hi Christine-Haha you should!
Mmm I’ve never tried Norwegian goat cheese before-sounds very different from the other kinds I’ve had! 
Hi Nomes-Ahhh I know what you mean. Yes if only we had one of these next door to us!
Hi Jamie-Aha! I can’t wait to read all about it!
Hi Betty-Hmm I’m not sure where Janani is
I know, it seems rather funny doesn’t it!
Hi mlle délicieuse-I agree, everyone seems so happy there which is nice
I think I prefer this to a Reuben! 
Hi Carolyn-Haha so he’s your type? Hey a baker can be a good thing!
That pear tart alone is worth going for. Thanks for revealing another great dining venue.
DEFINITELY breakfast for brunch – anything else would be a waste (there are not enough breakfasts in a week, if you ask me)
So pleased you reviewed Luxe!
I’m a huge fan of their bread, and their chocolate brownies are quite delicious too!
Unfortunately it seems LUXE does not manage their stocked items seriously.
They were fined by the Food Authority for stocking a banned brand of Soy Milk with high level of Iodine.
See:
http://goo.gl/r4mA
or
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/04/2889533.htm
well what a gorgeous bakery , you coments are well justified , fabulous friendly service .and just a fantastic place to chill , the vibe is upbeat , staff switched on , the bread is great ,visited it twice on a recent trip to sydney , congratulations
like i said in my other comment gorgeous gorgeous place , did notice they were having a bit of a storage crisis , it is one of the hardest things , but the feelof this place is unlike anything else . it would have been nice to see a few more domes and covers on food , but that the bakery owner coming out in me
do yourself a favour visit
love the generous strawberries on the danishes!
looks like a lovely place for lunch
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