Smith & Daughters VIII

Edit 02/01/2022: S+D has had a revamp and is now located at 107 Cambridge St, Collingwood.

September 23, 2017

It's been 18 months since we last blogged about perennial favourite Smith & Daughters. The menu has been completely re-worked, which seems like a good enough reason to quickly write up a recent brunch experience. We were pleased to see freshly squeezed juices back on the menu - I ordered the juice of the day, which was a carrot, ginger and apple concoction ($10), while Cindy went for straight-up OJ ($7.50).

There's no more breakfast burrito or maple bacon pancakes, but plenty of exciting new things to try. I almost ordered the scramble, but we've made it at home so much that I decided to branch out and try the sausage and beans ($19), featuring spicy house-made sausage, white beans, peppers, smoked paprika and saffron.

I loved this - the braised beans were rich and smoky, and the chunks of sausage superb. As always, I'd have loved a second piece of toast for scooping up the goods, but that's a minor quibble.

Cindy surprisingly went past the mulled wine soaked French toast ($18) and the Almond turrón bun ($15) to order something savoury - the Spanish pressed sandwich stuffed with chorizo, peppers, mozzarella and quince paste and accompanied by a handful of crisps ($17). 

Cindy was impressed by this, with the sweetness of the quince paste really shining alongside the spicier ingredients. She also raved about the crisps, which she reckons S & D might make themselves.

Smith & Daughters continue to deliver superb vegan food, lovely service and a great vibe. After nearly three years, I wonder if Melbourne is starting to take S & D for granted a bit. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet on the Saturday morning we visited. The vegan brunch options around Melbourne have obviously improved a lot in three years, and loads of people were at the Deli, but they're changing things up enough that it's still definitely worth swinging by the original.

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You also can read about one, two, three, four, five, six, seven of our previous visits to Smith & Daughters. Since our last visit A Chronicle of Gastronomy, The Rose & Bean, Donut Sam, delightfully tasty and Future King and Queen have all enjoyed S & D, while Howie's Melbourne Food was a bit underwhelmed.

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Smith & Daughters
175 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
9939 3293
brunch menu, drinks
facebook page

Accessibility: The entry is flat and narrow and the tables are pretty crowded. The interior is dimly lit and loud at night. Toilets are located up several steps, are gendered and of standard dimension. We ordered at the table and paid at a high counter.