Lunch review: Fair Espresso

Jul 18, 2014

Fair Espresso. Photos: Nat Rogers / InDaily

This espresso bar/café began life as a coffee cart serving Adelaide events and markets until success prompted operators Rose and Matt Lazarus to set down roots in a bricks-and-mortar location.

They chose bustling laneway James Place – a smart decision, given it has enjoyed the greatest increase in foot traffic of any Adelaide street in the past decade and was recently nominated by Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood as one of his favourite Adelaide places because of its mix of buildings and services.

With a large service window facing the street, outdoor wooden seating and blackboard menus, Fair Espresso has an urban-rustic feel that is further accentuated when you walk inside. It’s a cosy space with a design incorporating recycled crates and large mirrors on the walls, a comfy sofa at the rear, a pew to sit on if you’re waiting for a takeaway order, and wonderful vintage globes on the counter.

Service is friendly, and this is a café where you feel perfectly comfortable eating or drinking alone. As the name indicates, there is a strong emphasis on Fairtrade coffee, and in fact it was named best café in last year’s Fairtrade Awards. However, the small, well-priced menu has some great choices for those seeking a simple breakfast or lunch.

Favourite menu items: At this time of year, it’s hard to go past the organic soup of the day. We tried the pumpkin and lentil – a bowl of creamy, warming goodness accompanied by good dark rye bread; it’s $8.50 and can be served to take away. Also delicious are the vegan rye toasted sandwich ($7.50), which is filled with tomato, rocket and caramelised onion – feel free to add cheese if you’re not vegan – and the vegetarian pies (also $7.50). The latter are made by Findon bakery Swedish Tarts and include flavours such as leek and mushroom and lentil and sweet potato.

Other options: There is a selection of organic wraps and salads, quiches and tarts, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options (although the café is not entirely vegetarian). Fair Espresso also serves a simple breakfast, including Brookfarm muesli, banana bread and raisin toast.

Hot drinks: These guys take their coffee seriously, sourcing Fairtrade beans from places such as Honduras, Peru and Mexico and using B.-d Farm Paris Creek biodynamic milk. There’s also a selection of organic teas and juices and hot chocolate and chai drinks. And they can all be made with dairy-free alternatives such as soy, oat, almond, rice and coconut milk.

Something sweet: Lemon curd tart or pecan and maple tart ($4.50) are just a couple of the options (also sourced from Swedish Tarts) that would make the perfect accompaniment to your espresso.