WHAT would your palate love you more for? An out-there fitout with mediocre food or a laid-back fitout with awesome food?

I know what my palate wants and that’s what my palate got at Stand By Me at Lyons shops.

I was on my own, hungry and in the area, having heard about this homey café owned by brother and sister Ben and Phoebe Holland (with sister Allison baking, too). It’s the team’s first hospitality venture. So far. So good.

Stand by Me is a sweet place and you do feel at home when you walk through the front door. There’s the smiling barista greeting you warmly. Other staff say hello as you wander about deciding where to sit. Everyone is pretty cruisey.

The area out the front gets sun early in the day (this time of year, anyway) but offers shade at lunch. Out back is a large, sunny area with big wooden picnic tables and square white slat tables. I wasn’t surprised to see herbs growing in pots.

Lunch is served from 11.30am to 2pm with specials available each day. On my visit, the specials included pesto gnocchi, house-made sausage rolls and a dish featuring flathead.

The regular menu offers a meatball sub ($11), a chicken ABC sandwich (avo, bacon and chipotle aioli for $15.50), tomato bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and goat’s feta ($15), a blackened lamb burger with Cajun spices ($15.50) and toasted sandwiches, available only until sold out ($8.50 to $9.50).

It was a hot day and my palate instructed me to opt for the spring haloumi salad ($15.50). I’m glad I obeyed. The salad arrived in a snow-white coloured bowl, popped on top of a wooden serving board, and was as pretty as it was tasty. The salad was created with peppery rocket, fresh pear, sweet strawberries, cherry tomatoes and topped with a super generous serve of salty, grilled haloumi. A perfect combo of elements and a dish that was filling but not too heavy. And did I mention the walnuts that added a welcome “crunch”?

The sweet cabinet is packed with tasty treats cooked in-house. Gigantic muffins. Super slices. Decadent cakes. Perfect with a cuppa on any afternoon.

Stand By Me serves all-day breakfast on weekends (the place is packed, I hear) and while dining or enjoying a coffee you can groove to tunes on vinyl, such as Lionel Richie’s “Dancing in the Ceiling” or Chicago’s “Hot Streets” or Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. You can take your own records to listen to also.

The café opened towards the end of June, but is already livening up the quiet Lyons shops.

Stand by Me, Shop 1, Lyons Shops, is open seven days for breakfast/brunch and lunch. Call 6282 2741.