“Recess Coffee deserves a big round of applause for good-old-fashioned table service (no QR codes on the tables!).” Dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON’s been to a new cafe in Griffith.

The simple sandwich. Sometimes, you’re presented with massively thick slices of bread and skimpy filling. Sometimes, thin slices of bread and skimpy filling. And sometimes, filling that is just, well, tasteless. It can be a wee bit disappointing.

But Recess Coffee, a new café at Griffith shops, knows how to make a mean sandwich and they’re delish. Recess Coffee (where the Vietnamese restaurant was for more than 20 years) is a welcome addition to the shops, with a truly unique offering. It’s open seven days for all-day breakfast and lunch, with light through to hearty dishes. That includes toast and seasonal jam ($10) right up to wagyu rump steak ($36).

A friend and I popped by for a quick lunch – we each ordered a sandwich, shared fries and enjoyed a coffee and glass of wine. We lucked into a table in the pretty open-air patio area out back. Indoors was super busy with nearly all bench seats and individual tables packed out. The coffee machine was cranking.

Recess Coffee bakes some bread items in-house and sources others from the wonderful Under Bakery in Mawson, so we were off to a good start. 

My friend ordered the handheld fried chicken sandwich, loaded with ingredients ($22). The chicken thigh was moist, tender and tasty. The cheese was beautifully melted and the pickles zingy. Yuzu kewpie was a great addition and the white bread, soft and fresh.

I was mightily impressed with my charcoal-roasted porchetta sandwich with a creamy and tangy tonnato sauce ($24 and worth every bite). The porchetta was superb – fatty and moist and a real celebration of boneless pork roast. It was such a wonderful, more-ish sandwich.

Our fries were piping hot and sprinkled with house salt ($9).

Coffees are created with locally roasted beans bursting with flavour. My cappuccino was smooth and creamy and the temperature perfect. Coffee is serious business at Recess with Scott Brewer (formerly of Barrio) on deck. Also on deck is Anthony Iannelli who took Terra in the city to a hatted restaurant, and chef Vance Arellano, formerly of Silo Bakery. 

The short but rewarding wine list included the Mada Nebbiolo Rose from Hilltops NSW ($13 a glass).

Service was excellent and the staff was accommodating and understandably excited about Recess Coffee. We received a warm greeting and staff checked in as we were munching away to make sure all was well. Recess Coffee deserves a big round of applause for good-old-fashioned table service (no QR codes on the tables!).

Recess Coffee is not just a place to enjoy if you live in or happen to be visiting the area. It’s a destination in its own right.