Kafe Altura - Croydon

Kafe Altura went through a bad patch where the coffee was pretty bad and the food quite bland. These days the coffee is MUCH better (think Tobys Estate) than it used to be and the food all fresh and presentable. The cafe doesn't "set the house on fire", but I actually find the space a little less squashed and hectic than Stranded across the road, and it's fine to sit and stay awhile to chat.

Place was nearly empty early on a wet cold morning, and still had to wait for over 20 minutes for 2 coffees, 2 teas and 3 toasts to take away.The serve of raisin toast was only one slice and it was dry and stale, with only the faintest hint of butter. The other two serves of sourdough had no butter, and the jam was only one slice (discovered this on the train after we missed our original one because it took so long, so couldn't go back).The guy who made the toast was wearing a shirt that said "I'm not drunk. But I'm working on it". After what we got I think that was not a joke, but quite literal.My father-in-law liked the tea, which is the reason I am giving 2 stars and not 1.

Croydon doesn't have a lot of coffee options but I'm sure you could do worse than Kafe Altura where the coffee is very good, service friendly and the vibe casual and relaxed. Stopped in for morning tea and tried one of there caramel-infused muffins, too. Looked sensational and tasted pretty good even if a bit too sweet for my jaded tastebuds. Lunch menu looked fairly standard and not particularly interesting: all-day brekkies, burgers, wraps, toasties, steak sangas etc. Still, if that doesn't appeal you can rely on the coffee being up to scratch.

Pleasant surprise. Used to avoid this place before but now it has recently changed hands the food has improved, the service was superb and prices reasonable. We had an absolutely delicious breakfast/brunch there, want to go again tomorrow it was so nice. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

We decided to have a quick breakfast here and were pleasantly surprised. They had a good selection of meals at reasonable prices. Our hot coffee was served promptly and our meal arrived soon after. I was able to order plain poached eggs on toast, even though they weren't listed on the menu. The staff was very friendly and attentive, which makes us want to come back again.