Brainwave Cafe image

Brainwave Cafe

Restaurant Cafe Breakfast restaurant Meal takeaway Vegetarian restaurant Coffee store Vegan restaurant Vegetarian cafe and deli

👍👍 If you're vegan - you will love it If you're not- you will love it Do yourself a favour; this place is a must People often mention vegan, good, Thai, delicious, milk, tasty, coffee, rice, staff, friendly,


Address

248 Palmer St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Australia

Website

www.brainwavecafe.com.au

Contact

+61 2 8719 2222

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.70 (298 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 12 to 3:30 PM
  • Sunday: 12 to 3 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: vegan (28) good (16) Thai (12) delicious (12) milk (10) tasty (10) coffee (9) rice (9) staff (8) friendly (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Cameron G. 4 years ago on Google
    If you're vegan - you will love it If you're not- you will love it Do yourself a favour; this place is a must
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kiki 4 years ago on Google • 147 reviews
    Lovely vego/ vegan cafe just off the main road! It’s a beautiful place. Love that it’s not too busy (so no noisy people!) and just nice for me to sit for long and catch up with frd. Generous portion. Pretty good flavours. You will be surprised that they priced reasonably. Defo will go back again!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Parker 2 years ago on Google • 115 reviews
    Brainwave is one of my favorite places in Ultimo! They put a creative, thoughtful, and vegan twist on classic dishes and it always delivers. The staff is friendly and the service is great. It is cute and not at all pretentious (like many other vegan places). Vegan or not, try this place for wonderful food and service. :) We will return again and again!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dr.Nidhi B. 4 years ago on Google
    The best vegan coffee ever !!!! Option of Macadamia & oat milk as well ! They do coffee art in vegan milk ? which is pretty tough heyy !! Kuddos to the lady who made it ?!! I had mocha & it was DE-LI-CIOUS !! Yum ?!! Also had my late lunch- some rice w vegan pork n veggies - & omg ? it was perfect ? !!! LOVE THIS CAFE! Wish i was closer ! Will surely visit again for thai milk tea soft serve ? as I’m pretty full right now??❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 milena c. 4 years ago on Google
    Delicious vegan pad thai and a nice refreshing watermelon, raspberry and lemon smoothie
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Linn L. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) The food here is good, especially for vegans. The whole is very clean and beautiful. I will visit again. (Original) 這裡的餐點不錯 尤其是給人嚴格素食者 整個非常乾淨環境優美 還會再拜訪
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jessica P. 4 years ago on Google
    I had the vegan Chiang Mai BBQ Pork Burger Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce with chips and my non vegan friend had the Pad Thai. Both tasted amazing and she was even impressed with the taste of my burger. I'd definitely go back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Emma B. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazingly delicious vegan food. Highly recommend!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 CC C. 4 years ago on Google
    Super friendly staff and excellent vegan menu! 10/10
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lingshan 4 years ago on Google
    I'm not a vegan but the food here tasting so delicious ! Today's Sweet sour NOT pork tastes even better than real pork ! Definitely would come back here again.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rina K. 4 years ago on Google
    I’m very happy to find this small cozy place. I tried vegan pulled porc burger which was really delicious!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Contessa M. 4 years ago on Google
    Great tasty food! Vegan and vegetarian, good portion sizes, difficult to find, is in an alley between the pub and UTS design building, you'll miss it unless your walking there, but definitely worth a stop.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Kevin C. 3 years ago on Google • 153 reviews
    This place has flown under the radar and I have no idea why. They have a childhood favourite Hainan chicken rice, vegan style. I had to have it. It was valiant. The poached chicken was the hardest to pull off but they kinda did it. They're was a tender white piece of breast with what appeared to be some chicken skin on top. The creativity was immense. The rice was gingery with the cucumber, thinly sliced tomato and sauces. Sure it really couldn't replace the OG but it was pretty good rendition of what was pretty impossible. Other mentions was done char Siew bbq pork with some chips which I thought was odd but it was tasty. Great job overall. Will try to make it in to the shop.

  • 5/5 Riley B. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing restaurant/cafe with delicious food and drinks! We tried the pad Thai and the laksa and they were so good! It's great to enjoy classic Asian meals that are vegan :) Welcoming and friendly staff too, will definitely come back
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gabriel C. 3 years ago on Google
    Refreshingly different vegan food done excelently. Nice sheltered location with outdoor and indoor seating Will the chef marry me? I might ask next time.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ol c. 4 years ago on Google
    Fantastic vegan laksa! As well as many other vegan options. Friendly staff and cozy place. Not too expensive.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Frances L. 4 years ago on Google
    Such a nice vegan and vegetarian concept (even though I'm not a vegan/vegetarian) and the food was delicious. I had a Thai vegetarian pork belly dish and how great is it to know that you're not consuming actual pork fat even though the texture mimicked it so well and I was shocked upon my first bite. The spiciness of my dish complemented it so well. I wanted to try their thai milk tea soft serve but it wasn't available when I came so I shall come back for it!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Big M. 3 years ago on Google
    Great selection of unique vegan meals. The BBQ pulled not-pork burger was spot on. Don't be fooled by the quiet alley, it's excellent.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Natalie H. 3 years ago on Google • 152 reviews
    Great flavors, fast service, good prices. Loved it! Only a short walk from the train station so worked out great for my day out. I'd improve the overall look of the outdoor sitting area just to make it look a bit nicer, but other than that, spot on! Thank you 💖

  • 5/5 Dominic T. 6 years ago on Google • 132 reviews
    A very Spacious café. Good food and coffee. Extremely friendly staffs. めちゃオシャレで店員さんがカッコよかった。 Edit: I legit spend more time here than my own place.

  • 5/5 Michelle S. 3 years ago on Google • 57 reviews
    This is a fantastic little vegan/vegetarian restaurant. We enjoyed every single meal we had here, and we ate here often. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and helped us out by informing us of their loyalty program. The food and drinks were always freshly prepared and tasty. Very reasonably priced and way better quality than a lot of other restaurants in the area. It is located down an alleyway so make sure you pay attention, otherwise you might miss it. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting tasty, fresh vegan food.

  • 5/5 Wen S. 1 year ago on Google • 52 reviews
    I had non-chicken Hainan rice and toomuchroom with caramel cashew nut coconut milk, my bf had soy pork burger was filling and very tasty.

  • 5/5 N D. 4 years ago on Google
    Good prices, delicious food and coffee.

  • 5/5 Sage 3 years ago on Google
    Definitely a bit of a hidden gem, my favourite place to get coffee in Ultimo and I'm not even vegan! I'm now hooked onto oat milk cappuccinos, and when paired with their teriyaki tofu wraps you can get a well priced delicious lunch. Their food is in general always tasty.

  • 5/5 Tammy B. 7 months ago on Google
    Delicious vegan food! We stocked up on a variety of 12 frozen meals for our hotel stay in Sydney. We will definitely order again for our next stay. We highly recommend 👌

  • 3/5 Tara R. 4 years ago on Google
    Burger and satay sticks were quite good. Pad Thai was too sweet for my taste - service was very slow so make sure you have plenty of time.

  • 5/5 Xun L. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing food! Been here a few times and had never disappointed.

  • 5/5 Vicky V. 4 years ago on Google
    Great cafe, amazing food and lots of options. Absolutely loved it!!

  • 5/5 John R. 4 years ago on Google
    Great coffee

  • 5/5 Eddie C. 4 years ago on Google
    Good food and environment

  • 5/5 Kyle C. 6 years ago on Google • 24 reviews
    A cute coffee shop, located down an alley way, making this place feel like a hidden treasure. The staff are also friendly and provide service with a smile. Amazing coffees with beautiful latte art.

  • 3/5 Saktiya S. 4 years ago on Google
    Love the laksa here! Would have rated higher if it wasn’t for the off putting behaviour of the waitstaff sometimes.

  • 5/5 Y M. 3 years ago on Google
    It's like a hiden place. Nice and cozy. I ordered vegan Pat Thai and was yum. Also ordered Matcha Latte and was without sugar and enjoyed Matcha itself. Big portion and reasonable. I'll come back!

  • 5/5 Faheem K. 4 years ago on Google
    Had an amazing spicy fried rice and the taste was really delicious. This place is a boon for veggos and items on the menu will make you come back again.

  • 5/5 Karina G. 3 years ago on Google
    Pleasant atmosphere, very good food (tho lacking in vegetables, but definitely not flavour), and available powerpoints! Lovely place for lunch!

  • 5/5 Cristian S. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing restaurant

  • 4/5 Tony J. 6 years ago on Google
    Good food and coffee. A little difficult to find if you don't know where it is, but worth it. Breakfast burgers were tasty and the bacon and egg roll was also good. The table outside that we were sitting at was a little rickety and the one next to us could have done with a clean from the last people that ate there, but otherwise it was fine. Upstairs looked comfy. Try up there.

  • 5/5 Maia R. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing restaurant with so many options!!! Highly recommend. Super tasty breakfast! Thank you!

  • 5/5 Christie C. 4 years ago on Google
    The food was amazing! Definitely try the chyken and tomato rice, and the thai milk tea soft serve. The staff were also super friendly and kind. Definitely going there again very soon!

  • 5/5 Bar f. 5 years ago on Google
    I’ve been here twice but it’s very good cafe. I tried only coffee though, it was terrific!!! The atmosphere of cafe is also wonderful, it’s like cafe in the animation. I love it.

  • 3/5 Jay T. 7 years ago on Google
    Had brunch here with a friend. I liked that it was kind of in an alley so that it was away from the bustle of the city and there was plenty of space unlike other city cafes. Had the chilli jam pork with rice, chicken burger with chips and Thai milk tea. The flavour and texture of the food was alright but it could've been better. The Thai milk tea was nice but it was really sweet and tasted a little watered down in terms of tea flavour. The chips were really good though and had that extra crunchy texture.

  • 5/5 Taj S. 3 years ago on Google
    The food here is delicious and affordable. I had the tomato rice with crispy skin chicken and highly recommend.

  • 5/5 Michèle F. 3 years ago on Google
    Had the eggplant don for lunch it was delicious.

  • 5/5 Chloe 3 years ago on Google
    Their Freshly frozen meal delivery service is excellent! Usually next day delivery and such friendly and polite service. Their frozen meals are amazing, super tasty and have such decent sized portions. The katsu and eggplant are my favourites!

  • 5/5 Kostis G. 4 years ago on Google
    As a person who regularly eats meat, I wish there were more places like this. The BBQ burger and the "vork" with rice were both delicious.

  • 5/5 an3lin 4 years ago on Google
    Food arrived fast. I had the sweet and sour "vork" which was really good, and the deep fried mushroom medley. Prices were quite good.

  • 5/5 yiwen c. 4 years ago on Google
    Strongly recommended

  • 5/5 Grace De L. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing cafe! Cozy interior, great tunes and adorable accents all throughout. I had the Japanese soba noodle salad and it was so so tasty, the tofu was rly good! The staff are incredibly lovely, the upstairs part has loads of powerpoints so a good place for a study/work session :) will definitely be coming back!!! :)

  • 5/5 Tahnee B. 4 years ago on Google
    Crazy crazy good food! Lovely people too. I had the pad Thai, can easily say it’s the best pad Thai I’ve had, so much flavour! And the Thai milk tea ice cream ?? I will 100% be going back!

  • 5/5 Daveo M. 4 years ago on Google
    Beautiful food

  • 4/5 Alison K. 4 years ago on Google
    yum!will definitely go again!

  • 5/5 jabber w. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) oooiiii sexy coffe ooiii !! (Original) oooiiii sexy coffe ooiii!!

  • 5/5 Ying Chun C. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) A fusion of Thai and Japanese vegetarian cafes, the food is very delicious and I can't help but order too much each time. The menu is very clear which can be done without Wuxin. The boss is Taiwanese, so of course you have to support it! And vegan Thai ice cream. (Original) 融合了泰式、日式的素食咖啡廳,食物非常好吃,每次去都忍不住點太多。 菜單標示的很清楚哪些可以做無五辛。 老闆是台灣人,當然要支持! 還有全素的泰奶冰淇淋?

  • 5/5 me x. 3 years ago on Google
    Love thier foods.

  • 5/5 jack l. 4 years ago on Google
    Finished all. Value for money. Very nice.

  • 5/5 Bb P. 4 years ago on Google
    Better than the real thing. Tried their katsudon, yumm


Call +61 2 8719 2222 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Curbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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