Armchair Collective, Mona Vale

Gorgeous weather and a public holiday...what better excuse than to go for a drive to the beach and visit a cafe especially one which is only moments away from the beach!

The vibe at Armchair Collective is distinctly casual and relaxed yet retains a sense of homeliness with a huge range of stylish home decor and fresh bunches of flowers near the counter. Look out for the retro armchairs and lamp shades which they have beautifully re-upholstered in vibrant fabrics and gives the cafe its name!  

As always, we decide to order the more unique dishes on the menu. I'm normally not a huge fan of lasagne but the way they described it on the menu as '72 hour-beef' with 'massaman sauce' sounded like it was worth a try! And indeed it was absolutely delicious. So much so that my family members kept stealing bits of the pasta and beef from my sister! Imagine beef which was so moist and tender that it melted in the mouth with bursts of flavour from the creamy flavoursome massaman sauce. And the pasta - just perfectly cooked al dente.

72-hr-beef open lasagna with massaman sauce,
couscous corn, herbs and chick pea $19.00

The soft shell crab burger also sounded very enticing...I mean who doesn't like deep fried crunchy goodness?! I first tried it at the Paramount Coffee Project a few months ago which was amazing so had high expectations for this one! However, I found the burger a little underwhelming. Yes it was tasty but felt like it was missing some tang to cut through the greasiness of the soft shell crab. On the menu, the burger was supposed to have wasabi mayo but I couldn't taste the wasabi flavour at all. And maybe it was also because the soft shell crab wasn't as crunchy as Paramount's version. The thick cut chips were great though! Not oily but simply crunchy on the outside and soft creamy potato in the middle! It would have been even better perhaps if the chips came with an aioli dip or perhaps sprinkled with some chicken salt or spices for that extra kick! 

Softshell Crab Burger with housemade wasabi mayo, baby cos,
alfafa, danish feta and thick cut chips $19.00

Being a huge peanut butter lover, I couldn't go past the peanut butter and salted caramel smoothie! It came served in a huge glass with a drizzle of salted caramel syrup on the bottom. Yep, this drink was worth the calories - very peanut buttery in taste but well balanced with the slight sweetness of the salted caramel! A nice decadent treat to accompany a cafe lunch on a hot day!

Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Smoothie $8.00

We also tried the chai tea here. I thought it was a bit off balance in flavour with a strange bitterness that needed a lot of honey...and also quite powerfully gingery in taste that it burns the throat...! Personally would not recommend ordering this. The one at Brewtown was much nicer! :)

Chai Tea with Milk $5.00

All in all, a beautiful cafe conveniently located super close to the beach with a unique array of homewares and a refreshing menu! Worth a visit if you're in the area!

Armchair Collective
9A Darley Street East, Mona Vale
Mon - Sun: 7am - 4pm