From the moment you walk through the door, Coop is a delight to behold. It starts with a huge, open beachfront view, then there’s art on the walls, dried bunches of “wild botanicals”, a book entitled “Rock Pools of Sydney”, dogs, bikinis, vibrant juices and a bookshelf lined with colourful natural wines and an assortment of craft beers. Even the takeaway cups were a chic plain pastel pink to match the colour scheme. Coop was so picturesque that I was halfway through my coffee before I remembered I was meant to be paying attention. I guess the amazing flavour should’ve slapped me to my senses, but it didn’t. The banana bread, on the other hand, did. It was dusted with icing sugar, and looked beautiful. It tasted like a banana and pear blend – the sweetness was so fruity and the texture was impossibly smooth while the crust had a perfectly light crunch. The little ones descended upon it like a flock of ravenous harpies. The baby, who is normally a sweet little pudding-faced sook, was frowning and shouting “more, more!” and the toddler, slightly more articulately said “MY banana bread!” So I literally had to pull rank: “YOU have a whole picnic here. All I have is this banana bread, and you’ve eaten most of it. This little bit left here is MINE.” Mmmmmm.
Coffee: 0
BB: 1