Whistle & Flute

Greenhill Road is a strange place for a cafe – especially one that’s mostly courtyard. With so few intersections nearby, the traffic flashes past, creating a persistent roar.

That’s no hassle for the dream team at Whistle & Flute, which includes Josh Baker, the man behind Coffee Branch, Larry & Ladd (both since sold), Pink Moon Saloon and Clever Little Tailor. Then there’s Edinburgh Hotel and Cellars’ Jamie Botten; Baker’s accountant and childhood friend Lee Kelly; and chef Stewart Wesson.

The group enlisted the design talents of Sans-Arc Studio’s Matiya Marovich (Pink Moon Saloon, Gondola Gondola, NOLA, BRKLYN) to create the venue’s alfresco setting with a mix of suspended timber beams and lots of naked concrete.

The breakfast menu includes dishes such as croque monsieur with pickles, brioche French toast with strawberries and coconut sorbet, and blue swimmer crab and chilli stirred through scrambled eggs. Lunch options include Vietnamese beef tartare, braised brisket in steamed bao, or a vegan bowl with mushroom, chickpeas, smashed pumpkin and chilli kale.

On Fridays Whistle & Flute transitions to a small bar, offering charcuterie, cheese and share plates. The menu cheekily offers a range of “depressants”, including Deliquente and Ochota Barrels wines, and bottles of Pirate Life pale ale. “Stimulants” include Five Senses coffee and juices by Besa.

Whether you’re in the mood for uppers or downers, the front courtyard will likely lift your spirits. Ferns and other greenery spill from every surface that’s not a table or chair, and upbeat hip-hop almost drowns out those passing cars.