Living in the burbs I have my local cafe, but it’s big, it’s become hugely popular and I now have to book a table for a weekend breakfast. SOMETHING FOR JESS is a breath of fresh air that embraces what an old school local was. It’s eclectic, it spoils its patrons with freshness, and it’s made up from so much odd furniture it has its own decor style.
And the best part about SOMETHING FOR JESS; we fell totally in love with absolutely everything about it. If I lived in Chippendale I would walk around the corner from Central Park, through Spice Alley, maybe grab some dessert on the way back from Koi, and head direct to this wonderful place that will start your day on a wonderful high.
Venue 
Herbal Teas 
The Venue Counter
SOMETHING FOR JESS VENUE:
A tiny kitchen, antique cash register, cement floors, fresh fruit and vegetables piled everywhere and queues waiting for their coffee and muffins – you are at SOMETHING FOR JESS.
The furniture is something I fell in love with, the table we were at was picked up from a roadside collection and it was marvellous. The venue had the smells of an old classroom in the 80s mixed with their divine food cooking. These pieces of old furniture are what I grew up with so as soon as you sit you may be hit by the nostalgia that I was.
The venue itself isn’t huge and the wall is covered in monthly local art that is for sale with a portion of sales going to charity. On Fridays, owners Valentina Borin and Rob Campbell only play local Sydney music – you can listen to their playlist on SPOTIFY. The venue is illuminated by wonderful natural light and the tables have some fresh flowers on them. Combine that with their extremely fresh food and you are in for one positive kick in the soul to start your day.
VALENTINA AND ROB:
Valentina Borin grew up in Northern Italy and Rob Campbell grew up in the Hunter Valley. They both come from design backgrounds and both love food and community. SOMETHING FOR JESS is a reflection of their personalities in cafe form. There is a little bit of pastel colouring from Vale’s fashion and I assume the ladder chalkboard menus come from Rob’s rural upbringing. Their love for community and passion for eclectic and fresh food is what makes SOMETHING FOR JESS so good.
THE NAME
Jess = everyone. SOMETHING FOR JESS is actually something for everyone. Jess could be an old friend you share a coffee with or the neighbour you finally get to have a conversation with when you’re sharing a table or it could be someone from Manly sussing out the best spots in Sydney. Either way their shared tables and vibe bring people together in an attempt to facilitate community, which is the best part about a public space.
Fresh Produce 
Cheesy Savoury Muffins 
Food Cooking
THE WEEKLY CHANGING LOCALLY SOURCED, ETHICAL MENU:
The food is mostly sourced locally and has four or five weekly specials that are NEVER REPEATED. So the bonus of repeat visits is there is always something new to try. They also offer about ten standard breakfast items and a few lunch treats that are mostly sandwiches. Takeaway people will be happy with muffins, more sandwiches and some delightful looking mini quiches, friands and so on.
They cater to vegans, gluten intolerant and vegetarians. Melbourne’s Dukes Coffee Roasters supplies SOMETHING FOR JESS with a custom single origin, which is used across all its coffees.
WHAT WE ORDERED:
We only ate two items and they were both on the standard menu. Specials of the day were however a Grilled Chicken Panini but not your standard Chicken Panini, this one came with pea purée, fresh tomato, marinated shredded carrots and grilled cypriot halloumi. There was also a Moroccan Meatball Bruschetta with homemade hummus, roasted pumpkin, confit tomatoes, avocado purée and spicy sliced almonds. There was a couple of others but this should give you the idea of the quality of food being served here. But our meals were…..
JESS’ SIGNATURE CORN FRITTER (could be vegetarian but I added bacon) – Chilled Capsicum Sauce, Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Avocado, Organi Poached Egg with Mashed Greek Feta and added Free Range Bacon.
MORNING START – Homemade Turmeric Hummus, Fresh Kale, Braised Mushrooms, Ground Almonds, Fresh Avocado and Pumpkin Oil on Wholewheat Miche Toast. I added an Organic Free Range Poached Egg and Hickory Wood Smoked Chicken.
Jess’s Signature Corn Fritter
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Just WOW – not much to say here besides WOW. So light, fresh, healthy and made with heart and love. They genuinely want you to eat the best you can and everything in the food was cooked to perfection. The flavour combinations were perfectly paired and not overpowering – nuanced and healthy – you can’t ask for more than that!
The Morning Start Breakfast 
The Morning Start Breakfast 
Decaf Mocha Deliciousness
IN CONCLUSION:
The venue, the food, the people, the eclectic furniture, their love for charity and supporting the local community was a breath of fresh air. SOMETHING FOR JESS is now one of my favourite cafes in Sydney.
SOMETHING FOR JESS DEETS:
PH: 0468 602 770
27 Abercrombie St, Chippendale NSW 2008
BOOKINGS: No
PRICING: Cheap Eats Cafe
OPENING HOURS:
Mon – Fri: 7am to 3pm
Sat/Sun: 8am to 3pm
** Kitchen closes at 230pm
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS: Yes
TAKEAWAY: YES
LOCAL DELIVERY: No
GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS: Yes
KID FRIENDLY: Yes
BYO: No Alcohol Venue
*** Spooning Australia dined as a Guest of SOMETHING FOR JESS ***
For more reviews of Sydney Restaurants – check them out HERE