Oliver Brown, Chatswood

Chatswood has long lacked late night dining and dessert options. When Mamak opened a year ago there were high hopes that it would keep similar hours to its Chinatown original, but sadly that has still yet to become reality.

Enter Oliver Brown onto the scene, a chocolate café which is open until midnight – every night. They open from early in the morning and I was surprised to learn it’s not all about chocolate here, and that there are breakfast options as well. Admittedly the coffee isn’t stellar, but at least it is acceptable and neither burnt nor too milky – with the bonus part being that it comes with little chocolate buttons on the side.

A ‘Canadian Breakfast’ consisting of three pancakes, maple syrup and bacon is spotted on the menu of our first visit, resulting in my wanting to do a wicked swap of waffles for the pancakes. However I reason that there’s no way I can polish off three waffles even with help from Monsieur Poisson, and instead sidle up to the counter to place my order of two waffles with bacon instead.

“You want bacon...? With waffles...?”

“Yep,” I nod my head. “Err, is that doable?”

“It is, it is... but no one’s ever asked for it before.”

And here I was thinking it was much the same concept as their ‘Canadian Breakfast’! I actually end up being the one who’s taken aback when asked if I want chocolate sauce with my bacon and waffles – uh, perhaps not this time, thanks. The waffles are crusty and soft in all the right places with way too much maple syrup provided in the little jug on the side. The bacon, whilst most welcome, is sadly of the short-end variety.

Monsieur Poisson gives the ‘Eggs on Toast’ a try and asks for them to be poached. They appear to have been poached in a pod and are accompanied by a slice of thick-cut toast and a small pile of green salad. However you can’t complain when it is priced at only $5.50 – in fact the most expensive breakfast offering is the ‘Canadian Breakfast’ at a mere $10.50.

A return visit sees us finally trying some chocolate items. The dark hot chocolate is sizeable with an airy topping of chocolate froth. Waffles can be ordered individually or as a pair, with the latter option allowing for two scoops of ice-cream of differing flavours if so desired. The chocolate ice-cream is smoother than its vanilla counterpart, but it’s the amazing amount of melted milk chocolate drizzled over the whole plate which will capture your initial attention. The waffles underneath actually have more chocolate rippled through them and the slices of strawberry can only make a valiant, but ultimately futile, attempt at offering relief from the sugar.

I’ll be back to try the pancakes and French toast spied on the menu, but will check for any chocolate sauce to be served on the side in future!

Oliver Brown, Chatswood

Store 212 (external entrance on Spring St), Westfield Chatswood NSW

Tel: 9410 2774

Opening Hours:  7 days  7:30am-12 midnight

happy eating!