PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAYou have to love The Groove – when you eat at this alternative cafe not only are you benefiting your body but you’re also doing something for the planet, and it’s an absolute pleasure. Nightcliff shopping centre wakes with The Groove Cafe’s daily breakfast trade. Relax outdoors under shady awnings and overhanging fig trees, and enjoy the birdcalls and tranquil, ambient music. Visit on Sunday and you’ll be surrounded by bustling market stalls selling crafts and tropical fruits. The Groove’s traditional hot brekkies use local free-range eggs, and there’s a vegan equivalent with oven-roasted peppers and tomatoes. Choose from toasts, grills, pancakes, fruit salad, fresh juices, frappes, teas, and free-trade chemical-free organic coffee sourced from East Timor. You’ll come away well nourished and with a clear conscience.
The Groove also has an extensive lunch menu. Prices range from $5.50 for a garlic, jalapeno and parmesan bread (prepared on a fresh pizza base) up to $16 for mains. Mouth-watering temptations include the garlic potato parmesan pizzette topped with chilli, lime and rocket leaves, and the toasted tofu and goat’s cheese salad with pine nuts, green olives and mescaline. Buy Timorese coffee or a Byron Bay specialty tea to savour at home, and browse Groove Trading adjacent to the kitchen for a selection of bohemian clothing, incense and jewellery. The Groove also hosts special evening functions supporting local artists and the environment. Watch cafe noticeboards for vegetarian dinners with VIPs, poetry nights and free movie screenings. The Groove is also an internet hotspot.
Merridy Anne Pugh