Parsec Cafe

Parsec café is a fresh breath of air from the usual business suit heavy feel of most of the other cafes in Adelaide’s west end. The inviting café seems to foster a real welcoming, community atmosphere with an array of different walks of people sitting at it’s tables. Students, families, office types and musos can be regularly seen on the outdoor dining, or at the home made furniture within the café.
Parsec shares it’s space with Phase Space, an eccentric retail store selling an array of objects made by local and interstate artists. The two stores share a building with the arts venue Format. The three together really foster a feeling of culture and creativity.
Parsec offers your general café fare, but with a bit of extra thought. From the opening special of crocodile salad, to the most recent squid and chorizo salad accompanying the everyday menu of miso scrambled eggs and Adelaide’s best BLT. The café baristas are like rag tag all star team of casuals from Adelaide’s more recognised cafes, joining forces for the Parsec cause.
If you feel like a point of difference from the walk in walk out heavy cafes, I recommend Parsec for that little something off beat.

This eclectic café makes up part of the collective hub Format. Having only opened this week I’m already a massive fan. The all-​day brekky-​brunch menu featured a nice twist on the classics and is perfect for West-​end workers or students who are in the mood for something a little bit different. The service was excellent, coffee was up to the standard you expect around Leigh Street now days and the ambience was bright and welcoming.
My friend and I sat in the window and during our lunch break and watched all the characters of Hindley Street walk by, it was a lovely sunny spot where I could’ve stayed all afternoon like a cat napping in the sun. I ordered the Smoked Trout Bagel which was one of the best bagels I’ve ever had in Adelaide (there seems to be a real resurgence of bagels lately, Adelaide’s finally upping its game and catching up with the rest of the world). The bagel was fresh, the trout was smoked in-​house and the whole dish came together really well. A nicely balanced lunch with the perfect amount of crème, trout, salt, spring onions and olive oil. I think my favourite part of the dish was the little fried flecks of fish skin. They definitely added some depth to the dish and satisfied my salt fetish.
My friend ate the special which was the Salt and Pepper Crocodile Salad. Again, beautifully presented, nicely balanced salad. The crocodile was cooked to perfection, although it could have done with some more seasoning (that may just be the salt fetish talking though), and perhaps an aioli style dressing.
All in all though, it was a great experience and I’ll definitely be coming back for more bagels and a browse through all the handmade jewellery and gifts.