The Weekend Edition - Sleep In. Slow Down. Enjoy.

Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit

Breakfast ramen or late-night treats – the choice is yours at The New Black and Cakes and Shit

Fortitude Valley's Bakery Lane has just scored itself a new sweet spot – but this isn't your average coffee and cake situation. The brains behind Coolangatta’s Black Lab Coffee have opened up a new flagship cafe in the heart of the entertainment district, offering a distinctive selection of eats and a comprehensive specialty coffee selection. That’s not all – treat seekers can also satiate their sugary cravings at sassy new cake store and bar Cakes and Shit, where the only thing sweet is the dessert.


The genesis of new Bakery Lane one-two punch The New Black and Cakes and Shit started with Samantha Fitzpatrick, who originally sought to expand upon her baking interests with a Fortitude Valley shop she could call her own. Her search culminated when she was presented with the perfect space in Bakery Lane – the only catch was it came attached to a larger tenancy. It was at this point that her partner Sam Holman of specialty coffee roasters Black Lab Coffee Co. and Two Black Birds decided to join her in the new endeavour. After gutting the space (the former home of Lost Boys Cafe and The Tree House) and bringing it back to its glorious heritage foundations the vision started to take shape – the Brunswick Street facing tenancy would become the bright and welcoming cafe The New Black and the Bakery Lane space would transform into punchy dessert destination Cakes and Shit.

The New Black – softly opening to the public today – is the new Brisbane flagship for Black Lab Coffee. Sam Holman is envisioning it as Willy Wonka’s factory for lab-style coffee. While it isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel, The New Black is bringing a considered offering to the table. Patrons can sip on single-origin filter coffee across V60 pour over, Chemex, Aeropress and cold-drop varieties, or they can sample beer flights of coffee, taking tastebuds on a coffee tour across Central America or Africa. As for the fare, chef Andrew Cameron (ex-PawPaw, Little Loco) is utilising every inch of the kitchen space to make magic, crafting a seasonal menu that is wholesome and delicious, with extensive use of pickled ingredients. Morsels such as scrambled eggs with kimchi and gin-and-beetroot-cured salmon, slow-braised lamb toasties with kimchi, aged cheddar and gruyere, and breakfast ramen with pork broth, keiserfleisch, enoki, shiitake mushrooms and slow egg feature on the menu, with a build-your-own breakfast option available for those who know what they like.

Cakes and Shit, which opens officially on Saturday March 10, will be showcasing Samantha’s burgeoning baking talent and creative passion with a range of treats for adults only. Sorry kids – Cakes and Shit isn’t your cookie-cutter cake store. Designed to be both a great day-time dessert pit stop and a jazzy nighttime hangout, Cakes and Shit will be dishing up freshly baked goods from full-sized cakes to artisan cupcakes, brownies and cocktails – each imbued with love and sass. Each treat will come with a raunchy one-liner that would make your grandmother blush, which is hilarious considering Samantha’s dessert inspiration began after pouring through her grandmother’s recipe books. Expect decadent cheesecakes, apple tea cakes, brownies and a wall of cupcakes to choose from, plus nitro-coffee espresso martinis and spiked juices.

The New Black is opening for coffee today, with the full menu set to commence on Monday March 12 and nighttime trading (complete with booze, tapas and share boards) starting next week. Cakes and Shit will open this weekend. Head to the Stumble Guide for more details.

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.



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