I was faffing around at home the other weekend after lunch when I heard the other half open the front door, saying “There’s a new cafe across the road!”

It couldn’t have been our street so I assumed it was King Street he was referring to.

“Just near the Fiji Market.”

“Huh?”

“Across from the furniture shop and the brothel.”

It was then that I knew exactly where this across-the-road really was. And yes, we have a brothel near our house.

The first thing I did was grab the camera, my wallet and my phone. “Come on, let’s go have a coffee.”

There’s something that feels a little different about Soda Pony. Different from all the other caf’s along this southern stretch of King Street. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it almost makes me feel like I’m sitting in Williamsburg, New York, not the arse-end of Newtown. I can only wish New York was a 60-second walk from my house.

The set-up is cosy but isn’t cluttered with too many tables, which means it fills up really fast. Double Roasters beans caffeinate the addicts and a simple-yet-decent lunch menu featuring sandwiches, melts, salads and burrito’s fill the hole.

A second visit involved more coffee and some brekkie. Toast topped with ricotta, fresh tomato & basil ($8.5) kept the other half content while I tucked into the breakfast plate ($14.5). Boiled egg, ham, tomato relish, Cheddar, avocado and toasted sourdough. Unexpected strips of gherkin made it even better.

I’m not one to go for icy milkshakes at 8.30 am but I couldn’t help myself with the choc malt frosty thickshake ($5.5). A delicious brekkie plate with a brain-freeze chaser. Why do I do these things to myself? Oh, that’s right, research purposes.

Another visit involves some sandwich action for the other half – smoked chicken, avocado, mayo, tomato & greens (8); lightly toasted. Slow cooked beans (10.5) for me. A deliciously stodgy lump of goodness on toasted sourdough with crumbled fetta & fresh basil. I could have eaten twice as much.

People, come on down to my end of King Street and give this little joint a go. Soda Pony, welcome to the neighbourhood.

• Soda Pony – now closed 
• 583a King Street
• Newtown 2042
• 0433 068 275
• facebook
•