Simply Bread, Cluny Court

I ordered a chicken salad sandwich for dine-in, and some other pastries for takeaway. It took 25 min to arrive. I checked on it a few times as I didnt expect a sandwich made of pre-made fillings to take 25 minutes. The cafe wasn't filled as well. There were 12 empty seats as I waited for my food. The server knew where I was seated as well but didn't take the care to bring my takeaway food to me, prefering to hang it at the cashier. Perhaps this is their SOP but for a place located in a building that serves 50% expats as their clientele, I'd certainly expect sharper communication. THE MAIN REASON I'M GIVING IT A 1 STAR IS THAT MY CHICKEN SALAD WAS RAW. There was one chicken chunk I bit into that was not fully cooked. I was so hungry that I forgot to add this into the review (this is an edited paragraph). So, now I am waiting for my tuna sandwich which the staff assisted to change. I dont know if tuna is cheaper but I wasn't given any refund. It has been 10 minutes. At the time of posting, I'm quite positive my tuna sandwich would still not be ready. Won't come back again!

Really enjoyed the sandwiches here — they’re delicious, fresh, and definitely the highlight of the visit. The bakery items are also good, with a nice selection to choose from. The place itself is very simple and no-frills, with minimal decor and a casual café atmosphere. It’s more of a self-service spot serving straightforward breakfast and bakery items rather than somewhere you come for the ambience. Overall, a good choice if you’re looking for a simple, tasty breakfast without any fuss. The sandwiches are definitely worth trying.

Sandwiches, breads, rolls, soups are alright. Quality and quantity used to be better — I would know, as I’ve been eating here for over a decade. Today, I received via Food Panda, lentil soup in a tiny container. In this small container, they only gave me half a portion of soup. That’s a tiny cup of soup for $8. Their soup containers used to be larger, and the soup was filled to the brim. When I tried to explain it to the manager, Randele, he insisted it has always been this little, which is untrue. Perhaps he’s new, or they changed management. But the soup was ridiculously small. Garlic bread also arrived stone cold. The butter & garlic therefore had not melted into the bread. It came straight out of the fridge into my delivery bag. Again, Randele said that’s how garlic bread is served there — CHILLED. No restaurant on this planet serves CHILLED garlic bread. Hilarious. This place is going downhill!

This is usually a favorite breakfast spot for us. No one does the sourdough better than they do, particularly this branch. But my wife had a bizarre experience this morning. She had spotted a dying cockroach within the cafe and flagged it for the attention of the staff. He acknowledged it, frowned, then walked away. The cockroach remained there until she left close to an hour later. I know the cockroach was not near the food, but it feels inappropriate to ignore it and leave it where customers are still eating.

Everything at Simply Bread is as simple and delicious as its name suggests. The chefs truly nail the bread, toasting it to crispy perfection while keeping it wonderfully fresh and flavorful. We ordered the chicken roast sandwich, chickpea sandwich, grilled cheese, English breakfast set, and butter chicken soup. Everything was freshly prepared and served hot. The butter chicken soup could have used a little more seasoning, but everything else was absolutely delicious. What really made the sandwiches stand out was the perfect balance between the crusty bread and the moist, flavorful fillings. ✨ One of the chicken sandwiches came generously coated with a rich sauce, making it almost impossible not to love. The English breakfast set was well-seasoned, came with all the right condiments, and was served in just the right portion. The chickpea sandwich especially appealed to my Indian taste buds. It wasn’t overpowering and had subtle hints of green chilli and cilantro that elevated the flavour beautifully. For something sweet, we ordered the cinnamon butter sugar toast, which hit all the right spots. Crispy on the outside and soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside, it was incredibly satisfying. I would recommend eating it while it’s hot, although if you have a sweet tooth, I doubt it will stay on the plate for very long. I also ordered the masala chai, which, as an Indian, was unfortunately a complete miss for me. Frothy milk in a cup of masala chai is a definite no-no, especially for a tea that’s meant for dipping. I’d give that particular item a 2/10. The vibe here is warm and cozy, making it a lovely place to unwind. The subtle interiors and open kitchen add to the charm and make the space feel even more inviting. You can also purchase their breads, dips, hummus, and other products to take home. If you’re visiting the Botanical Gardens area, come for the atmosphere and stay for the bread. Outside, you’ll find a range of interesting shops, Pilates studios, home décor stores, designer boutiques, and vintage collectibles. I absolutely loved spending the day here and would happily return the next time I’m in the area. :)

I suspect ratings vary tremendously because of different expectations. If you want a coffee and a simple off the counter pastry or roll, this place is decent. You’re not expecting too much. You get your food, the ambience and location are decent enough. No complaints. The place is known for a particular bread so maybe 5 stars. If you’re expecting some level of service, and order a dish that needs to be prepared, your experience could be a lot worse. That was mine. Ordered the steak sandwich. Took quite a while to arrive. Service was unsmiling and indifferent. Not a deal breaker but also not what you’d expect from a tenant of Cluny Court. The bread was rock hard. Steak was overcooked. It was still edible, taste wise. Perhaps that’s how they do it. Am no expert on steak sandwiches. But it was actually hard to eat, like physically. I actually struggled to cut the toast with a knife. Didn’t feel right to me. An unfortunate 2 stars from me :(

We ordered the roast chicken sandwich and everything sandwich. The roast chicken is definitely not roasted, it seemed more like a sous vide cooking method to me. The iced cocoa was on the watery end, but i still enjoyed it. The staff was really patient, there was this customer complaining and being really mean about the payment methods available, but she maintained professional and was still nice to the customer. I hope the boss would see this review and consider to include other payments in order to not frustrate customers. The internet connection in the building is not great, PayNow also took some time to go through successfully. I would return again to try out the other options for sure. Probably the cinnamon rolls from what i have seen from other reviews.

Don’t have coffee here. Menu prices do not include GST which is just a lazy lack of transparency. Shown as $5.50 but charged $6 for a latte which puts it in cafe territory pricing but what you get is food court (no) service and quality - latte is milky with no taste of coffee. Staff bring you the food but don’t explain cutlery, free water and napkins are self service until you ask. Perhaps lack of service is because they don’t charge for service.