naïm

shouk is a middle eastern style cafe, i came here after 12, and had the lunch menu.

ordered a latke stack, it is made up of potato pancakes, 2 poached eggs, and your choice of salmon, haloumi or avocados. i picked the avocados, and the dish did not disappoint. the avos were delicious, smashed nicely. the potato pancakes were crispy on the outside and oh so soft on the inside! the presentation of the dish was superb as well.

i will definitely recommend this place, and i will go back to try out the breakfast menu!

look for shouk - one of brisbane's most popular cafes. with a range of middle eastern inspired dishes and exotic israeli options including shakshuka (tunisian style eggs baked with spices) and  flatbread and lamb, it's bound to tingle your senses!  drinks lunch breakfast we started off with a chai latte ($4) - i could really taste the aromatic spices in it.

i have never been treated with such disrespect from any restaurant. i attended the restaurant probably a week or two ago and unfortunately this experience has completely ruined all prior visits.

i was waiting to order and i waved staff over to my table that i was ready. the wait lady told us that we were to wait for other people to order first before ours could be taken. i'm sorry but when i'm ready to order i expect that mine should be taken not "whenever other customers are done" - for all i know the "other customers" could be taking their sweet time. in addition, i thought it was due to staff being busy - but no they were standing there having a laugh and 'high-fiving' each other.

we then approached another staff to request our our orders be taken - and yes, the gentleman was more polite, saying he'll "be back in a min", but then turns around to the original lady wait staff and she says "let them wait i've already told them".

no matter which restaurant i've dined at (fine dining, takeaway, bars, pubs, cafes etc) when requested, orders will be taken.

obviously if i was in a rush this place is not one that i would choose but needless to say to be treated with such disrespect and unpleasant manner i will not be returning. i have been here for over 3 years religiously and normally the staff have been very nice and helpful but this one experience has ruined all. additionally being in such a busy brunching location one would know that parking at paddington is such a mission so to arrive with such ill-mannered staff is the biggest embarrassment for any restaurant.

the dishes at this paddington cafe all have a touch of middle eastern flair about them, which makes for both interesting and delicious eating. i love anywhere that has smashed baklava as a regular meal accompaniment.
so what autumn/winter delights are on offer at shouk? let's find out.

really delicious food with great portions. the coffee is quite nice! they have options for vegans too which i always love to see, as it's difficult and awkward adjusting normal menu options to suit my needs :) lovely setting as well, lovely staff.

amazing experience at shouk. all the staff were extraordinarily friendly and polite - they were literally smiling all the time.

the wait for the food wasn't too long (despite the cafe being packed to the brim), and everything was spot on. i loved every bit of my dish, consisting of pumpkin, halloumi and poached eggs on toast. the pesto was a tad chili which was a pleasant surprise.
two of my friends ordered milkshakes which they thought were amazing.

though the food was decent and well presented, the service was slow (forspire being a quiet day) and when it was finally delivered it was rude and felt rushed. the table was dirty and the atmosophere felt stale. it was dissappointing from all the positive reviews we had read previously.

it's great! hearty, tasty breakfast. and there's a kickass map of the middle east occupying an entire wall out the back.

staff are friendly. but shashuka is way to watery. it would be better if add black beans in. overall it’s not bad. banana smoothie is wonderful!

best breakfast in paddington. omg... the most delicate yummy and well executed breakfast i have had latelly.. my gf and i cant wait for the weekend for some of those gifted eggs.. coffee is amazing and service even better.. keep the good work, i love the non wannabe and pretentious vibe you get in other cafes in pado.. 10 out of 10!!!!!!

absolutely beautiful !! this is an absolute gem with really innovative, fresh and delicious food. the service is also really welcoming and great. coffee is a bit hit or miss though!!

8/10. this place is great. cool venue and the food is amazing. my friends and i all tried each others meals and loved them all. the only gripe i have is that the service was so slow. it took about half an hour before we even got our order taken and then quite a while for the food to come out. don't eat here if you're in a rush, but it sure is delicious!

amazing place, lovely relaxed atmosphere, fantastic service and omg the food, had the date pannacotta, and it's the best breakfast i have ever had, not too sweet, lovely kattafi pastry and super fresh fruit. will be back.

shouk has an interesting and varied breakfast menu, the atmosphere is relaxed as every good breakfast joint should be, if a bit forced with a rigid floor manager.

having sampled the halumi and pumpkin, sardines on toast, latke stack, shakshuka over several visits, this is my current go to for something special and would recommend. good coffee too.

expect $50 for 2 people, pretty standard i guess.

this small corner restaurant has had many changes over the years but this place has stuck, and it's no wonder. great food, great views and great staff. we popped in for brekky, great variety of brekky options and loved how well the middle eastern flavours were worked to create interesting but delicious offerings. eggs perfectly cooked, beautiful presentation, great coffee and knowledgable staff really make this eatery shine.