I wondered why people looked at me weird when I asked what flavour their muff was!
Oh my poor sister, traipsing through the streets of Melbourne and asking the trendy hipster waitstaff at each café about the flavour of their muffs, not understanding that the word ‘muff’ can mean a little more than just a short endearing term for muffin.
Coffee and muff(in). I spent years kick-starting my weekends this way. So when I first came to visit Brie in Byron Bay and she introduced me to Top Shop, I knew I’d found a little piece of heaven on the hill.
Picture a little grassy hill in the suburbs by the beach, a small weatherboard shack-turned-general store/something else/something else again/hugely successful café. The sun is shining and trendy hipsters and hippies and hungry little hijos and their parents are sprawled out on the grass enjoying smoothies and juices, burgers and açaí bowls, coffees and muffs. LIVING THE LIFESTYLE.
Living the lifestyle is a phrase I’ve heard bandied around more than once here in the month I’ve been back. The lifestyle; cheer up, slow down, chill out.
Top Shop gets busy at times, slammed on long weekends and over the holidays. But the formula is simple, the food and drinks are legit, and the staff are cool; so if you do have to wait a while to fill your tummy then LIVE THE LIFESTYLE; step outside into the sunshine, take a deep breath and look around – there’s a very high likelihood you’ll see someone you know. Small town LYF.
When I was thinking forward to coming home at the end of my trip, I was thinking about kicking back in the sun at Top Shop and once again sampling the muffin collection. It’s nice to have a café that feels familiar and friendly, especially when you’re a newbie to the Bay and still finding your feet.
The coffee is great and sets you back around $4 – 4.50 for a large soy cap (2 shots, in a Keep Cup). They definitely know what they’re doing behind the machine. You can buy beans or ground coffee there too – stay tuned for info on where it’s from and how much it costs. The muffin flavours vary, but they’re always homemade and warm and delicious. My all-time favourite is the chocolate/banana/berry combo – OH MY. They do also make a decent açaí bowl, which can be very hard to find outside of Brazil. I’ve eaten my fair share of açaí in Rio de Janiero, and I’m friends with a girl who has both been to Brazil and dated a Brazilian guy and she has also verified that their açaí is worth the ~$10. So if that’s not a decent enough endorsement I don’t know what is.
As for the rest of the menu, I’m pacing myself. I haven’t been able to progress past the coffee and muff combo yet, so kudos to Top Shop for getting the little things right. They also do burgers, salads, granola etc… I’m waiting to top up the disposable income jar before I work my way down the menu over summer. My friend Ash, who is currently in Uganda on an internship working with a local community doing the most amazing things, swears by the fish burger. Her and her partner would frequently drive down from uni on the Gold Coast to Top Shop on weekends, just for the fish burger. That’s an hour drive. That’s dedication! The first time I met Ash in Guatemala we probably spent a good hour singing the praises of Top Shop once we got over the initial excitement of realising we both had a possibly-just slightly-over-the-top obsession with the place.
Top Shop
Mon – Sun, 6:30am – 4pm
65 Carlyle St, Byron Bay NSW 2481
02 6685 6495
https://www.facebook.com/TopShopByronBay
Instagram @topshopbyronbay
LivIn' Byron 