Lift Bakery & Cafe

Lift Bakery Cafe is raising the bar in Highgate Hill, serving top notch coffee, freshly baked artisan bread, homemade gourmet pies, sausage rolls and sweet treats in a quirky setting.

Dance steps decorate the floor, balloon poodles and paper unicorns adorn the walls while wooden arms with potted plants suspend from the ceiling.  Upcyled furniture fills the small space and spills out onto the footpath.  Inside, the display case is crammed with cakes - including an intense chocolate cake with strawberry dust meringue named the Penny – and other goodies baked on-site by owner Johnathan Milner like carrot and apricot cake, banoffee pie and raspberry and white chocolate blondies while Leavain Bakery supplies a selection of gluten-free muffins. 

The elevator inspired menu ranges from the Level 1 breakfast of organic sourdough with smashed avocado, sumac dukkah and sticky lemon to Level 6 - mushrooms, blistered tomatoes, spinach, feta and balsamic glaze with toast; while level 7 through 11 covers lunch with gourmet sandwiches such as spicy chicken, crunchy coleslaw, bacon bits and garlic mayo or roasted pumpkin, spinach, haloumi and grilled capsicum served on sourdough or pane.  All produce is sourced locally where possible. 

Coffees are made with Maleny farm fresh milk. Try Lift’s iced coffee for a refreshing pick-me-up, with not one, not two but three shots of espresso served in a glass stein. In-house sodas and loose leaf teas round out the drinks menu.

The menu may have changed since our visit

by Deb Lidster