Superfreak cafe Marrickville review

Superfreak is the nourishing new Marrickville cafe from the co-owners of acclaimed Newtown cafe Soulmate, featuring one of the most standout fit-outs in Sydney this year.

It’s a small, soulful sanctuary from busy Enmore Road, sunlit by large windows and soundtracked with records. The space is filled with the idiosyncratic style of YSG Studio − a little ’70s and a little eccentric, with fuzzy banquette seating, cork flooring, rice paper lamps and an oversized vase of ceramic snow peas.

“I hope it’s the type of place that gives people that feeling of, ‘Wow, holy shit, this is cool’,” says Michael Ico, who partnered with Daniel Harrison to open Superfreak on July 10.

“We wanted to create something a little more elevated than you’d usually see in the inner west, there aren’t many with fit outs this crazy.”

The Superfreak menu was created in collaboration with Michaela Johansson, the founder of leading catering company Aplenty, and features a small selection of salads, sandwiches and all-day brunch options inspired by neighbouring Pilates studio Scout and the venue’s limited kitchen capacity.

There’s oat, rye and buckwheat porridge with cultured butter, brown butter and poached fruit ($17); morning rolls with jammy eggs, cheddar, coriander and shallot herb salad ($14); and beans, chard and parmesan soup with fresh bread from Fabbrica ($17).

“I hope it’s the type of place that gives people that feeling of, ‘Wow, holy shit, this is cool’ ”

Co-owner Michael Ico

“It ticks a lot of boxes for the area,” Ico says. There are easy grab-and-go options for families to eat at Enmore Park across the road; afternoon tea for after-school treats; outdoor tables for diners with dogs; specialty coffee from Single O and Artificer Coffee; and cold-pressed juices ($8) and smoothies ($12) for post-workout refuelling.

“We’re also hoping we can become a place people will travel to,” he says.

Ico says the service style is the key similarity between Superfreak and the other cafes he and Harrison are involved in (Soulmate, Splash): warm, friendly and unpretentious. So, no judgement when ordering a shot of cinnamon maple syrup ($2) in your flat white.

It seems to have struck a chord in the neighbourhood, as it sold out of everything during the first day of its soft launch earlier this week.

Superfreak seats 30 people inside, six outside, and groups no larger than four people. It’s walk-in only, with plans for further collaborations with Scout as the cafe finds its groove.