Avocado Toast

The avocado is native to Mexico and Central America, where it has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years. The Aztecs called it "ahuacatl" and valued it so highly it was used as currency. Spanish conquistadors first encountered it in the 16th century and began exporting it to Europe, where it remained an exotic curiosity until the late 20th century when global trade routes and California farming made it widely available.

Avocado toast as a café dish was pioneered in Australia in the early 1990s — specifically, food historians credit chef Bill Granger in Sydney with popularising the modern version around 1993. The combination of smashed (not sliced) avocado on toast with added toppings became a signature of Australian café culture before spreading to the United Kingdom and United States, where it became the defining brunch dish of the 2010s and an unlikely cultural flashpoint.

Our version tops toasted sourdough with smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, a poached egg, rocket, and parmesan — the full Australian café expression. There is also a vegan option (see Vegan Toast) that replaces egg and dairy with hummus and garlic mushrooms, keeping the spirit while changing the ingredients.