RIGHT AT HOME IN ROBINA

The familiar faces behind this new Europeaninspired cafe are focused on good food rather than following trends, writes Amber Macpherson

IN the transient Gold Coast hospitality scene, sometimes you just want to own a business where everybody knows your name.

New cafe Dark Fluid Espresso is the result of owners Sonia and Jovan Ivanovski’s game plan to return to Robina, the suburb they know and love.

“I used to own Natabella in Robina Shopping Centre, a very traditional European delicatessen cafe,” Sonia says.

“I sold that in 2011 and I’ve had a few cafes around the Coast since.

“I wanted to come back to Robina because I live here. It’s close by to home, relaxed, stress-free.

“I’ve had a cafe in Kirra and Main Beach, I just wanted something a bit more low key.

“When this one popped up, it was the perfect opportunity for me to be back in Robina.”

Customers haven’t forgotten the couple — Sonia says the words “you look familiar” are uttered almost every day.

“We’ve already had a few people recognise me and my husband,” Sonia says.

“They say ‘We remember you guys, we miss you. You used to have lovely food’.”

Dark Fluid pays homage to the couple’s European roots with comforting breakfast and lunch options and house-made sweets, while the coffee is a Seven Miles Roasters blend.

“We’re not your gluten free, vegan type of place; we’re a proper soul food cafe that’s traditional European, but we accommodate for some things,” Sonia says.

“We have a gourmet range of small goods, cheese and meats we do in our products, like gourmet sandwiches with salami.

“We also do croque madame, which is very popular.

“We use the proper Gruyere cheese in it and make our own bechamel.

“I like to concentrate on all the baking and cooking and things like that.

“We’re doing hearty soups, cannelloni, ravioli — I make my own dough as well.

“We have truffle eggs for breakfast, we have an omelette with chorizo.

“We wanted to make a place where you can’t have a dish somewhere else, you have to come and have it at this cafe.”

The Christine Avenue site was completely revamped to make way for Dark Fluid Espresso, allowing Sonia and Jovan to put their personal touch on the fit-out.

Sonia describes the styling as timeless and elegant.

“It was dull, black and red, it was untouched for 15 years, so we’ve gutted the whole place and put in a brand new

WE’RE NOT YOUR GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN TYPE OF PLACE; WE’RE A PROPER SOUL FOOD CAFE

kitchen and new furniture,” Sonia says. “It’s on that green palette with dark green tiles, that French 1920s — classic, timeless style.

“Our counters are all stone counters. We’ve got a beautiful round marble table at the entrance. “There’s heaps of seating outdoors and we’re dog friendly. There’s so much room, and plenty of parking everywhere.”

Dark Fluid is no flash-inthe-pan hipster hospitality venture – Sonia says they’re in it for the long haul.

“We are foodies, that’s our life and our passion,” she says. “We’re not in different professions and doing it because we feel like it’s cool, we’re doing it because we’re both chefs and we’ve been doing it all our life.

“Being back in Robina, it makes it feel like home.

“We feel like we’re just at home and people are visiting our house and we’re making them things to eat.”