“The place pumps, and if you don’t get in early, you’ll likely find shelves mostly bare, with food having sold out,” warns dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON, who’s been to a groovin’ cafe in Florey.

It’s common to watch staff groovin’ and movin’ while making coffees at Cesar’s Café, Florey shops.

Known for its Latin vibes, good beans and big smiles, Cesar’s Café makes it a mission to warmly welcome customers. 

Cesar’s humble beginnings were as a coffee van, but when a space became available across the way, it transformed into a buzzing café.

Now the place pumps, and if you don’t get in early, you’ll likely find shelves mostly bare, with food having sold out.

We didn’t get in early, but luckily found simple lunch items to munch on. 

Cesar’s Café is famous for its Argentinian and Chilean-inspired empanadas (which, unlike traditional Colombian ones, are not deep-fried). They’re inexpensive ($8), so hunger pangs are managed without breaking the bank.

When Cesar’s Café says the pork chorizo empanada is spicy, they mean it. The baked empanada pastry is sturdy enough to hold all the goodies inside, but still flaky and soul-satisfying. The filling was ramped up with smoky, spicy and heavily seasoned chorizo (yum). It made a real statement. 

Sold out by the time we arrived at 1 pm were many of the other types of empanadas, including guava and cheese, chicken and jalapeno, pumpkin and chickpea curry, and portobello chicken.

Two types of toasted sandwiches are on the menu (surprise, surprise … one was sold out). The Macho-man was delish ($10). The smoked ham was super tasty, and we loved the Swiss cheese, fresh tomatoes and spinach. Whole-grain mustard topped the sandwich off. 

A brekkie burrito pops up on the menu ($13), as does a chicken salad wrap (also $13) and a Cubano sandwich (non-toasted and $13). 

The café has also built a loyal following of coffee aficionados, with two blends of roasted coffee available – Cesar’s Cafe House Blend (Colombia 50 per cent, Ethiopia 50 per cent) and Cesar’s Cafe Premium (Colombia, 100 per cent). 

Brothers Cesar and Sergio, who started the café, have always been committed to quality coffee and state-of-the-art equipment, and cutting-edge software is used to ensure a consistent flavour and aroma. 

Craving a pastry with your coffee? The display cabinet is loaded with the usual – muffins, banana bread, croissants, Danish pastries and raisin scrolls.

The drinks line-up includes a berry smoothie, milkshakes, iced coffee, iced chocolate and affogato. 

Cold beverages are available from a fridge at the end of the counter and include bottled Wild One options. Australian-made, Wild One is committed to organic, alternative drinks that are healthy and never sickly sweet.

Fun facts, according to Facebook: Sergio took over the business at just 20 years old, speaking no English and learning the language on the job in just six months. Cesar now lives back home in Colombia.