Olympia Cafe is where you go in Kalk Bay for coffee and simple food served without ceremony. The deli counter displays pies and sandwiches made with free-range chicken and duck, while the kitchen turns out daily specials chalked on a board. You cannot book — the queue often stretches out the door, especially on weekends when locals and visitors wait together for a table.

The cafe opened in 1997 when founder Kenneth McClarty converted a former fish-and-bait shop. What began as a place to get a proper flat white now serves breakfast through dinner, with last kitchen orders at nine in the evening. The bakery opens earliest, at half past six, for those who want fresh bread or pastries with their first coffee.

Paper straws and compostable cups line the counters, part of the cafe's effort to limit plastic waste near the ocean. Filtered water is free for anyone who asks. The space stays busy until close, with the sound of coffee grinders and the smell of baked goods filling the corner where Main Road meets Windsor.

Olympia takes no reservations, so arriving early or late avoids the longest waits. The chalkboard menu changes daily.