CÀ PHÊ MAI TO OPEN WITHIN FORUM DOUBLE BAY

A MODERN VIETNAMESE CAFE AND WINE BAR

A new chapter in Sydney’s Vietnamese dining scene has arrived in Double Bay. Cà Phê Mai is a modern Vietnamese cafe and wine bar from engaged hospitality duo Cindy Mai and Ed Loveday, one that’s been four generations in the making.

Opening within Forum Double Bay, by day, Cà Phê Mai will serve breakfast bánh mì, Vietnamese coffee and pho seven days a week, before shifting into a lively neighbourhood wine bar from Wednesday to Saturday nights with contemporary Vietnamese dishes and expressive wines.

For Mai, Cà Phê Mai reflects both her family history and her experience growing up as a Việt Kiều – a Vietnamese-born Australian. The story begins with her great-grandmother, who ran a restaurant outside Ho Chi Minh City after the war, before Mai’s grandmother later arrived in Australia as a refugee and helped build the family’s hospitality presence through a series of bakeries and restaurants across Sydney and Melbourne. Mai’s parents later opened their own restaurant in Canley Heights, continuing the family tradition that shaped her connection to food and hospitality from an early age.

After opening her own restaurant in Strathfield at just 24 years old and running it for five years, Mai stepped away to reflect on the kind of venue she wanted to create next, one that felt deeply connected to both her heritage and the way she loves to dine today.

Cà Phê Mai is four generations in the making, but it’s also deeply personal to what it means to grow up Vietnamese in Australia. “Growing up, Vietnamese food was comfort and identity, it was home. But like a lot of us raised here, I was also shaped by everything around me.” says Cindy Mai.

“There’s a whole generation of Việt Kiều reinterpreting traditional food through the places and cultures they’ve grown up in, and Cà Phê Mai is for them, the Vietnamese kids, the multicultural kids, who love bún bò huế just as much as an anchovy toast or a good glass of wine. It’s deeply respectful of where we come from, but an honest reflection of who we are and how we actually eat.”

At the centre of the menu is the venue’s signature pho gà, built around Mai’s family chicken broth recipe passed down through generations. The clear, deeply nourishing stock, prepared daily, forms the backbone of the menu’s soup offering and remains guided by instinct, memory and restraint – a recipe still shared between Cindy, her mother and grandmother.

Alongside the signature pho gà, the menu spans fresh vermicelli canteen bowls, Hanoi style spring rolls, and bánh mì, while breakfast leans into a playful Vietnamese-Australian crossover with breakfast bánh mì layered with hash browns, eggs and Vietnamese pickles and a Bò Lá Lốt sausage and egg muffin. Supporting the daytime offering is consultant chef Toby Wilson, founder of Ricos Tacos, who worked alongside the team to help shape the menu.

For Mai, the project also marks the first time she and Loveday have built something together professionally, combining her background in Vietnamese food and hospitality with his two decades of experience across bars, restaurants and wine venues including The Passage, ACME and Bar Brosé. Loveday is also the founder of creative consultancy Studio AM:PM, specialising in hospitality-led concepts and brand development.

“This project means so much to me because it’s something Ed and I are doing together,” says Mai. “We were probably a little hesitant at first because you always hear about the challenges of working with your partner, but honestly, the more we spoke about it, the more natural it felt. We’re best friends, we’ve always bounced ideas off each other, and what we landed on really marries our passions perfectly – a café and restaurant by day, and a contemporary Vietnamese wine bar by night.”

Across the drinks program, Loveday has curated a wine list of lighter, fresher and low-intervention styles, leaning on small independent growers across France, Italy, Australia and Germany and chosen to sit alongside the menu’s bright, herb-driven cooking. A regularly changing by-the-glass selection sits in front of a deeper bottle list that runs from grower Champagne to Burgundy and Barolo, with the odd find from further afield, including a Vietnamese sparkling rice wine from Sông Cái.

Cocktails will lean playful and produce-driven, spanning drinks including a Suong Mai (Jasmine Vermouth, Honeydew Melon, Cucumber, Prosecco, Soda), Fruit Cart (Vodka, Watermelon, Green Chilli, Lime, Soda, Tangy Chilli Salt), and a Passionfruit & Dragonfruit Margarita. But the drink Mai and Loveday are most excited about is their own, Cà Phê Muối, a salted Vietnamese coffee made to their own recipe. Inspired by one of their favourite discoveries in Vietnam, it’s a deeply unique flavour that stays respectful of the original while feeling entirely their own. The kind of drink that stops you mid-sip.

“I’ve always loved venues that work at any hour. You come in for a coffee and a bánh mì in the morning, then come back that night for a glass of wine and a few plates, and it still feels like the same room looking after you. That’s what Cindy and I set out to build, whether it’s 7am on a Tuesday or late on a Friday,” says Loveday.

Designed as a fast-paced, all-day venue, Cà Phê Mai draws inspiration from the energy of Vietnamese street dining and contemporary wine bars. At its centre, an open kitchen sits behind a honed Rosso Levanto marble counter, with bar seating that looks straight onto the cooking. A garnet leather banquette lines the back of the room, and a window onto Kiaora Lane handles takeaway coffee and bánh mì. The palette is warm and textural, balancing canteen energy with the comfort and depth of a European bistro.

Cà Phê Mai forms an integral part of the hospitality experience at Forum Double Bay, a project delivered by Fortis and operated by The Commons. Drawing on the world’s leading work‑and‑social clubs, Forum Double Bay pairs refined, design‑led interiors with elevated hospitality. An art collection that adds depth and personality to every space sits alongside vibey lighting and a mix of intimate nooks, open lounges, private office spaces, a communal kitchen, and a beautifully appointed boardroom – creating a dynamic environment for both work and connection.

Blending family tradition with contemporary hospitality, Cà Phê Mai reflects a distinctly modern interpretation of Vietnamese dining, shaped by four generations of food, service and storytelling.

CÀ PHÊ MAI
Forum Workspace
377 New South Head Road, Double Bay NSW 2028 (Enter from, Kiaora Ln, Double Bay NSW 2028)

Photo credit: Parker Blain