Coffee, Gifts & Flowers

Illie Home + Gift in Narrabeen offers an array of gifts and home decor. It’s the ultimate place to get a gift for someone special or to find some great ideas for your own home.

Beaches COVERED. had a chat with owner Simone Tilley who shared some of the secrets behind Illie’s success, including the fact that in addition to serving great coffee, Illie also makes a mean gourmet toastie.

With its wide range of retail gifts, sandwiches and café drinks, how would you describe your business in a nutshell? You’ll fi nd Illie Home + Gift a stylish one-stop haven for coffee, gourmet toasties, fl owers and gifts alongside hair and beauty services.

What are your top fi ve food and beverage options on the menu? Our chicken wrap with peri peri sauce is always popular, and we’ve added some great pan-fried gourmet toasties to the menu. Try our tuna melt with capers and Swiss cheese, vegetarian melt with grilled veggies and halloumi, or a Reuben sandwich with corned beef, pickles, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. We also have delicious coffee drinks like our sticky chai and turmeric sticky chai.

Tell us about your coffee at the cafe? We have recently switched to Vittoria Coffee’s smooth Oro blend. It consists of 100% Arabica beans and is from Central and South America. We’re thrilled with our new supplier; they’re very professional and are one of the oldest, most established coffee companies in Australia.

You’ve partnered up with Cordony Hair. How did this come about? We go way back. We’re old school friends, and I’ve done interior design projects for the family. The Cordony sisters came up with the idea during COVID. It was like a match made in heaven—and our partnership just fl owed from there.

The designed space looks harmonious. How’s the vibe with customers? Is the the hair salon delighted to have a place to eat right next door? For over thirty years, I have been designing luxurious interiors for homes and businesses. I was excited to design the space for my gift store and café—and working that into the salon. Creating spaces that are designed to affect the emotions of my clients and make them feel good is what I do best! We have a service for the salon clients: they text their beverage and food orders to our café from the chair, and we deliver it to their station. We also offer 15% discounts on any retail products or fl owers on the day of their appointment. These luxuries create an unforgettable experience for the clients - and keep them coming back.

The café/retail space is stocked with an impressive array of products and gifts. What are some of the cool things you can buy there? We like to offer our customers the convenience of buying a gift or bouquet without having to travel to a major centre. We are also known for a great selection of handbags, jewellery, and luxury items. We carry Linda Tahija fi ne jewellery, which is a beautiful local company we love to support; Susan Rose from Melbourne; ikou Natural candles and home scents from the Blue Mountains, Simone Voss Candles, lotions and washes from Alive, handbags from Louenhide, Oran Leather and Kompanero, baby products for new parents, and so much more.

With a talented fl orist on site, how would you describe your unique floral style at Illie? An eclectic mix of delicate and native fl owers for a modern and organic creation.

This weekend is the perfect time to give yourself a little treat and stop by Illie Home + Gift! •

1329 PITTWATER RD, NARRABEEN 2101 CAFE OPEN 7 DAYS // INSTA + FB: @ILLIEHOMEANDGIFT