Weekend Cafe Hotspot: TwentyOne Cafe & Groceries, New Acton

Since Christmas I haven’t been as active as I normally am. Before Christmas, I would regularly find myself at the lake on Saturday mornings participating in boot camp, or taking a leisurely stroll around the lake. I would often walk over the foot bridge near the paddle boats and into New Acton to grab a coffee. One morning I stumbled across TwentyOne Café & Groceries, which is on the corner of Marcus Clarke St. You can’t miss it; it’s a large shop front and is always buzzing with people.

I looked over the made-to-order menu which consists of both breakfast and lunch items, and decided to go with the big breakfast: eggs on toast, bacon, homemade potato and beetroot roesti, spinach, roasted tomato, mushrooms and sausage.

While I waited for breakfast, I wandered through the shop which is also half a grocery store. What a fabulous idea! There are only a few small aisles but you could probably get most things you’d need, from a toothbrush to fresh fruit and veg. I also noticed Canberran and Australian products including wines and steak, as well as a range of gourmet food products like handmade pastas, dips, cheese and gluten free items.

By the time I had finished browsing, my breakfast had been served, and oh my, it was huge! Definitely more than enough for two people to share. I tucked in straight away, pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to add salt (I always find myself drowning my food in salt when I eat out). The flavours of each element were great, not one thing was unseasoned, and it was all full of flavour … very very good. The sausage and the roesti were my favourites – spice lovers will especially like the sausage, but beware, it packs a punch!

While I was eating breakfast, the owner, Grant, came and joined me with his cup of coffee and we just chatted about life. And that’s exactly the vibe TwentyOne Café is going for: a relaxed atmosphere where you can just hang out and be comfortable. The staff are extremely friendly and when they ask you how your day is going, they actually care about the answer. Customer service is key in business and T