2 July 2011

Breakfast in Canberra?

| CamillaG
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A friend of mine, a food blogger by profession, is in Canberra tomorrow.

He would like to check out ‘the local fare’.

I have taken him to Silo before. He thought it was ‘okay’.

He is lovely but I really do not want to kick off my weekend with ‘hmmm, these poached eggs aren’t runny. Gosh that coffee is over-brewed’ etc etc.

Any thoughts on where I can take him?

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EvanJames said :

what’s wrong with Silo is not so much the service, as the attitude of those performing the alleged service.

Silo have nothin on the jerks at a Bite to Eat in Chifley. Best breakfast is Du Jour restaurant in Acton or for something casual you can’t beat Dobinsons bakers in the city. Their sour dough rolls hot out of the oven with jam is something else!

In the annoyingly-edited Food and Wine supplement in the CT recently, there was some kind of local restaurant award thingy, and for best breakfast category they had some place called Ricardo’s as the winner.

wake up to weeties, they’re the real thing.

really, home cooked mushies on nice toasted bread in your pj’s has to be the best option… otherwise, tilley’s do nice baked beans [though your own are better, if you’ve got a spare three or four hours before hand…] if their coffee is shiite.

screaming banshee said :

laura_2716 said :

Ricardo’s Cafe at Jamison – don’t let the location put you off though. They have been nominated the ACT and Southern NSW Best Breakfast Cafe. Their food is just superb, you will not be disappointed. http://ricardoscafe.com/

The classic choice for breakfast in Canberra though would have to be Gus’ Cafe in the City. I’ve never had a bad meal at that place. http://www.guscafe.com.au/

They are two of the worst recommendations I’ve ever heard, unless you’re being sarcastic.

There are two (different) places that top my list but I’m not giving them away because they’re already busy enough, so umm yeah check out ricardo’s and gus’, and while you’re at it give the continental bakery in mawson or all bar nun in o’conner a go.

Oh, and lastly, tell your friend that ‘food blogger’ is no more a profession than meter maid.

I really should have said ‘professional food blogger’. He is a doctor who happens to blog about food and get paid for it.

I’m having more visitors this weekend. Shall report back with breakfast findings!

My three favourites are:
Urban food in Action- although they seem to keep increasing their prices and you need to book.
A bite to Eat in Chifley – I’ve had some amazing brekky’s here but it often comes with attitude and my last visit was disappointing.
Wilbur’s at Hackett shops is one of my new fave’s – the potato rosti’s with smoked salmon are delicious.

pink little birdie9:44 am 05 Jul 11

as for the fresh eggs either find someone at your work with chooks or your local butcher might get local fresh eggs. At least the local butcher at Kambah does fresh eggs.

screaming banshee8:22 am 05 Jul 11

laura_2716 said :

Ricardo’s Cafe at Jamison – don’t let the location put you off though. They have been nominated the ACT and Southern NSW Best Breakfast Cafe. Their food is just superb, you will not be disappointed. http://ricardoscafe.com/

The classic choice for breakfast in Canberra though would have to be Gus’ Cafe in the City. I’ve never had a bad meal at that place. http://www.guscafe.com.au/

They are two of the worst recommendations I’ve ever heard, unless you’re being sarcastic.

There are two (different) places that top my list but I’m not giving them away because they’re already busy enough, so umm yeah check out ricardo’s and gus’, and while you’re at it give the continental bakery in mawson or all bar nun in o’conner a go.

Oh, and lastly, tell your friend that ‘food blogger’ is no more a profession than meter maid.

My favourites are Bees and Co in Yarralumla and Ha Ha Bar in Belconnen. Verve in Manuka and Cream in the city have good brunch menus with lots of variety. The cafe at The National Library can be good, but it totally depends on what they’ve put on the limited menu for that day. On the upside, the coffees are obscenely huge. I have a lot of friends who recommend A Bite To Eat, but the one time I went there for brunch, the food was unimpressive and the service terrible. I love Tilleys, but it can be a nightmare to get to the bar and have to wait for drinks on a busy weekend. I put up with it anyway because I love the cinnamon toast.

Eyeball In A Quart Jar Of Snot2:00 am 05 Jul 11

Holden Caulfield said :

A few more to throw into the ring, which have been good to me in the past.

Beess & Co, Yarralumla Shops
Podfood, Pialligo
Joey’s Kitchen, Watson Shops (only been there once since the transformation from Carlo’s, but service and food were good)

I’ve never had breakfast at Podfood, but I highly recommend going there for a weekend lunch.

If you wan’t to to with the tourist angle, you can go to the pancake parlor but I don’t think that’s what you want.

Urban Pantry in Manuka? or anywhere in manuka really.

for sunday morning maybe you would like to go to the markets? old bus depot or jamison is beautiful on a nice crisp sunday morning 🙂

I went for breakfast before my post was loaded. I really must plan my posts! – without your recommendations, I foolishly went to ‘As Nature Intended’ at the Belconnen Markets. AWFUL! I ordered greek poached eggs on sourdough with a skim latte. I got starchy overdone wet eggs on stale supermarket brown bread with curdled fetta and funky tasting basil and cashew pesto. The latte didn’t arrive for ages. Half way through my meal I felt it was time for the ‘friendly reminder’. The staff was surprised at my question as they couldn’t recall me ordering the latte!!! It took me producing the receipt before they brewed (burnt) my watery bland coffee.
I shall have check out all your recommendations! – and must get my hands on a poffertje maker, for the lazy brunch at home. 🙂

Early Door has really great breakfast. Been there twice now and we love it. Had the truffle scrambled eggs last time and it was lovely.

Also been to Da Nunzio for breakfast once and the spicy baked eggs was delicious.

Kerryhemsley4:54 pm 04 Jul 11

Yeah I have been to most of these places and they just don’t cut it.

Canberra has some good places to eat lunch and dinner but for breakfast you are better off staying home or risk being disappointed.

Go out to breakfast when you are in Melbourne or Sydney.

Holden Caulfield4:48 pm 04 Jul 11

A few more to throw into the ring, which have been good to me in the past.

Beess & Co, Yarralumla Shops
Podfood, Pialligo
Joey’s Kitchen, Watson Shops (only been there once since the transformation from Carlo’s, but service and food were good)

madamcholet said :

The golden arches???

/me throws the big breakfast and scalding hot apple pie at madamcholet’ face and mutters something under his breathe

buzz819 said :

where can you buy fresh eggs in Canberra, besides the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning? Thanks.

Tried the Farmers Outlet in North Lyneham?

I would recommend the Waldorf On London. The staff are friendly and the food I had was great. It’s on London Circuit in a nice setting and the environment is open and looks great.

I quite like Urban Food in New Acton, I’ve never had a bad breakfast there (although I do tend to order the same thing almost every time I go there for brekky because I just really like that dish! (scrambled salmon)). But I’ve seen my friends order other things and enjoy them. They used to have a giant breakfast dish for sharing which my friends and I split once – was delicious and a very generous serve.

I feel really bad. Someone has posted our local, Edgar’s Inn at Ainslie, and it is also an option – so obvious I forgot to mention it! Great ambience and a view of the hill (Mount Ainslie that is). Fabulous friendly but not in your face staff as well.

Cannot go past Lonsdale Roasters in Braddon, unless it is after 2pm on Saturday. The coffee – diiiiiiiivinnnnnne. And have the slow roasted pork panini thingy with sides at any time of the day. The cakes are a bit ordinary but there are stacks of other food choices. They were preparing a special muesli fruit and yogurt thing for a woman sitting next to me and it looked healthy enough to get her past lunchtime. And did I mention that coffee MMMMM

Eyeball In A Quart Jar Of Snot9:54 am 03 Jul 11

Mysteryman said :

I quite enjoy Milk and Honey for breakfast.

How can this awful place still exist?

Bad service + Lousy food + High Prices = not recommmended.

Silo’s food is decent, but the snooty service and the crowds you get on a Saturday morning are not worth it.

Gus’ is a bit overhyped.

A Bite To Eat in Chifley used to be pretty good, but I’m not sure what changed there but the last time I went was pretty disappointing.

I would suggest that the best places for breakfast are the ones already suggested that are OUTSIDE of Canberra. Which is a shame.

A long lie-in and breakfast in bed should do it. Always worked for me and picky/snobby males from the Emerald City.

In 20 years, I have never found a breakfast in Canberra worth getting out of bed for, compared to what could be rustled up at home.

what’s wrong with Silo is not so much the service, as the attitude of those performing the alleged service.

Podfood at Pialligo can be added to the excellent list of suggestions here, in a slightly non-urban-cafe-ish setting. I bet the eggs will be runny.

Catty said :

And what’s wrong with Silo?

The service.

And what’s wrong with Silo?

You could try the organic cafe at the Belconnen Markets. They do a wonderful “big breakfast”

kezzafezza said :

… +1 for Poachers Pantry. But you need to book a few weeks in advance sometimes they get so busy. Winter might be less busy though.

Agreed. By far my favourite, but doubtful you would get a table without booking in advance.

I quite enjoy Milk and Honey for breakfast.

I’ve always found Edgars at Ainslie to be excellent for breakfast.

Cafe food in Canberra is rarely any good, especially not when compared to Sydney or Melb.

gentoopenguin said :

How about offering your friend a big warm cup of shut the f*** up? Even food critics needs to switch off their day jobs at some point.

Alternatively, the EU Cafe in Griffith does a nice breakfast menu and isn’t usually too packed out the back.

EU Cafe doesn’t exist any more, but it was good.

Gus’ is O.K. but nothing to write home about.

Pizzazz in Kingston do a very good eggs benedict (as good as the best I’ve had in Sydney) but everything else they do is average.

My favorite right now is the cafe at the Yarralulmla nursery purely for the nice atmosphere when sitting outside.

The golden arches??? May not taste that great, especially after the event…but dependable all the same…

Hyatt breakfast. If he’s that fussy he can part with $60 for his brekky.

Genie said :

I’ve always been a fan of breaky at Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek… but that could be more for the thickshakes than the food..

I had an omelet there that was the size of my car windscreen. But it wasn’t that nice.
+1 for Poachers Pantry. But you need to book a few weeks in advance sometimes they get so busy. Winter might be less busy though.

I had a fantastic Eggs Benny last week at Black Pepper in Belconnen.. the best I’ve had in a long time.

I’ve always been a fan of breaky at Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek… but that could be more for the thickshakes than the food..

gentoopenguin2:25 pm 02 Jul 11

How about offering your friend a big warm cup of shut the f*** up? Even food critics needs to switch off their day jobs at some point.

Alternatively, the EU Cafe in Griffith does a nice breakfast menu and isn’t usually too packed out the back.

Idelic in Kingston, just down the block from Silo, has always seemed pretty tasty and good value to us. (And you don’t have to queue to get in.) We go every fortnight or so. They have home made baked beans and their coffee and tea is proably as good as it gets in Canberra. Argh, it’s closed on Sundays though. How about Chicken Gourmet around the corner? 🙂

I quite like Ona on the lawns at Manuka. They have been a little hit and miss at times, but not so bad with the misses that I don’t keep going back.

justsomeaussie12:50 pm 02 Jul 11

No question. It’s “Grazing” at Gundaroo.
The drive isnt very far but it’s the best food this side of Sydney.

P.s I’m not affiliated

You could always do the Hyatt for their buffett? Then he can choose what he wants and can only blame himself for the bad choices. If not, Cream, Gus’, Poachers Pantry out near Murrumbateman, The London Beer and Burgers do a great breaky burger. Theres a joint in Manuka that is always busy, Urban Pantry maybe?

I don’t want to start a new thread for the sake of a question, but where can you buy fresh eggs in Canberra, besides the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning? Thanks.

I live in Macgregor12:29 pm 02 Jul 11

The “recovery breaky” at Debacle is pretty good.

and I trhink the staff are friendly and have a good sense of humour.

Ricardo’s Cafe at Jamison – don’t let the location put you off though. They have been nominated the ACT and Southern NSW Best Breakfast Cafe. Their food is just superb, you will not be disappointed. http://ricardoscafe.com/

The classic choice for breakfast in Canberra though would have to be Gus’ Cafe in the City. I’ve never had a bad meal at that place. http://www.guscafe.com.au/

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