30 July 2010

Breakfast in Canberra?

| sunshine
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Does anyone have any suggestions on the best cafes/restaurants to go to in Canberra that serve breakfast?

I took the family to Silo in Kingston the other week and whilst the food was ok, it was very noisy not to mention expensive! $50 for eggs on toast and coffee for two.

I could have bought the whole chicken for that i’m sure.

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the cupping room’s spanish mess is my favorite with fresh ingredients.

el said :

el said :

Mothy said :

But how can you be in Canberra and not suggest Gus’s?

Because the service is generally appalling?

Mothy said :

Go the Spanish Omlette, sit outside under the heaters, and watch the world pass by

…for at least an hour until your food arrives.

Service is appalling everywhere, and if time is that much of a concern to you, you gotta question who you’re dining with ;-p

I just got a couple of take away food containers from Gus’ with toasted bread in one and bacon and eggs in the other after having ordered and paid for a bacon and egg sandwich. The bread was crappy Tip Top white bread and the aioli was flavourless. I was told when they brought it out that they could only make “as per menu”. I’m never going back. Ashame as their coffee is quite good.

“Far From The Madding Crowd” in Corinna St Woden is simply awesome.
My personally favourite there is a bacon and egg sandwich on pumpkin bread with Aioli. There aioli has seeded mustard which makes it extra fantasmagorical.
There breads are fresh tasty loaves baked that morning and if there’s no pumpkin try the Spinach and Parmesan cheese bread 😮

I just made the same order (normal bread though) at Gus’ in Garema Arcade Civic. I made the order as a sandwich and it came with the egg and bacon in a takeaway food container as well as second container with toasted cut bread. They said they can only do it “as per menu”. Retards!!! They went to more effort given I asked for a fresh “sandwich”. Obviously McDonalds still has the edge over some cafes. At least they will do custom orders. So as I’m scooping my egg out of a plastic container I’m considering where else to go. I’ll never go back to Gus’ for anything.

+1 for A BITE TO EAT in Chifley. I have been there about 50 times and all I can suggest is that you take the menu to your table and consider it carefully before you order. There are lots of very good breakfast options from $3 date bread to +$20 big breakfast (sometimes called The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – it has everything). The coffee is fantastic and consequently there’s a line-up. Sometimes the staff have had enough of mothers’ groups and middle-class lard-arses (see the Mouse comics on the noticeboard) and sometimes they are just great. I guess you are just going to have to try it for yourself.

I also recommend the ITALIAN CONTINENTAL BAKERY in Mawson Place, Mawson (next to the petrol station). The food is spectacular, be it either savoury (such as eggs benedict) or sweet (eg cannoli), so expect a queue (though the staff work fast). Unfortunately, the coffee is not so great.

-1 for Bite to Eat Chifley.Some of my friends rave about it. I’m not so keen. Try this on. Line up for Coffee, no Table service, lining up to place your meal, expensive Big Breakfast (Over $20 last time I was there) and then getting slugged 10% surcharge for going there on a weekend.
I also had a friend who advised me that they were there on a Friday night, quite a few of them and were drinking not causing trouble, spending a lot of money and then got moved on at about 9.00pm. I mean really. Pull your head in Bite to eat.

Try Hansel and Gretel in Belconnen/Phillip.

We go to the one in Belconnen every friday for breakfast and they are fatastic. The coffee is great, the service is great, the people are nice and friendly (owner/operators and not kids fumbling around not knowing what to do) and the food is always good too. And you get a decent deal, Coffee and a Ham & Cheese Croissant for $8.00 and a Coffe and an egg and Bacon Roll for $8.50. They also do a variety of other awesome breakfasts as well. Have had there eggs benedict with Avocado (yummy and huge for the money you pay) and same with the Big breakfast.

Holden Caulfield5:35 pm 02 Aug 10

Mothy said :

…Continually bemused by people’s recommendations of Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek…

+1

To be fair, I was scared off by my first experience which was quite a few years ago now. But I was speaking to some friends on the weekend who have been in recent times and, like me, they don’t have too many positive things to say about the place.

georgesgenitals3:56 pm 02 Aug 10

Brekky at the RUC. Bacon and eggs for 9 bucks, can’t go wrong.

It’s strange – although brekky out is OK, I really miss my weetbix or oats if I go out.

el said :

Mothy said :

But how can you be in Canberra and not suggest Gus’s?

Because the service is generally appalling?

Mothy said :

Go the Spanish Omlette, sit outside under the heaters, and watch the world pass by

…for at least an hour until your food arrives.

Service is appalling everywhere, and if time is that much of a concern to you, you gotta question who you’re dining with ;-p

Mothy said :

But how can you be in Canberra and not suggest Gus’s?

Because the service is generally appalling?

Mothy said :

Go the Spanish Omlette, sit outside under the heaters, and watch the world pass by

…for at least an hour until your food arrives.

Cafe in National Botanical Gardens – also called Hudsons ?!
Great spot, best when the weather warms up though

Grumpyoldman7:21 pm 30 Jul 10

I have coffee and breakfast most days at the Down Town Milk Bar at Manuka. Toasted sandwich or a bacon and egg roll with a mug of excellent coffee for under $10. You can have a full breakfast for about $12 and old fashioned hamburgers and steak sandwiches. It is value for money in quality and quantity. The same people have been running it for about 30 or more years.

John the Grump

prhhcd said

‘The black peppercorn in Belco is fantastic and always very busy. Great coffee, awesome food. So thats where we go now’

Black Pepper is over rated.

Went there a few weeks back and ordered their champagne breakfast, which comes with Eggs Benedict and a crepe, with of course a glass of champagne.

Eggs Benedict came out quickly with the champagne, however then had to wait well over an hour the crepe served, despite approaching staff three to hour times to ask what the hold up was.

Cafe Injoy, Edgars, Cream and Tilleys, are all a much better experience….

Rawhide Kid No 25:36 pm 30 Jul 10

Jim Jones said :

Sometimes humans like to leave their houses and interact with other humans – strange but true.

Ah.. I get it now. I was thinking along the lines of family. By all means go and mix with the masses. Sorry I don’t have a breakfast suggestion for Sunshine.

Dobinsons and a couple of places in Dickson shops whose names escape me. Hudsons is one of them?

Hudsons in Dickson used to be a favorite of my wife and I, despite this previous RA review. Then again, we were usually rocking up for a breakfast late enough in the morning when you can rationalize a chicken burger and chips and call it an early lunch. Damn, I want that now.

+1 for Black Pepper in Belconnen.

Continually bemused by people’s recommendations of Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek. When out for breakfast, I want my toast THICK dammit. Injoy has struck me each time not as “cafe” food but as “home cooked breakfast served out”. Not my bag.

But how can you be in Canberra and not suggest Gus’s? Go the Spanish Omlette, sit outside under the heaters, and watch the world pass by 🙂

And if splashing out on the Hyatt Buffet – Go early. That place fills up FAST.

Dobinsons, Bunda St Civic. Cheap and tasty. Although I was never keen on Eggs Benedict on a croissant. Just a bit much.

Clown Killer3:41 pm 30 Jul 10

… rude uninterested staff …

This is Canberra. It’s a fairly homogenous market.

thanks holden, navigation was never a strong suit…

and mark, haven’t been for a while – new bub does that to your social life – but last i went was delicious, and much better than carlo’s had on offer… the size of the establishment didn’t worry me – or did you mean serving size? i thought it quite adequate; perhaps they’ve shrunk their helpings… btw, welcome to the riot.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:19 pm 30 Jul 10

I understand there’s a cafe in Fyshwick which will do you a nice bowl of pasta between 9 and 11am to go with your coffee.

My wife and I had a nice eggs benedict each at the cafe accross the road from injoy a couple of weeks ago, not bad prices, I think it was called Federation Cafe (maybe).

mark karlson2:40 pm 30 Jul 10

Astrojax, Satis are you serious? I’m vego and I avoid the place, way too small, rude uninterested staff, cold food, tasteless food…
Vote 1 black pepper.

Yeah, to bd84 and Rawhide kid, did the OP say, Hey can you suggest something totally useless that does not contribute to this post at all? I didn’t read that anywhere in the post… I dunno maybe I missed it, this is a thread about eating out, not cooking your own breakfast.

I’m a big fan of the usual’s Cream and Gus’ while normally fairly busy they have a good selection of food. Poachers Pantry out in NSW normally has a good feed, it is a brunch menu instead of breakfast, but still very enjoyable. (it’s only a 10 min drive north of Hall).

Edgars is awesome. Eggs benedict and beer.

Rawhide Kid No 2 said :

What ever happened to the good old making your own breakfast at home. You can make anything you want and know whats in it and its a lot cheaper too.

Sometimes humans like to leave their houses and interact with other humans – strange but true.

Hells_Bells742:26 pm 30 Jul 10

I couldn’t agree more prhhcd, I had a short comment ready to go earlier about my recent opinions of Cafe Injoy, but I decided to delete it given my friends are I were so fond of it for a long time.
But I won’t be going back for anything other than a cuppa and cake (if I have to meet someone or something).

The little cafe in the Jamison centre does a great breakfast, not a big place though.

Rawhide Kid No 22:19 pm 30 Jul 10

What ever happened to the good old making your own breakfast at home. You can make anything you want and know whats in it and its a lot cheaper too.

Woolworths, they sell cereal, milk, sugar, coffee, bread, sausages, eggs, bacon etc. A lot cheaper.

I think Cafe Injoy has gone down the hill this year … something fierce! Rude waiters, poorly cooked food (had an undercooked chicken breast where they assured me that a bit of raw meat in the middle is the way it should be cooked – thinking of beef me thinks!), louder than usual etc. Used to be a regular. Definately not going back. Oh, and cold coffee.
[End rant]
The black peppercorn in Belco is fantastic and always very busy. Great coffee, awesome food. So thats where we go now.

Otherwise – the HYATT is an fantastic experience. Expensive though but worth it in my opinion.

Cafe Injoy at Nicholls

Fiona said :

A bite to eat is okay for the food, if you can deal with arrogant service.

I agree with the arrogant service, but the only time we went there the food was really average, hence why we never went back. I suppose there’s good and bad stories about everywhere…

My votes go to Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek and and Black Pepper in Belcompton 🙂

Pizzaz in Kingston is pretty good, although very busy and you can’t book. I prefer brunch there…fantastic ricotta fritters and calamari salad. Also if you live in Belconnen Ha Ha Bar on the lake is nice also.

Ellacure in Bruce! A little more expensive than other places, but given the quality of food and service, it’s worth it.

As well as the usual stuff, they also do home-made hashbrowns, haloumi, chorizo, etc. Nothing like having a ‘big breakfast’ that includes something a little different.

Holden Caulfield11:19 am 30 Jul 10

astrojax said :

central cafe, qbyn…

satis, in downer shops, does a great breakfast.

If you can’t find Satis at Downer, try Watson Shops. 😉

A bite to eat is okay for the food, if you can deal with arrogant service.

Holden Caulfield10:54 am 30 Jul 10

+1 for A Bite to Eat.

Also try…
Beess & Co, Yarralumla Shops.
Pod Food, Pialligo Plant Farm.
Urban Pantry, Manuka.

Silo generally rates pretty highly, though, so you might be out of luck, haha.

central cafe, qbyn…

satis, in downer shops, does a great breakfast. tossolinis used to, haven’t been there for a while.

Woody Mann-Caruso10:41 am 30 Jul 10

A Bite to Eat in Chifley. Link to breakfast menu.

The Palette Cafe at the Beaver Galleries in Deakin (scroll down).

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