After a pretty good experience with the new 79&Fine in Civic recently I was keen to try out more of the new eateries Canberra has on offer. Is it just me or does a new place to eat pop up every weekend?
I’d heard about a new gastropub in Campbell that wasn’t at the Campbell shops so it immediately had my interest. Where else in Campbell could you plonk a cafe?
The Pedlar is on Constitution Avenue, about halfway between Anzac Parade and the Russell offices. It’s underneath an apartment building which I thought was kind of random but as more apartments are built in that area I’m sure more cafes will pop up.
We arrived about 8.30am and the first thing I noticed is that there’s not a lot of places to park. There is some street parking and we nabbed the last spot. There may be more parking available in the future once all the nearby construction is finished but for now it’s worth arriving a bit early to nab a spot.
The interior of The Pedlar is lovely. Wooden floors and tables, turquoise booths, and luscious overflowing planters on the wall.
There was hardly anyone in there so we nabbed a nice corner table straight away. One thing I did notice though was that while it was quiet at 8.30am nearly every single table had a little booking slip on it for around 10.00am-10.30am – so if you want to go at that time it’s probably best to book in advance.
Pondering the menu I was drawn to the chocolate and coconut milkshake immediately. I am not a drinks person, I don’t drink tea or coffee and 98% of the time I just have water with my meal. But you bet I ordered that chocolate and coconut milkshake and hot damn, it was amazing. It had shaved chocolate and shredded coconut on top with the right balance of chocolate and coconut – the flavour was deep but not too rich. It was divine. My dining companions ordered a cappuccino and an orange juice – both were good.
For our meals I ordered the shakshuka baked eggs (middle eastern baked eggs with tomato sugo, roasted peppers and chilli), dining companion 1 ordered the poached eggs with a side of bacon, dining companion 2 ordered the poached eggs with a side of avocado.
I often don’t have amazing experiences at cafes and sometimes I wonder why I even go out for breakfast but I am so excited to say that the shakshuka baked eggs I had at The Pedlar is probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had in a cafe. Seriously. It was delicious. Runny baked eggs, a spicy (but not hot and overpowering) tomato sugo, with a side of sourdough that I didn’t need a chainsaw to cut into. Perfect.
The poached eggs my companions ordered were great. I forgot to ask a waiter if the eggs were free range, but given their size and the rich orange colour of the yolk I’m pretty confident that they were. The Pedlar use Pialligo bacon which is great because they’re supporting local produce and also because Pialligo bacon is delicious.
I was extremely happy with our experience at The Pedlar – I wish I lived in the apartments upstairs so I could make it my regular. Being a gastropub, they also do lunch and dinner … definitely on my list to try!
Where: 65 Constitution Avenue, Campbell
When: 7.00am-11.00pm (Mon-Sun)
Phone: 0477 533 488
Website: http://thepedlar.com.au/
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