19 April 2016

Weekend Cafe Hot Spot: ONA, Fyshwick

21 March 2015 | Sophia Carlini

Since moving into our new apartment, my partner and I have been spending a lot of time in Fyshwick. I don’t know about you, but I just feel like there isn’t a lot of choice when it comes to food out there. We were close to hangry (angry as a result of being hungry) so Mike, my partner, suggested ONA as we both really like the one in Manuka. Although it seemed busy, parking was very easy. We made our way in and sat down.

Service was slow and the menus took what felt like forever to get to the table. I was having a hard time choosing as the menu items seemed quite heavy; from brioche rolls to polenta chips and chorizo. I ended up choosing the Junee lamb ragu with Persian feta, poached eggs and sourdough ($19.80), which is still a heavy meal but sounded the tastiest. Mike ordered the Roasters brekkie: smashed avocado, tomato, poached eggs and crispy prosciutto ($17.60).

It could have been because we were in a hurry but I felt as though the meals took a long time to come out. My lamb ragu looked amazing, wonderfully presented on a wooden board. Looking over at Mike’s I knew he was going to be disappointed; it was tiny, and the poached eggs were the smallest eggs I had ever seen (I am not even exaggerating). Mike actually asked the waiter to order an additional side of eggs for him. My photograph makes this look way better and bigger than it was.

Admittedly, with a little added salt, the ragu was absolutely delicious. It was very much a Spanish-style dish with black olives scattered throughout and a rich tomato sauce – yum yum!

Prior to breakfast we had ordered a coffee and tea. Again, we were waiting for ages. In fact, my tea had been forgotten and I had to remind the waitress.

A little disappointed with breakfast and the service, we thought we would pick up an old favourite on our way home – a pistachio flavoured cronut. How can you ever be disappointed by a cronut?!

I’ve since been back to ONA Fyshwick for coffee twice, but when it comes to breakfast it isn’t my favourite place in Canberra.

If you’d like to make up your own mind about ONA Fyshwick, you can find them at 68 Wollongong Street.

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sammie923:11 pm 26 Mar 15

I went to Ona yesterday and the service was good, we had a lovely lady serve us, it was her first day but she was still very helpful. They food on the other hand was another story. As someone who has allergies all I ordered was two poached eggs with avocado, grilled tomato (I got one tomato cut in half grilled) and mushrooms with a tea. That’s it. No bread and no meat. I was charged $28.50 for this, $4.50 being for the tea. Now that is simply ridiculous.

Zan2:37 pm 25 Mar 15

On recommendations on RA I tried to go to Two Hands, but the noise level of their terribly loud music I turned around. Too noisy for me and I would not sit on the footpath which the trucks rumbling past spewing fumes.

I can recommend Celestino Café Bar – Pirie St, noise level low, rubberised paint on the floor and high ceilings. Also I am impressed they remember what coffee we have, not that we go often, maybe once a month. Good food too.

I think my tolerance to noise levels are not as high as Alexandra Craig’s tolerance.

Sophia Carlini10:59 am 25 Mar 15

Masquara said :

I noticed a cafe at Dickson that I hadn’t seen before – Good Brothers . I didn’t try it. Sophia is it on your list for a review?

I will have to check it out! Thanks for the tip.

Sophia Carlini10:57 am 25 Mar 15

watto23 said :

Dame Canberra said :

Glenny said :

Ona Coffee – Wollongong St
Two Hands Café – Lyell St
Box Diner Café – Tennant St
Plumb on Tennant – Tennant St
Buzz Café – Maryborough St
Cosmorex – Kembla St
Zierholz Brewery – Kembla St
Celestino Café Bar – Pirie St
Silk Café – Cessnock St
Dream Cuisine – Whyalla St

It’s by no means exhaustive as there are quite a few more than that, but we have eaten at all the above on multiple occasions and there’s a large variety on what’s on offer right there.

Agreed. Fyshwick is seriously home to some of the best coffee and food in Australia – you just have to know where to look. Love Flute, Dream Cuisine and Two Hands. Zierholz is good for a big feed too.

Haven’t been to Plumb on Tennant but I know people who rave about it.

To be fair not all are open weekends or sundays, which is when I suspect the reviewer went. I think ONA is open sundays now, but it never used to be.

Thanks for this list of cafe’s! I don’t spend much time in Fyshwick so you’re right in saying that it’s about knowing where to look. I will have to check these out. I have many more trips to Bunning’s to make!

Sophia Carlini10:56 am 25 Mar 15

rubaiyat said :

Maya123 said :

rubaiyat said :

You added salt to a ragu that already had olives in it?

I had similar amazed thoughts about the added salt too.

Which is why you always have to take anybody else’s advice on where to eat with a “Huge grain of salt!” 😀

I should probably point out that I add salt to everything, it’s purely a personal preference, and my comment about adding salt was not to say that the meal was bad. I really really liked the ragu, I just know that like myself, there are people who add salt to everything.

watto2311:31 am 24 Mar 15

pptvb said :

ONA’s coffee & service are very ordinary.
Best coffee (&service) in Fyshwick are Silk &Cellestinos

ONA coffee is definately better than those two! Service though definately varies around fyshwick. However I’ve noticed some people actually like bitter coffee and thus think its better 🙂

rubaiyat12:52 am 24 Mar 15

Maya123 said :

rubaiyat said :

You added salt to a ragu that already had olives in it?

I had similar amazed thoughts about the added salt too.

Which is why you always have to take anybody else’s advice on where to eat with a “Huge grain of salt!” 😀

pptvb8:39 pm 23 Mar 15

Glenny said :

>>my partner and I have been spending a lot of time in Fyshwick. I don’t know about you, but I just feel like there isn’t a lot of choice when it comes to food out there.

I’m sorry, we’re talking about the same Fyshwick in Canberra, right? Just a quick whiparound of the places we frequently lunch (in no particular order):

Ona Coffee – Wollongong St
Two Hands Café – Lyell St
Box Diner Café – Tennant St
Plumb on Tennant – Tennant St
Buzz Café – Maryborough St
Cosmorex – Kembla St
Zierholz Brewery – Kembla St
Celestino Café Bar – Pirie St
Silk Café – Cessnock St
Dream Cuisine – Whyalla St

It’s by no means exhaustive as there are quite a few more than that, but we have eaten at all the above on multiple occasions and there’s a large variety on what’s on offer right there.

You missed Pellegrinos on Wollongong St. Great brekkie.

ONA’s coffee & service are very ordinary.
Best coffee (&service) in Fyshwick are Silk &Cellestinos

Maya1236:42 pm 23 Mar 15

rubaiyat said :

You added salt to a ragu that already had olives in it?

I had similar amazed thoughts about the added salt too.

rubaiyat5:22 pm 23 Mar 15

Dame Canberra said :

Zierholz

Hmmmm, beer breakfasts!

Do they still do those mini kegs? Haven’t had one since my son used to work for them, but they were good!

One thing we lack in Canberra but is big in Auckland is refillables from the micro breweries.

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