Highgate Lane

While most of the action in Kingston seems to be on the Foreshore, the local shops shouldn’t be forgotten as a place with great breakfast options. A group of us went to Highgate Lane for a weekday breakfast and on arrival it became clear that they’re in business with Bittersweet Kingston, sharing seating and staff. There is a small breakfast menu just for Highgate customers, along with the full Bittersweet breakfast menu. We opted for the Highgate menu, which consists entirely of ‘breakfast rolls’, and I was lured in by the promise of eggs, bacon, relish and… hash browns, on a roll! When the food came out it didn’t disappoint – the roll was more like a burger bun, soft but not too thick. The eggs and bacon were still hot and the relish added some real kick. But the best part was the hash browns – soft inside and crispy outside, they really made the roll something special. The cafe has a modern vibe, with solid wooden tables and  exposed walls – bring a jacket though, with the laneway and centre doors open it can get chilly in cooler months.

Highgate Lane, Cussack Centre, Green Square Kingston ACT, no website

Lonsdale Street Roasters

I have been a Canberran for a few years now, and until recently I had to admit that I’d never been to Lonsdale Street Roasters. Shock, horror. To rectify this, I met my Braddon-residing friends in the upstairs seating area of the original LSR (#7 Lonsdale St, not to be confused with #23 down the road) for breakfast. The space is surprisingly big and decorated with homely quirks – a TV set, a tricycle and big stripes of fluro pink paint. The breakfast menu is simple but has a good mix – I chose the eggs benedict, and both of my friends picked the ricotta hotcakes. I’ve said before that eggs benny is my test dish for a new place, and LSR’s interpretation passed with flying colours. Served on a savoury dill scone and topped with Pialligo bacon, the real highlight of this meal was the dollop? pile? of bacon jam on the side. I promise you, it’s not weird, it’s freaking delicious! The eggs were perfectly poached and whilst the scone base was a bit heavy, the dill cut through the creamy hollandaise.  From all accounts the hotcakes were a good bite too. As a real Canberran now, I expect to be back soon!

Lonsdale Street Roasters, 7 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT                 http://lonsdalestreetroasters.com/

Candy Cafe

I like cafes that have some kind of theme going or some definitive character to them. Candy Cafe is one such place. The first thing that strikes you is the decor – chandeliers, plastic hedges and a huge mural of fairytale stories on the long wall. Kitsch, but in a way that works. Looking at the breakfast/brunch menu, I was drawn to ‘the Usual’, which includes poached eggs. fried mushrooms, roasted tomatos, bacon and… black pudding! Order decided. I also had a ‘Citrus Sunshine’ juice of orange, pineapple and lime, which delivered on its name, both in terms of citrus deliciousness and sunshine in helping me to wake up!  Brunch came out in good time, and when I cut into the eggs they were perfectly poached, the yolk running onto the muffin and softening it up. The greens were a bonus not mentioned on the menu, but a nice addition to cut through the richness of the bacon and black pudding. The tomatos kept their shape when cut and the mushrooms were full of earthy flavour. Every mouthful was delicious, and in such beautiful surrounds, who could resist?

Candy Cafe, 70 Grafton Street, Cairns QLD, no website

A. Baker

I do love a good weekday breakfast, and that is exactly what A. Baker in the New Acton Pavilion offers. The menu appears fairly traditional, but has a sophistication that is evident in the presentation and flavours. We sat along the charred wall, which has been retained from the fire that ripped through the building in 2011, and whilst I’ve heard mixed things about the service, our experience was that the staff were prompt and friendly. I started with a fresh apple juice – made with granny smiths it came out in a good sized glass and with just the right amount of froth. For breakfast two of us chose the poached eggs, which were beautifully presented – I added avocado and it went with the artisan bread and warmed butter perfectly. Let me just emphasise, the bread was heavenly. One of the two eggs was perfectly poached, the other had just gone a touch too far and was partially solid, but the whipped fetta and dukkah really made the dish, both being served in just the right proportions. This is a classy breakfast that I will be coming back for.

A.Baker, Unit 2, 15 Edinburgh Avenue, New Acton ACT       http://www.abaker.com.au/

Honeycomb

Honeycomb is the kind of place I wish was my local cafe. Set on a corner at a roundabout in Darlinghurst, it’s a great people-watching spot with fresh, modern decor with a yellow theme. This is carried through their chairs and table flowers with an elegant simplicity. Needless to say I was pretty excited to try the food. On weekends, Honeycomb does all day breakfast, so when we arrived for lunch at 12:30, I could still order poached eggs – it’s great to eat somewhere that caters to what you feel like eating. The eggs were perfectly poached, and the avocado with za’atar was a fantastic mix of textures. Unfortunately the bread was very crusty and hard to cut, but the egg softened it a little. After brunch, we ordered a plate of doughnuts with dulce du leche, which were little bites of happiness – the doughnuts were small spheres dusted in plenty of cinnamon sugar, which were truly decadent with the addition of the sweet dulce de leche. The only downside of the whole experience was that you had to leer awkwardly across the tables sitting in front of the specials menu blackboard wall to see the options. Apart from that, another #cometocanberra campaign needed.

Honeycomb, 354 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, Sydney NSW http://www.honeycombrestaurant.com.au/

ETC

If there was one place that can claim to have started my love of breakfast, it is this one. ETC (East Terrace Continental, for non-Adelaideans) is one of the first places I went to for breakfast back in 2008, when a friend of mine and I started going on ‘breakfast adventures’ in the city. Since then it hasn’t changed a bit – they’re still serving breakfast all day and doing it superbly well. ETC has a cozy feel to it – wooden floors, tables and chairs make it inviting in both summer when the doors are opened and winter when it’s windy outside. They offer both breakfast and lunch, as well as a specials board which often includes the best bits. Whilst their eggs benedict is my usual staple, this time I decided to try their ‘chill bar’, a traditional Turkish breakfast with poached eggs, garlic yoghurt, paprika butter, mushrooms and toast. As always, the eggs were perfectly poached and oozed into the yoghurt/butter bowl. The mushrooms had a little bit of bite to them; the toast had just the right amount of crisp and tasted of sesame (yum). ETC is a go-to for reliably good food and atmosphere, any time of year.

ETC, 6 East Terrace, Adelaide SA                                              http://etccafe.com.au/

Blackfire

I have been eating in Braddon a lot lately. I think I’m close to trying them all (this has become a Pokemon-like quest). Today’s adventure was Blackfire, a brunch catch up with good friends. I slept in and didn’t have a pre-brunch snack, so was pretty hungry when I arrived. How to address this? Order the big breakfast, of course. It’s called the ‘Blackfire morning’, and comes with grilled mushrooms, avocado, asparagus, eggs your way, ciabatta, black pudding, rosemary potatoes and bacon. Again for me, having bread that was crispy but not hard to cut was a huge winning factor of this breakfast, and I was excited to have black pudding served on a breakfast plate. The mushrooms and potatoes were excellent, and the only thing that stopped me from finishing the plate was the fact that I was completely full (I got very close to finishing though). The staff were very friendly taking our orders and we sat comfortably for a good half hour after eating without feeling pressured to leave. The decor is upmarket, with modern wood panelling on the walls and iron chandeliers. After this, I’ll be adding it to the dinner ‘to eat’ list.

Blackfire, 45/38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT http://www.blackfirerestaurant.com.au