brunch Archives - Adventure, baby!

brunch

5th Earl Rosebery: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Sydney

November 29, 2015 / Inner West, Roseberry, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Rosebery in Sydney’s inner east has been exploding lately with new cafes. The latest I’ve noticed is 5th Earl Rosebery, a cute little place that opened a week ago near to my favourite Black Star.

When I saw the sign encouraging cake eating, I knew we had to try it out.

The cafe has a large indoor and outdoor area with plenty of tables and space. It has a bit of an eclectic vibe, with miss matched chairs and chalkboard menus.

At the counter lives a delicious looking assortment of pastries, including croissants by Grumpy’s.

We arrived during a particularly busy period and were delighted by the particularly good service. I’m pretty sure it was the owner who greeted us and cleared a table for us pronto, on the outdoor baloney area (always my fave place to sit cos the lighting is better!). The balcony is completely covered, so no chance of sunburn in high summer.

We ordered a fresh Apple Juice ($6), kids’ Bacon And Eggs (with bread soldiers, $9), Zucchini and Corn Fritters (with asparagus, shaved Spanish ham – exchanged for avocado – roasted tomatoes, 2 poached eggs and pomegranate molasses, $17) and the Burger (with fries, price unknown).

The eggs were a large serving and come in a choice of fried, poached or scrambled. We don’t eat bacon, so that’s not in the picture.

I appreciated the option to swap the ham for a vegetarian ingredient. I really enjoyed the fritters. The asparagus was a nice touch (love asparagus!), the roasted tomato was nice and juicy and the eggs perfectly poached.

Alec’s burger was a great size with a cute little container of fries. The apple juice was deliciously sweet. Really once of the nicest juices I’ve had in a long time.

The service was particularly noteworthy. After sitting down next to a large group, we were told that it would take 20-25 minutes for our meals and did we still want to wait. I really appreciated being told, particularly with the little one who has a short attention span.

The staff kindly put through Cheese’s dish quickly and ours followed soon after. Despite the warning of a long wait, the food all came out within 15 minutes of ordering. The staff repeatedly came and checked on us and our meals too, in case we needed anything. It’s service like this that turns curious diners into regulars.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

5th Earl Rosebery
34 Morley Ave,
Rosebery
Phone: (02) 8338 1110
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 6:30am-3:30pm
Get Directions

Brewtown Newtown: The Best Sydney Inner West Cafes

April 8, 2015 / Inner West, Newtown, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Newtown has long been a place where Sydney’s hip hangs out, but it’s really only been in the past few years that the area has seen an arrival of trendy eateries popping up. Newtown Brewtown is the epitome of the revival that’s happening in Newtown right now. It’s deliberately grungy-looking on the surface, but is actually a bit of an upscale eatery with a creative menu, and infamous Bronuts (Brewtown x cronuts).

We ordered freshly squeezed orange juice ($5) and a babyccino when we arrived to stem the hunger we’d worked up from biking over to the cafe. Note: Parking in Newtown is impossible. Where possible, get public transport.

Cheese had a pumpkin bread that was out of this world. Lots of crunchy seeds, a bit slab of some kind of maple butter. So more-ish.

Alec had the Wood Smoked Salmon (with curried Israeli couscous, poached egg, coriander, lime, $16.5). His report was that it was amazing, and unlike anything he’d ever been served for breakfast before.

My dish was the Poached Eggs on toast (with house relish, $10), and a side of avocado. The eggs were perfect, the avocado creamy and generous.

I love iced tea like nothing else, and was delighted to find Brewtown offered specially brewed iced teas. Today’s was Egyptian Rose ($6). So. So. Good.

The tables and interior in general is super tiny. No room for strollers or bulky bags, or for toys for kids to play with. We brought an activity book for Cheese and abandoned it for an iPhone when our food arrived and we needed the space.

A trip to Brewtown isn’t complete without a bronut. How beautiful do they look? We took one for the road because were were too full to eat it there.

Just a short walk away from Brewtown is Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, which has a large playground. Tables on weekends will incur a wait (ours was 30 minutes) due to how popular the cafe has become. My advice: put your name down and head down to the park for a short walk and play.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Brewtown Newtown
6-8 O’Connell Street,
Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 2920
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 8am-4pm
Get directions.

Vaucluse House: Sydney’s Best High Teas

February 18, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Food, Vaucluse / 14 Comments

Sydney is full of gorgeous historic places, such as Vaucluse House and Vaucluse House Tearooms. Tucked away in the suburb of Vaucluse, this little oasis of quiet is a gorgeous spot for an outing to escape the hustle and bustle of the city around it.

The Vaucluse House Tearooms overlooks the beautiful and sprawling Vaucluse House gardens, and is the location we chose recently to celebrate my dad’s birthday.

Vaucluse House is surrounded by 10 hectares of stunning gardens stretching down to Sydney Harbour. The sandstone mansion was built in the 1830s and was the home of William Charles Wentworth and his family. The Tearooms were added later in the 1930s in art deco style.

Reservations are for parties over six, or for the high tea menu only. Otherwise, be prepared to wait for a table.

My parents and Cheese ordered off the a la carte menu. Their dishes: Cheese Burger (beetroot, tomato, pickles on brioche with chips, $24), Tearooms Panko Crumbed Market Fish, (with fat chips, $28) Kids’ Cheese & Tomato Toastie ($8). My parents were both very happy with their dishes – fresh ingredients and well cooked.

Alec and I ordered the Colonial High Tea ($49pp including Glass of Australian Sparkling Wine, Selection of Premium Teas from Chamellia & Coffee from The Little Marionette).

Tearooms’ Scones with Berry Jam & Clotted Cream. I actually found the scones to be the only let down of the tea. They were hard and dry – obviously not freshly made to order.

Savoury selection: Cauliflower & Truffle Tart with Samphire & Parmesan Crisp, Smoked Salmon on Brioche with Lemon Crème & Caviar, Chicken & Tarragon Pillows, Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches, and an Heirloom Tomato Tart. We enjoyed the savoury selection, but would have liked to see some more traditional sandwiches here, like egg salad or cucumber.

Sweet selection: Apple Snow, Chocolate & Earl Grey Macarons, Strawberry Éclairs with Vanilla Crème, Brioche Doughnuts with Lemon & Lavender Sugar, Caramelised Pineapple & Orange Curd Custard Tarts. The highlight was the donuts. They were really delicious.

For dessert, both of my parents ordered the Vanilla Sponge (with buttermilk curd, strawberries & mint with garden chard, $14), which they both said was really lovely.

After lunch we took a stroll around the gardens. We checked out the vegetable garden and farm animals at the back of the property, as well as the stables (which are all free to visit). The produce from the gardens is featured on the Tearoom’s menu, so you can literally see your lunch growing before you.

The farm animals are a huge hit with kids visiting the property. They’re housed in huge enclosures and live a pretty pleasant life, from what we could see. The gardens and Vaucluse House are alone a reason to visit.

We didn’t enter Vaucluse House, but we enjoyed walking around the gardens immensely. The whole property is so peaceful and quiet that it’s hard to remember that not far away is the bustle of Sydney traffic.

We really enjoyed our experience at Vaucluse House, and will be back once more when we need to take a time out from Sydney and visit the calmer days of yesteryear.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Vaucluse House Tea Room
Wentworth Road,
Vaucluse NSW 2030
Phone: (02) 9388 8188
Prices: $$$
Hours: Wed–Fri 10am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 8am–4.30pm
Get Directions
Bookings essential for high tea.

Queens Park Shed: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Randwick, Sydney

January 21, 2015 / Randwick, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

One of our recent cycling adventures brought us to the Queens Park Shed cafe. Originally a women’s change shed, it eventually became a disused sports storage shed, until Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust engaged Trippas White Group to turn it into a community space and cafe. The Shed is a popular cafe with families in particular, due to its location next to a large playground.

The inside is spacious and filled with large benches or cosy nooks. There is also seating outside, perfect for parking strollers.

The Shed offers little diners cute print outs such as this Ariel page, and crayons, as well as babyccinos served at the perfect temperature (and with a marshmallow, of course).

Alec and I both chose the Avocado Toast (avocado toast, free range poached eggs,
vine ripened tomato, goat’s cheese, $17). While we were impressed with the fast service, the meal itself was on the average side, due to a lack of seasoning. The cafe’s location was so great however, that we will be back to try it again and hopefully get a better dish.

The Shed runs a few programs for kids, such as Kids Eat Free on Thursdays from 5pm, and the Kids Power Hour, Monday – Friday 2:30-4pm, for a filling after school snack.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Queens Park Shed
31 Darley Rd,
Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: (02) 9380 9350
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions

Brass Monkey: Kid-friendly Restaurants, Meatpacking District, New York

January 21, 2015 / Manhattan Munchies, Meatpacking / 0 comment

On a dreary but not-too-cold day, we made our way to Brass Monkey in the Meatpacking District to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. We walked past packed brunch spots like Pastis, and I was concerned that we were going to have to fight for a table.

I don’t know if it was the sad weather that put people off, but Brass Monkey was practically empty when we arrived. We were able to grab a table on the rooftop deck big enough to fit the 14 members of the party, and spread out with all the space we had.

As the afternoon wore on, the tables slowly filled up, but it was never packed to the point of the famous neighbours downstairs. In fact, when it started to rain, we were able to find empty tables enough to fit our remaining part of eight on both the floors below.

Speaking of floors – there are three. The main floor entrance, with a bar, tables and chairs, the middle floor with a second bar, booths and small tables and chairs, and the rooftop. There’s no lift, so if you’re planning to take kids to the middle level or rooftop, pack light and bring a folding stroller. One thing’s for sure, you’ll burn off at least half of the food you’re about to consume.

Brass Monkey serves upmarket bar food. It has a brunch menu with a twist, including items like the Egg Scramble Wrap (scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and cheddar, served with homefries) and Maine Lobster Roll, served with old bay chips. You can also try the Full Irish Breakfast (two eggs, any style, sausage, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, beans and toast).

On a sunny day the rooftop deck get crowded fast. It has a less pub-like ambiance, with little pot plants embedded in the walls, and a creates an interesting juxtapositioning of old and new, being right next to the Standard Hotel and High Line.

Our food arrived pretty quickly for a party of 14. Everything was well cooked to order, including the meal which was altered to suit a gluten-intolerant diner. My Egg Scramble Wrap was delicious. A big wedge of egg, wrapped in spinach, tomato and cheese. What combination could be better?

We couldn’t find any high chairs, so we balanced Cheese on our laps, then chased her around the deck when she got bored. The sweet potato fries we ordered entertained her for a while, then I resorted to letting her pick the ice out of my empty glass.

The staff were efficient, but not overly friendly. They gave us what we needed, and kept out of our hair. No special concessions were made for kids, but it was a very welcoming environment, and we didn’t feel awkard about having our rowdy toddler with us. Several more toddlers arrived as we were leaving, so we clearly weren’t the only people seeking a quieter option for lunch or brunch on a Saturday.

Last bite: For bar food with a twist – and a great view, grab a table on the rooftop deck, order a drink, and relax in the sun.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes – as long as it’s not super busy, there’s plenty of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes, to main floor.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Brass Monkey
55 Little West 12th St
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 675-6686
Hours: Daily, 12pm-4am
Prices: $
Cuisine: Bar food

Three Williams: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Redfern

November 28, 2014 / Redfern, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Around the food bloggers sphere, there have been rumblings for a while about the new Redfern favourite cafe, Three Williams. We biked over to give it a shot one day and, as we were dismounting and about to chain up our bikes, the hostess comes out and asks us if we’re planning to dine with them today. When we reply that yes, we are, she asks if we’d like to bring our bikes inside so we don’t have to bother with chaining them up. Ummm, yes, please?!

The same lovely hostess shows us to a table that is right by the giant chalkboard and carpeted area very thoughtfully created with parents and little kids in mind. With extremely friendly and helpful staff and plenty of room for strollers (plus a giant ramp to get them down into the dining area), it’s no surprise that this cafe is not just a favourite with foodies, it’s also a hit with local families.

Since leaving the US I’ve been desperate for a good iced tea. Hooray for Three Williams who served up a delicious black iced tea naturally infused with apply and orange ($5).

Our lunch orders came quickly: Eggs on Toast, $11, with smashed avocado, $4, feta, $3, and roast tomato, $3, Corn Fritters, $18, with a poached egg, $3, Chips, $7, Kids’ Apple Juice, $3.50.

I didn’t realise that the avocado would come with raw onion in it, and when I was removing it from my dish, our waitperson noticed, asked immediately if anything was wrong, and then offered to have a fresh one made for me. I declined since the amount of food I ordered was insane, and my husband wanted the avocado with onion, and instead was quickly brought fresh toast.

The food was all delicious. Perfect eggs, creamy feta, crispy chips. I could absolutely see why my Facebook page is full of people raving about their love of Three Williams.

What really made Three Williams stand out for me was the amazing service. I’ve rarely had such an above and beyond experience at a cafe, as well as feeling so welcome with my high energy toddler. I can’t recommend this cafe highly enough. We will be back regularly to our nee neighbourhood favourite.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Not exactly, but a lot of the food is suitable for kids.

Three Williams
613a Elizabeth St,
Redfern NSW 2016
Ph: (02) 9698 1111
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily, 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Nan’s Place; Kid-Friendly Cafes, Zetland

November 18, 2014 / Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food, Zetland / 0 comment

CLOSED ———————–

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I just moved into our new place in the inner Eastern Suburbs, and discovered the (also new to the ‘hood) Nan’s Place in Zetland. This cute little cafe is certain to be our new regular hangout. I really appreciated how sweet the staff were when I arrived one afternoon with a friend, her 3-month-old and my 3-year-old in tow.

We had a lovely window seat, which meant I could sit on the end and stop Miss E from escaping. E really enjoyed looking out the window behind us and waving to the people trying to eat their lunch.

The babyccino was a choice of a tiny takeaway cup or glass.

For our meals, I ordered myself the Nutella Filled French Toast ($7), and E the Vegemite and Two Cheese Toastie ($7.50). My dining companion ordered the Poached Organic Hens Eggs ($10) with Caramlised Fennel and Confit Garlic Hash and House Hot Sauce ($5).

Our food arrived quickly, and was all well-cooked. My French toast was decadently perfect, and E’s Vegemite toastie was absolutely delicious. Lucky for me she only ate half, so I was able to sample some of her meal too.

Nan’s Place has a new menu coming in the next few weeks, and will be opening up an outdoor garden eating area too. We will definitely be back to try the outdoor garden space.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes (outside).
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Nan’s Place
2a Portman St,
Zetland, NSW
Phone: (02) 8084 0731
Hours: Tue-Fri 6:30am-3:30pm, Sat 8am-3pm, Sun 9am-2pm

Bitton: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Alexandria

October 18, 2014 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 0 comment

For a French-Australian inspired brunch, locals in Alexandria head to Bitton – particularly if they have kids. Parisian born owner and chef, David Bitton, serves up a delicious all-day brekkie menu including authentic French Crepes and One-Pan Bacon and Eggs. For a grab-and-go snack, you can try one of their daily-baked muffins, cakes and pastries.

Bitton Cafe is especially popular with parents with a great kids’ menu and a play area in the back terrace section, close to where parents can keep a safe eye and still enjoy a coffee or meal.

We arrived on a busy weekend at prime lunch-hour, but were still given a table quickly, and then moved to the section adjacent to the play room when I discovered it.

We ordered: French Crêpes with Bitton Strawberry and Vanilla Jam ($13), Eggs Cooked Any Way with Wood-fired Sourdough ($12.5), a side of Avocado ($4), Eggs Benedictine with Poached Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Hollandaise Sauce ($18.5), a Babyccino ($1), and Pommes Frîtes ($8).

The food arrived pretty quickly for a busy day. It was all well-cooked, using fresh ingredients. My eggs were perfectly poached, the sourdough tangy with a crusty edge. My only criticism was of the avocado – it was quite under ripe. The French crepes were just like I remembered them to be from my last trip to France – thin, and served with a delicious helping of home-made conserve.

We really enjoyed our lunch at Bitton, and will definitely be back again.

Last bite: French-inspired food in a child-friendly environment. Great for small families or large groups.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Bitton Cafe and Grocer
36-37A Copeland St,
Alexandria
Phone: (02) 9519 5111
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Tues 7am-5pm Wed-Sat 7am-9pm
Get Directions

Essex: Where Brunch Includes 3 Cocktails; LES, New York

September 7, 2014 / Lower East Side, Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 2 Comments

When wanting to book a large table in NYC, your options are limited. For a friend’s birthday with a party of nine, we tried out Essex, a restaurant on the Lower East side with a modern, chic design, lots of natural light and a great value-for-money brunch menu.

The brunch menu is a fixed price, $23.95 for your entree plus three bloody marys, screwdrivers or mimosas. They’re quite liberal with the drinks, particularly mimosas, and several members of our party think they actually ended up with four each. The drinks aren’t super strong, which is good when you’re drinking that many cocktails at noon …

We were seated at our table even though we were waiting on the last two guests. The restaurant quickly filled up — clearly word has gotten around that this is a good brunch bet.

While there wasn’t a kids’ menu, we ordered sides off the menu for Missy E (French Fries and Fresh Fruit) straight away while everyone else decided on their order. Her dishes arrived quickly — two generous servings which we helped her with.

Our party ordered a variety of dishes: Challah French Toast (bananas foster sauce, fresh fruit), Baked Eggs (crisp black forest ham, roasted peppers, shitake mushrooms, Monterey jack), Omelet (spinach, tomato, sheep’s milk cheese with mixed green salad and home fries), Short Rib Hash (two eggs any style, duck fat potatoes), Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Salad (poached egg, baby spinach, pico de gallo).

The meals were all a great portion size, with generous amounts of fresh ingredients. My omelet was delicious, filled with tasty cheese and tomatoes, and slightly spicy home fries. The French toast “tastes better than it looks!”, and the baked eggs xxxx.

Our server wove in and out of diners with a large jug of mimosas, topping up glasses as soon as they were empty.

Last bite: A great brunch spot for large groups, especially those wanting mimosas with their eggs.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes (folding strollers are best).
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Essex
120 Essex St,
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 533 9616
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm Sun 10am-6pm
Get Directions
Reservations

Pancakes On The Rocks: Kid-Friendly Darling Harbour, Sydney

August 25, 2014 / CBD, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

If you are a Sydneysider, you probably grew up with Pancakes On The Rocks. The first Pancakes opened on Hickson Road, at The Rocks in Sydney on 17th August, 1975. The restaurant was inspired by a road trip the founders took around America in the late 1950s. They noticed the popularity of pancakes on American menus and wanted to bring that love of pancakes to Australia. The company has since also focussed on creating a casual dining atmosphere and a menu that has something for everyone on it.

We dropped by specifically for a pancake breakfast on our way to the nearby Powerhouse Museum. Miss E requested pancakes, so pancakes it was!

Upon being seated, our very friendly waitress very quickly delivered E a cup filled with new crayons and a big colouring sheet. Missy E has just started to enjoying colouring in, so this was a big hit.

We also ordered her a babyccino and a coffee for Alec, which he described as “very good”. High praise from the coffee addict.

As you’d expect from a family restaurant, Pancakes features a great kids’ menu, with cute items such as The Butterfly ($6.95): Three mini pancakes with strawberry jam, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, and 100’s & 1000’s. Adorable. Since E usually only picks at food we rarely buy her her own dish. This time however, I found myself regretting not ordering her a kid’s meal, as she ate an entire one of my adult-sized pancakes.

Between the three of us, we ordered a side of scrambled egg ($1.95), sausage ($3), the Strawberry Patch ($13.95; Buttermilk pancakes with fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla ice cream and strawberry coulis) and the Bananarama ($12.95; Buttermilk pancakes with grilled banana and home made butterscotch sauce, topped with cream and vanilla ice cream).

The pancakes are amazing. Perfectly fluffy and light, and covered in fruit plus a drizzle of sauce and dollop of ice cream. I love my pancakes heavy on the fruit, and their fruit distribution was huge, so I was very happy. The egg was potentially microwaved and next time I think I would skip it, but it still tasted ok. The star dishes were, of course, the pancakes, which is the way it should be at a restaurant called Pancakes!

Last bite: A stress-free meal with kids. The pancakes are perfecto!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Pancakes On The Rocks
Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Harbour,
227/229-230 Darling Dr
Sydney NSW
Phone: (02) 9280 3791
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm Sun 10am-6pm
Get Directions