One thing I’ve discovered this time is the Australian breakfast cult. I can’t remember when I lived here before (I left in 1975) that people went out for breakfast. I only remember morning and afternoon tea.The day of the Big Family Reunion was also my sister-in-law’s birthday so my brother thought breakfast would be a good idea. I looked up the Internet and found the Goldfish Bowl in Armidale which seemed to have a lot of good comments. Despite its popularity, we managed to seat 10 people.
Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce and pancakes seemed to be the most popular choices at our table. The coffee and cappuccino were good and they even gave us plates for the birthday cake my brother had brought along, something totally unheard of in France. Another time in a café, a woman came in and said she had “a gluten issue” and asked if they could make toasted sandwiches with the bread she had brought with her. Not only did they do so, but they charged less!
The decor was very unusual at the Goldfish Bowl, with upturned packing cases providing extra seating. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and the service and food were good. A great way to start the day and celebrate a birthday. I also loved the sign they put outside when it’s closed.
But our best experience so far is GGs at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. The day my brother and family left to go back to Sydney after spending three lovely days with us, Leonardo suggested we join him there after his workout. They had an even better choice of dishes including a “veggie” breakfast with poached eggs, spinach, feta cheese, avocado, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms and toast which we both took.
Relationnel chose the traditional Big Brekkie (Australians love to shorten words), with poached eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, vegetable fritter and mushrooms. He also had the best coffee he’s had yet in Australia. I had a good cappuccino too. Australians will go a long way to get a good coffee. It’s something of a cult here and many people will stop off on their way to work to get a take-away coffee. That’s also something that has happened in recent time.
The Goldfish Bowl, 3/160 Rusden Street Armidale NSW 2350, Australia (02) 6771 5533
GGs Café, 48 Musgrave Street, Kirra, Queensland 4225, Australia
It’s true that Australians love to go for breakfast these days. My son loves to take us to some of the more interesting breakfast cafes when we visit Brisbane. There are a range of these in Brisbane’s West End. Some are better than others of course – I tend to avoid those that have a long queue snaking down the footpath. Maybe they’re great but I’ll never know!
Ah, you shall have to tell me some as we’re spending a few days in Brisbane very shortly. Black Cat is in Townsville at the moment and would like to catch up with you. She’s going over to Casita.
It was lovely to hear from Black Cat – we’ll be catching up in the next day or so.
Breakfast in Brisbane’s West End – at the risk go being stuck with a theme: try the Gun Shop Cafe (www.thegunshopcafe.com) and if the crowd is too much wander Boundary Street to Lock n Load (www.locknloadbistro.com.au) the latter one only does breakfasts on weekends though. In between you should come across a few different places. Hope you are both enjoying Australia – please say g’day to JM for me.
I haven’t realised how well you’ve been documenting the trip. The photos of Tas are fantastic.
Thanks Redfern
Aussies love to shorten words!! What about the French!! :)) I’m off to the resto in the agglo, where the prices are eco, the produce bio and the building ecolo, although I think traffic will be disrupted by a manif today. And not being given plates and cutlery for a byo birthday cake must be a Paris thing. Here I have had clients buy stuff in the market and the restaurant will cook it for them — even on a Sunday lunchtime, with no pre-arrangement. I am sure you could bring a cake and they would happily offer plates etc for everyone. I’m actually more surprised it happens in Australia, where I would have thought Health Regs and possibly restaurant food service licencing laws prevented them serving food not prepped on the premises, as well as any issues they may have about profit margins. It probably technically does in both places, but some restaurants are more willing to ignore such petty considerations.
Yes it’s true they shorten words in French but I still find it more so in Australia on a more general level. I think Paris is very different from the rest of France with regards to service. Certainly our experience in Blois so far has proved that to be true. It’ very refreshing I must say.
It’ s true that it is so ingrained in Australians that even when ‘shortening’ the word results in something that is actually longer and more difficult to say they will go for it. The word ‘firies’ for ‘firemen’ has appeared since we left, for instance, and is in such wide use that even the newspapers use it.
I remember GG’s when it was a cafe and gift shop..just lovely..drove past it the other day..always a good crowd there and by the look of the photos..I can see why!. Yum!
Leonardo found it quite by accident. Le hasard fait bien des choses parfois.
The Gunshop Cafe in West End was always very popular with my daughters and nieces. I enjoyed the one time I managed to get there with one daughter’s to-be-in-laws visiting from Scotland.
http://thegunshopcafe.com/
Thanks Jane’s cousin. Are we talking about Brisbane or Townsville?
Brisbane – I should have checked through all the responses before I posted!
Just goes to show that great minds think alike!
Yes, Brisbane. I forgot for a moment we have West End in Townsville too but Jane, back home now, had mentioned that you were not getting up to Townsville this trip.
wait – does that mean that relationnel had not liked coffee in Australia so much or just that it was the best one so far??
Relationnel says that it’s the best long black he’s had but that he’s had other very good espressos.