We randomly stumbled upon CREAM Cafe & Bar whilst in Canberra Centre shopping mall. We were after a place where all of us could have a nice relaxed brunch.. preferably outdoors. But because it was the weekend, the place was packed so we could only get an indoor spot. No issue though, as with their high ceilings and huge glass-paned windows, it was so airy and bright it was almost like sitting outdoors anyway.
Their menu made me salivate at the mere sight of it. Oh how I love brunch-y type places! This was exactly my type of cafe. It’s not cheap, but nice brunch cafes are roughly around that price, and I’ve heard stuff tends to be pretty expensive in Canberra anyway.
I thought the food was really good. Lovely presentation, and good quality ingredients. The portion sizes were decent – something that is good about Australia in general. I just had my main, and didn’t need to have dessert afterwards!
I ordered Hunter the Organic sourdough toast and it turned out to be a real waste of money because he spotted and ate ONE fry at the start, and proceeded to have a total meltdown at the table for most of the brunch. Sigh. So obviously once that happens, him eating an iota of food is totally out of the question. And being Hunter’s personal rubbish bin, I ate it instead. I personally thought this dish was insanely expensive. $8 for 2 slices of toast and a bit of jam? GEEZ! At least it was good….
My STEAK SANDWICHÂ tender sirloin, lettuce, tomato, free range egg, aioli, caramalised onions w/ shoestring fries was a winner in my book. The steak really was tender as promised and it really hit the spot. Would get this again any time!
Doesn’t the BIG BREAKFASTÂ free-range eggs poached, scrambled or fried on toast w/ bacon, baby kransky, mushroom, tomato & chat potato look so enticingly good???! It arrived on a big plate piled with food and I thought this was pretty good value for money.
The CORN FRITTERS crisp fritters w/ fresh spinach, roast peppers, diced avocado & poached egg were very nicely done too. Really similar to the ones we’ve had at bills in Sydney. I liked the addition of a poached egg too, which gave the dish a lovely creamy texture.
The Strawberry milkshake was actually pretty sour. I guess that’s a good thing, since they use fresh strawberries 😉 I adored their Latte though. The only thing I found odd was that I ordered a large/mug version, and it came in a small cup. Makes me wonder what the small/regular version is like….. must come in a thimble or something!
I really enjoyed the cafe and reckon it makes a great brunch place with family or friends on a weekend. Would go back if we are ever in Canberra again!
I’ve been boycotting Cream since 2007. I went with my best friend and we waited 3 hours for our dinner, which turned out to be cold. Then when we went to pay, the waiter snapped at us for not telling him the exact location of our table.
THREE HOURS??? Oh my goodness. I’d have stormed out by then or created a massive scene. Can’t believe they didn’t make it a complimentary meal!
The big brekkie sure looks great, and can’t believe the toast cost that much.
Hope your inlaws aren’t too affected by the heat wave at the moment, it was scary watching the coverage and warnings in the bushfires.
Yeah.. the toast should’ve been half the price or something!
WOW, Canberra was actually really cold during xmas for us!! The weather did get warmer afterwards but still cool at night.
Oh so true with regards to Canberra’s food prices! I get a shock everytime I am in Melbourne or Sydney, and wonder why everything seems cheaper there. Even the same stores charge their food cheaper in Melbourne/Sydney than in Canberra. We need more competition here :p
I always hear people complain about it, but I can see why now. I find it so weird as it’s not like it’s a pumping city like Syd/Melb?!
It’s because of the public service! Decent amounts of disposable income and lack of competition means people can charge more.
I love that pic where no one was looking at the camera too! The most random and natural pics can turn out to be one of the best memories.. 🙂
Very true. Chris took that one, he’s a big fan of candid shots..
Bev, have you tried Silo for breakfast (in Kingston)? There’s also a new place called Mr and Mrs Jones near to it which is a bit more stroller friendly. I’m in the midst of packing up to move but if you need something while in CBR just message me!
NOoo I didn’t even know both those places existed, bummer!! I should’ve done more research before going… doh….
Oh cream is super expensive, for dinner especially. But those are the prices you pay around the cbd in canberra. They do have pretty amazing hot chocs though (or used to at least as I haven’t been in ages).
And Canberra has really high prices for food, it’s right up there with surry hills!!! It’s ok when the food is good, but some places charge a lot and a pretty ordinary…
If you go back to Canberra, let me know on lj or Facebook and I’ll send you some recommendations!
Yeah, I’ve heard Canberra is pretty notoriously-priced. It’s hard to find really good cheap food! But at least Cream was good..