Lonsdale Street Roasters, Braddon, ACT

Flat white, Lonsdale Street Roasters, Braddon

The Style: I don't think any word fits better to describe this place than 'hipster.' The ironically cool tea-towel cushions and souvenir tea spoons blend with edgy industrial to create a place which draws the crowds. There are long shared tables as well a smaller ones and its a place where you can sit and read a book uninterrupted while you sip your latte.


The Taste: I only tried the breakfast menu and the food was nice enough. The muesli with rhubarb and yoghurt was my choice and the rhubarb was great - the muesli was lathered in yogurt it tasted fine. The banana bread was a winner! There are also a range of pastries, panini and the like on offer. Unfortunately, the coffee which is the main attraction didn't really do it for me. It is sourced, roasted and served on-site but the cup served up to me was extremely bitter and had a seriously burnt taste, not at all creamy. I guess its a matter of taste because the crowds sure suggest that they are getting it right.

Banana bread, Lonsdale Street Roasters, Braddon

Muesli with yoghurt and rhubarb, Lonsdale Street Roasters, Braddon

The Service: Brisk but friendly enough considering how busy it was.

The Price: Fairly standard Canberra pricing, nothing too over the top but not the cheapest on offer. Allow between $8-$15 for breakfast and about $4 for a cup of coffee.

The Location: Lonsdale Street Roasters has two locations on Lonsdale Street, Braddon. There is the cafe and the roaster/bagging operations/wholesale supplier.

Useful links: Lonsdale Street Roasters

                                                      

40 Cafe and Eatery - a little bit of Irish, Cooma

40 Cafe, Cooma

The sign above the entrance to 40 Cafe promises 'a little bit of Irish'. Walk through the door and you will see a LOT of U2. Bono and Co. are immortalised in works of art which line the walls looking over an eclectic and cosy collection of furniture. 

U2 art at 40 Cafe, Cooma

Parts of the menu are also dedicated to U2 with burgers bearing the names of band members. The food offered up is standard cafe fare. Breakfast includes pancakes, home-made baked beans and the Edge's epic bacon and egg roll. Lunch includes burgers, melts, foccacias and soupBoth the savouries and sweets are generous, homely comfort food. Almost all of it is prepared on-site. The scones are MASSIVE, the cake cabinet is brimming with goodies and the coffee (Bun Coffee of Byron Bay) is good here too.

Portugese tart and cappucino, 40 Cafe, Cooma

Quiche, 40 Cafe, Cooma

Along with the food, 40 Cafe also serves up live music on Saturday nights which adds another option if you are in Cooma for the weekend. 


40 Cafe is located at 89 Sharp Street, Cooma. 


Useful Links:
40 Cafe Winter Menu
Cooma Music -40 Cafe

Brunelli's, Perisher Valley, NSW

Brunelli's, Perisher Valley

Mocha, Brunelli's, Perisher Valley

Brunelli's Casa del Caffe Bon is a great little cafe tucked away amongst the madness of the Perisher Valley Ski Resort. Actually, it is probably better described as a key contributor to the madness. It is full of people clunking around in ski boots and wearing the manic head-wear that is only acceptable at ski-resorts and costume parties.


Step within 5 meters of the place and you will hear the voice of Bruno hollering coffee orders from beneath his shock of white hair. He churns them out with precision as the queue hobbles forward balancing baskets of sweets and ski poles.

Portugese tart, Brunelli's, Perisher Valley

Biscotti, Brunelli's, Perisher Valley

Hot chocolate, Brunelli's, Perisher Valley

I don't quite understand the baskets but I guess they save washing up and waste. I filled mine with a delicious Portugese tart and a biscotti which more bread-like than the tough crunch I expected. The hot chocolate with frothy marshmallows swimming on top is just what you need to fortify yourself for a trip up the mountain and the coffee is great too.


Whilst Brunelli's is a little pricey, the prime location and seasonal nature of the place probably justify it. If you are at Perisher and you need either caffeine or entertainment, pay Bruno a visit.

Brunelli's Perisher Valley

Kettle and Seed/Snowy Mountains Coffee, Cooma

Banana bread fresh-baked at Kettle and Seed, Cooma

The Style:Kettle and Seed manages a unique combination of edgy and quaint. There are really cool touches like a string of coffee cups hovering gamely above the front window as well as some great art on the walls and charts explaining different coffee flavours. The sweetness of the place comes from touches like the type of coffee ordered being handwritten in flowing script on your saucer and sugar bowls and spoons just like something straight from nanna's kitchen replacing the less appealing glass stuffed with sugar sachets. There is a real focus on eco-friendliness refelcted not only in the sugar bowl idea but also the re-usable cups on sale and the 'green' takeaway cups. The back of the cafe is dominated by a huge roaster which serves as a reminder that the coffee at Kettle and Seed is brewed and roasted on-site. It is sold as SNowy Mountains Coffee so if you love it (which you most certainly will!) you can take a bag home with you.

The Taste:The local flavour continues not only with the coffee roasted on-site but also the muffins cakes and other sweet treats baked in the kitchen daily, the bread brought in from the nearby Berridale Bakery and the house-made lemonade and iced tea. Nothing here is short on freshness or flavour.

Oh-so-chocolatey muffin baked on-site, Kettle and Seed, Cooma

Snowy Mountains Coffee roasted right here, Kettle and Seed, Cooma

Sugar bowl and coffee beans, Kettle and Seed, Cooma

The Service: The staff here know and love their products and they take the time to chat without being overbearing and pushy. The service is slick and comes with a smile.

The Price: Considering the quality and care that goes into what you get at Kettle and Seed, the prices are great. It is right on par with other cafes in the area for pricing.

The Location: Kettle and Seed and Snowy Mountains Coffee is located on Vale Street in Cooma (just off the Highway).

Home made lemonade, Kettle and Seed, Cooma

To see more reviews of Kettle and Seed and other restaurants in the area, use the urbanspoon spoonback link.

Kuma Pies, Cooma

Sweet cabinet, Kuma Pies, Cooma

The Style: Kuma Pies is a cosy pie and pastry shop. It has cabinets bursting with morsels that make your mouth water just to look at them. The shop's decorations have an African theme and the dining area has bright cushions stacked on the lounge-style seat which runs along two walls. There are also a few tables outside where pooches are welcome to join their humans for a snack.

Pie cabinet, Kuma Pies, Cooma

Cherry danish, Kuma Pies, Cooma

The taste: This is definitely not the place to come to if you are on a diet. Nearly everything on offer involves either lots of pastry, lots of sugar or lots of both! But if you have worked up an appetite after a day skiing or if you just feel like a good breakfast to to start the day, Kuma pies will have something for you. The pies are good with a stack of flavours on offer but for me, the sweets are the thing - my all time favourite is the cherry danish with tart, sour cherries and the smoothest creamiest custard wrapped in crunchy, flaky pastry. There are several danishes, tarts, biscuits and cakes on offer so if you have a sweet tooth, you have some tough decisions to make. Kuma Pies also do coffee and tea to wash everything down. Interestingly, Kuma Pies has been rated at number 2 on the list of restaurants in the Snowy Mountains by Lonely Planet (Click here for the Lonely Planet review).

Vanilla slice, Kuma Pies, Cooma

Fruit tart, Kuma Pies, Cooma

Flat white, Kuma Pies, Cooma

The service: Friendly, fast and fun. Kuma Pies is open weekdays and Saturday mornings.


The price: The pricing at Kuma Pies is on par with your average pie shop or bakery.


The location: Kuma Pies is located on the main street of Kuma - it is at the southern end of town.

Ham and cheese croissant, Kuma Pies, Cooma

Butter croissant, Kuma Pies, Cooma

Puppies welcome! Kuma Pies, Cooma

Art of Espresso, Young, NSW

Art of Espresso, Young, New South Wales

The Style:Art of Espresso is warm, inviting and just a little bit like being on a coffee plantation. The furnishings are bamboo and cushions and lightshades are made of coffee sacks and leather. With the embossed gold wall and timber floorboards, it works like a dream and makes you want to stay just a little bit longer than you should.

Art of Espresso, Young, New South Wales

The Taste: No surprises here, the specialty at Art of Espresso is its multi-award winning coffee. What sets Art of Espresso apart from other cafes is the fact that the beans are roasted and blended at their own roasting house. As well as pouring the perfect cup of coffee, there are a few other treats too. Hot chocolate shots, tea and a tasty range of sweets are all on offer. Art of Espresso also have their own range of products for sale including coffee blends and the absolutely delicious choc-coated coffee beans.

Cafe latte, cappuccino and banana toffee tart, Art of Espresso, Young

The Bonus: The good news is that the guys at Art of Espresso are sharing their secrets with the world! There are regular barista classes at the shop. To find out when the next one is one, click here.


The Price: Prices here are about bang on average with a cup of coffee going for around $4 depending on your choice of size, style, and extras including additional shots and flavoured syrups. Considering the quality on offer, the prices are great.

Chocolate coated coffee beans, Art of Espresso, Young

The crowd: Take a cross-section of the population of Young and you will find them all at Art of Espresso. It bustles all day.

Art of Espresso, Young, NSW

The Location: Young is located in the south-west slopes of New South Wales about two hours drive from Canberra or 372 kilometres south-west of Sydney. Art of Espresso can be found at 35 Main Street in Young which is just off the main shopping street, Boorowa Street.

Coffee sack lampshades, Art of Espresso, Young