Anna Says...
This place is pretty urban with both inside and outside seating. We sat outside and we were very comfortable even when it started raining because there was an awning covering us and gas heaters we could have used if we needed. I ordered the "First Benedict" which I was really happy with...eggs benedict but with a hash brown, tomoato and mushrooms which they were happy to swap for ham. I thought the service was good as were the prices and menu variety...I'd come back!

Rosie Says...
I really liked this place. Our server was efficient and friendly, the food was tasty and they put up with our strange food requests (can I swap the tomato and spinach for avocado, and have marmalade with my toast?) without blinking an eye.

We sat facing the road as well as an enormous and beautiful flowering jacaranda tree. It was interesting to see who walked past.

The tables were close enough together that you could covertly listen to other peoples' conversations without feeling like you were crammed in on top of each other, and I'm still wondering whether the table over got David Jones to price match on the BBQ they wanted.

I'd give the coffee a solid four on my personal scale of eight, and would be happy to come back.

Food Taste: 3.5

Anna Says...

Rosie Says...
The focus on organic foods and spiritual wellness (or what have you) makes a nice change. The food really reflects the quality of the ingredients and I really enjoyed my meal. The coffee was a solid three point five on my scale of eight, decent enough, but without the added oomph that would earn it a second cup.

I really think it's the teas and speciality juices that make this place interesting -- there's coconut milk (in a fresh coconut shell) and a few other interesting things on the menu which I suppose I should have tried, but what can I say? I function best on nerves and caffeine!

Just a short walk from Coogee beach, this one would be a nice breakfast stop after an early morning walk along the beachfront or a soft-sand run!
Food Taste: 3

Rosie Says...

 When we arrived there wasn't space so we left our number and had a wander along the sea wall, which was lovely, and they gave us a call just as we were wondering what to do next.

The Tea Gardens Watson's Bay is absolutely beautiful in summer. There's a view over the sea pool and across Sydney Harbour. A large-ish garden, a basket of toys and a stack of colouring sheets gives the kids plenty of stuff to do, and there's usually a stack of families milling around as a result. 

On this visit, the service wasn't brilliant but the views made up for that and the fruit salad with deliciously creamy yogurt and honey was pretty damn fine . The coffee gets a four point five on my personal scale of eight -- not brilliant but not bad enough to stop me from ordering a second cup.

I'd say in summer the Tea Gardens is worth a look, but with limited indoor seating, this is a place to keep on the fair weather only list!

Anna Says...

I like coming here now and again but it's really a summer place. There is a lovely garden outside that overlooks the beach but of course this would be much too cold in winter. The views are lovely and they really are what make the place.

The food quality and variety I found OK and the service not so great both times we have been. This time, they brought Rosie's meal out first and said mine would be on it's way soon. However, we had been waiting about 15 minutes and when mine still had not arrived we asked again only to be told they had forgotten. It was then about another 10 minutes before mine arrived.
We also had to ask twice for the bill at the end and as we were paying by card and no-one had come to collect it, we eventually had to go in and pay ourselves.

This is also very much a family place with lots of kids and toddlers running around in the garden. I didn't mind but if that's not your thing...avoid. However, it's a good place for a sunny summer day's breakfast and maybe a swim afterwards at the beach.

Well. Another week, another breakfast. This time we wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary -- a breakfast buffet. I should start by saying that for me, I'm looking for certain things when I review a breakfast place. I look for beautifully presented food that tastes good. Excellent coffee, nice staff. I want to feel like I'm being taken care of, that I'm having a 'special' experience -- more special than sitting at home in my jim-jams with a plate of 2 minute oats I've made myself in the microwave. If the place has nice views, then so much the better.

Now all of that out of the way... it makes sense that Baygarden didn't tick my boxes. They weren't hideous, and it was a nice change but they just didn't wow me. For a start, breakfast ends here at 10:30. Because it's a buffet, you don't want to get in too late or half the more interesting stuff will have been sitting out for hours or the kitchen will have stopped replacing it. And, I'm just not big on having to drag myself out of bed at 8 am on a sunday in order to get in to clothes -- real clothes, no ugg boots and pyjama pants, sadly... and drive to breakfast. Just... not fun. So we arrive, and the staff are very helpful and show us in. Full hot buffet is $35. Continental only is $26. Now, how they would know what we paid is beyond me, since there wasn't anyone checking, but we paid the full $35. We wanted the full-on, hardcore breakfast deal, baby. 

Now, with my (not so) lithe and girlish figure and bird-like appetite, there is just no way I am going to eat $15 worth of food, never mind $35, but what the hell.

They have a chef on hand who will make whatever type of eggs your heart desires. We go for cheese omlettes that were, quite frankly, excellent, and then stock up on just about one of everything in the bain-maries.It was decent. Nothing to rave about, and being as how I had to serve myself, I'll be honest and say the presentation was crap. Really. I can't load up a plate in an even remotely photogenic way, which is why there aren't any photos of this breakfast, only the view from the windows. Which was lovely.

The coffee was okay. It had caffeine in it, which is always a plus. Sadly, the foam was not a thick creamy layer, but actual froth. As in, looks like it came off a bubblebath, and kind of begins to disintegrate the minute some chocolate is sprinkled on it. But hey, it did the job.

So, to quit rambling and give you the 411? It was your standard run of the mill breakfast buffet -- tasty but overpriced. The view was nice but the coffee didn't wow me. The omlette was definitely one of the best I've ever had, however, and the people watching was certainly worth the drive! some interesting characters in there for sure, including a group of young children in tutus and tiaras! 

OK, we wanted to do something different this week so we went with a hotel buffet breakfast. It's hard to compare this to our regular breakfast places because it's totally different. It was more expensive than our regular breakfast places but we had the freedom to pick and choose a variety of different things.

We had a table with views of the beach across the road which was nice. We got unlimited (not great but OK) coffee made by a barrista and omlettes made by a chef at one of the stands. You could have got them to make anything you wanted such as eggs benedict but I was pretty full with that and hash browns, bacon, pancakes, fruit, yoghurt and a selection of cakes. There was also a rice and noodle section if that's your thing for breakfast.

Hard to rate them on service as we did serve ourselves! But then the hotel staff we did encounter who directed us to the restaurant, made our omlette and cofees were all very friendly. If you are looking for a buffet breakfast experience, I would recommend this place.

Rosie Says...
 Holy cow, we're running behind on our entries again. So. Bondi Trattoria. Settled just off Campbell parade, this cafe has a curving outdoor seating area that never fails to be windy. They provide blankets for the adventurous, but it was too chilly for us so we chose an indoor table. This place is very popular with families, and they provide colouring sheets and crayons for the littlies. It's loud, and packed with tables that are crammed together, but the staff are friendly and the food is decent.


I finally got my hands on the comfort porridge. It didn't trump my absolute favourite porridge provider -- Flat White in Woollahra, but it was good. The coffee was good too.  You might have to hang around if you the place during breakfast rush, but it's worth a look.


Anna Says...
I like this place. It's just opposite the beach so if you are sitting outside you have great views. Today was freezing and windy and I was super-excited to go to a place for breakfast which actually had a nice warm inside space. I'm more of  a fan of this place than Rosie. The tables were squished in but that didn't really bother me. I thought the wait staff were friendly and accommodating and I was happy with the food (got the right order, in reasonable time and it tasted great!).

Food Taste: 3.5

Menu Variety: 3.5

X-Factor: 1

34 Campbell Parade

Bondi Beach, NSW 2026