Gus' Cafe - Civic

In a new city in a new country there's not that much that is old, except Gus' Cafe in town. It remains very much the centre piece of the City Cafe scene, and the standard of longevity by which all others are measured. Nonetheless, it's breakfast time and despite the heritage of the place, you need to know what the big breakfast here is all about.

Delight always appears on my face when the restaurant doesn't mix it's words and has the item 'big breakfast' on the menu. The only item required to add as an extra was for me the hash brown. Of note, smoked salmon and minute steaks were both options which I avoided with difficulty.

The mug of latte arrived in good time. The coffee was perfect, the waitress was polite and knew her menu very well.

When the breakfast arrived, there were immediately sounds of angels singing in choirs as I spied with my little eye the huge fresh mushrooms cooked with butter and some delicate herbs. Furthermore, the side order of hash brown arrived as three hash browns. Perfectly poached eggs with no bitterness on a light rye toast and the whole tomato in halves completed the meal. The bacon was cooked with tenderness keeping in all the right flavours and maintaining a texture that was only let down by a blunt knife. With the rind removed in kitchen, the bacon was first to go. The hash browns were lightly cooked which made them appear healthier, but this meant they fell apart on contact with the cutlery. However, still quite tasty. The sausages were a little disappointing particularly given the carnivorous nature of the menu item selected. Foo-foo nutmeat with a hint of minty freshness does not sit well with the remainder of the plate let alone my usually un-fussy stomach. All that said, they soon followed the bacon into oblivion!

Plate clean, it is time for the usual desert of breakfasts, the freshly squeezed ojay. Very nice but a little too much space taken up with ice.

Ambience, well what do you expect from such a cosmopolitan little cafe. I must say though, despite it's reputation in Canberra, it does attract those who are still learning how to dress and I don't mean children. Big ladies should not wear white let alone in the style of bicycle clothes for Olympians. But I'm not here for the fashion...well not today!

The proximity of the other restaurants near by gives you a sense of being on a yatch at the start of the Sydney to Hobart yatch race with everyone looking into someone else's world right next to them, wondering how they will each fare. Well worth the reputation Gus' enjoys, this is a can't-lose choice for the big breakfast, just pick the sausage of your choice!