On a beautiful Sunday morning last weekend Mr Ladybird and I headed for breakfast in Pyrmont. Being our first brunch out in the new year, we decided to try out a cafe I had read about a while ago.
Arriving at Concrete Cafe we choose a table in the dappled sunshine outside and ordered our coffees - a soy cappuccino ($4) and a flat white ($3.50). The cafe was getting more and more busy so we placed our breakfast orders straight away.
For me, the Scrambled Goat's Cheese - scrambled eggs with leek confit & goat's cheese on toasted turkish bread ($13). Absolutely delicious, and a superb combination!
For Mr Ladybird, the Veggie Breakfast - olive sourdough with wilted spinach, marinated tomatoes, fontina baked mushrooms, poached eggs & asparagus ($14) with a side of hashbrown ($2.50). Really well cooked eggs (as were mine) and a great, hearty vegetarian breakfast.
This is one of the most vegetarian friendly breakfast venues I've visited for a long time.. I counted around 10 items (sweet and savoury) that either were vegetarian, or had a vegetarian option. Now that's what I'm talking about!
The only disappointment (and I am genuinely sorry to say there was one!) was realising upon reaching home and reading the receipt that we had been charged a 10% surcharge for our meal. Kind of a shame given I had tipped more than 10% anyway for the good service... At any rate, imposing weekend surcharges is in fact an illegal practice in Australia under Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) laws, and has been since May 2009. It was not until relatively recently that I became aware of the law myself, so fellow diners beware...
Concrete Cafe
224 Harris St
Prymont NSW
Ladybird x
What a shame about the surcharge. I thought surcharges were a fact of life!! So even if there is a sign up they can't charge a surcharge???
ReplyDeleteYour breakfast looked so delicious, I would happily have that instead of greasy bacon and eggs any day!
mmm oozy egg porn shot! ouch @ the surcharge
ReplyDeleteNo, even if there is signage they cannot charge a surcharge.
ReplyDeleteThey can charge higher prices on weekends/public holidays if they wish, but they have to do it by providing patrons with a revised menu with increased prices. I.e. any extra charge has to be included in the itemised prices, it can't be tagged onto the overall bill.
Wait, that surcharge is illegal?! There's a cafe I go to here in Canberra that has been charing 10% on Sundays for ages. ACK!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I really do love the look of your goats cheese eggs. Nom nom!
Oh really, its illegal? I wonder if thats the same for public holidays? I went and got a vegan pizza on a public holiday recently and I couldnt believe when I got a 10% public holiday surcharge.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, the breakfasts look really well done and coffees look delish!
Rose
Great to see so many vegetarian options and that is one helluva sexy poached egg! Have you contacted the cafe about the overcharge?
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see more and more cafes are becoming more vegetarian friendly and offering more delish options. The Scrambled Goat's Cheese looks especially nice.
ReplyDeleteI was curious about this cafe as it always looks busy when I go past. It's great that they have so many vegetarian dishes as sometimes that's all I want first thing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteBoo to surcharges! I'm not a fan!
No, not a fan of the surcharge either! I have tried to get in touch with the manager a couple of times without any luck.. let's hope they scrap it sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeleteahhh, when i lived in pyrmont i went here a few times. it was a bit all over the place in terms of yum factor and service.
ReplyDeletei never knew charging a surcharge was illegal. interesting.
I remember that cafe so fondly- particularly for that vegetarian breakfast- and the hash browns...
ReplyDeleteBrekky looks nice, love my eggs with that runny yolk and toast to mop it up.
ReplyDelete