Well it’s a bit of a drive from my Eastern Suburbs comfort zone, but as soon as I walked through the entrance of the Boat House, I knew that this was my ‘kind of café’. We were greeted by the vibrant colours and variations of fruit and vegetables on display, alongside beautiful floral arrangements, and it’s obvious that much attention is paid to the smaller details of design and décor. Declared an amazing café before I’d even looked at the menu!

Even on an overcast Monday the alfresco seating on the deck was near-full and we were quick to nab a table. Individual menus are not provided so that meant taking turns to peruse the chalkboard menu by the counter. The menu contains both your typical brunch items such as poached eggs and bacon, as well as a few more edgier creations that you would expect from an inner east establishment (think Cowbell 808) including green eggs and ham.

I LOVE avocado (up there with gelato, noodles, and mushrooms…) so quickly selected the Avocado Toast which is served with crispy bacon on thin seeded rye plus cherry tomato salsa. My decision was unusually fast for me (I like to ponder a menu for far too long) however was made on the proviso that the other eatfreak order the Mushroom toast, which is served with rocket, roasted macadamia, haloumi plus chilli jam on miche toast.

Fortunately we also ordered some cold drinks from the fridge as service is S-L-O-W, and at least I had something to partially fill the void in my stomach! The Parkers iced tea was a subtle sweet flavour and very easy to drink. I found the Parkers Pink lemonade overly sweet, which is saying a lot given my sweet tooth. Despite the lengthy wait for our breakfasts (30 minutes +), we were able to be entertained by the filming of Home & Away (both in the water and on the beach) which is easily observable from the deck.

When our food did finally arrive, we immediately appreciated the large size of the servings plus the presentation. “You eat with your eyes” as fellow eatfreak likes to say, and these meals looked delectable!  The avocado toast was a simple combination of ingredients and flavours but the reduced balsamic, sunflower seeds and cracked pepper gave it an extra edge. It was an ample amount of avocado, but the only downfall of the dish was that the bacon was overcooked and overly crunchy (although that may have been the intended effect).

One of the best mushrooms dishes I’ve seen presented in a while with a variety of mushrooms too complicated to identify (while I am a mushroom enthusiast, I’m not a mushroom expert). The macadamias were an interesting compliment which worked surprisingly well, and the haloumi was also well-suited to the dish. We did think the tomato relish kind of detracted from the other flavours though.

Sneaking a peak at fellow diners, the bacon and egg roll looked like a popular order as did the French toast – both large servings, yuss.

Return Factor? It’s well worth the trek from the city and I’m bound to return with foreign visitors– especially for those who have grown up with Home & Away on our screens! But beyond the potential ‘B-list celeb spot’, the food is also pretty damn good. Waits are long, but with such a beautiful backdrop and tasty quality food to match, I am willing to overlook the wait – I’ll just ensure I get one of the cute pots of tea to tide me over. I also liked the look of the lunch menu, which had some pub-grub type options in there. However given my breakfast experience, I’m sure the lunch would be all class as well.