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HOT – Hamptons Home Living – 180 La Trobe Terrace, Paddington.

This is without a doubt the best venue in Brisbane that I’ve been to when it comes to enjoying a view, in conjunction with my first and favourite meal of the day .  Not only is the outlook exceptional at Hamptons Home Living, but so too the food, the coffee, the service….the whole lot was without fault.

Perched on the balcony of the cafe, at the edge of Paddington’s steep and winding La Trobe Tce, it was hard to keep track of my brekky date’s conversation, as I continued to lose myself to the view over the leafy suburbs of Rosalie and Milton.  Such a pleasant distraction…

The Hamptons Home Living breakfast menu created an even bigger distraction for me however and it was lucky I’d done some online research prior to arriving; I had at least formed some sort of short list before I’d even sat down.

My creamy cappuccino gave me the focus and kick I needed to make a decision, and finally I was confident the smoked bacon and corn fritters, tomato relish, salsa verde, poached egg and jamon ($17) would float my proverbial boat.

A little on the pricier side of what I usually like to pay for breakfast, I was so delighted to see the dish arrive with ample portions of fritters, salsa and (so much) jamon.  The egg was poached with perfection, the fritters were full of flavour (not doughy) and the jamon was fresh, tasty and as mentioned, plentiful!

RD had to endure grunts of pleasure from my side of the table however he was having a love affair of his own with the Hamptons full breakfast; double smoked bacon, eggs, rosti, Portobello mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and leavain sourdough ($22).

The mushrooms were a standout – so buttery and lightly salted, also a very generous serve.  The rosti was crispy on the outside with soft potatoey goodness inside and the bacon had good crispy factor, while the scrambled eggs were bright and fluffy.

Other eye catching choices on my short list were the baked eggs, chorizo, slow cooked tomato, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and sourdough ($16) and smashed avocado, sourdough, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and rocket ($14).

After digesting the food and a bit more of the view, we headed inside to check out the home wares side of things at Hamptons Home Living.  The front of the store is packed with a range of home wares including French inspired trinkets, hand creams, lounge furniture, throws and cushions…the list goes on.

The Hamptons Home Living store has a very friendly, cosy feel to it; the staff are lovely and patient, on this occasion reflecting the serenity and peace of the view they get to admire all day long….jealous much?

• Hamptons Home Living – 180 La Trobe Terrace, Paddington +61 7 3367 2002

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HOT – Ruby Cafe – 233 Given Terrace, Paddington.

The Good Guide lead me to this little gem; with a basic yet inviting description of ‘glorious views over the hillside cottages of Paddington and a ruby red ceiling’, I was pretty much sold and put breakfast at Ruby Cafe on the to-do list over my Christmas break.

Not knowing just how popular or roomy it was, I booked a table for my party of 6, which in hindsight was a great idea – although the cafe was empty when we arrived, the people of Paddington took very little time in descending upon and filling the small venue.

The long narrow venue has been converted to (or perhaps already was) your typical QLD workers cottage dining area with high ceilings (ruby red in fact), VJ walls, noisy wooden floors and as promised, sweeping views of the Paddington hillside.

The staff were looking a little tired and perhaps reluctant…it was only two days into the new year after all…but they were pleasant, and mostly attentive.

The breakfast menu was a bit like torture – it all sounded so good, and the thought of missing out on something was painstaking.

In the end, I opted for the bubble and squeak hash cakes, wilted spinach and beetroot leaves, poached eggs and basil hollandaise sauce ($15), with a side of bacon ($4).

This truly was a taste sensation.  The hash cakes were full of chunky, soft potato and sweet potato, shallots, corn and goodness knows what else – they were insanely good.  The bacon was crispy, the eggs poached to my liking and the hollandaise sauce added a nice, subtle tang to the dish.

MM had his standard of scrambled eggs ($9.00); a really creamy, generous pile of eggs atop Ruby Cafe’s peasant sourdough.

T had the chorizo, braised leek and shallot, manchego baked eggs with tomato raisin chutney and ciabatta ($16.00).  Another generous, flavoursome serve and a spicy, creative combination from the Ruby Cafe chef.

The more standard menu items of poached eggs and bacon ($13) were also a hit around the table, with perfectly cooked eggs and crispy, lean bacon.

The coffees were a bit hit and miss, but overall pretty good and they do a mean hot chocolate.  Word on the street is that Ruby Cafe’s blueberry buttermilk pancakes are the bomb, but if you’re a not-so-sweet-tooth like me, do yourself a favour and have the hash cakes.

• Ruby Cafe – 233 Given Terrace, Paddington +61 7 3367 2274

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HOT – The Nook off Hawthorne – 261 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne.

Tucked behind the old Hawthorne Cinema is this great little cafe that is well worth a visit, even if you’re not heading to a movie.

The Nook was the random choice for a Sunday breakfast recently only by chance, as CB and I were looking for a location to eat that was somewhere geographically equidistant for us to travel from our respective homes.  And so The Nook we stumbled upon.

Decked out with some modest wooden and mostly retro furniture you might find on your nana’s front porch, The Nook is a very relaxed cafe with a simple blackboard menu of tasty breakfast and lunch options.  They have a little corner for kids too – packed full of all sorts of toys, with a big chalk board to scribble all over and plenty of safe, roaming room for them to wander about.

The breakfast choices, all within a reasonable price range,  include your staples of bacon and eggs anyway you like, yoghurt and muesli options, banana bread and toasts of all varieties.

Both of us couldn’t go past the corn and coriander fritters with bacon, rocket and egg ($14), accompanied by a cappuccino ($3.50).  The fritters were a nice blend of corn, shallots, coriander and a not-too-doughy batter.  The gooey fried egg that drizzled over them was the perfect compliment.  With nice crispy bacon and delicious tomato relish tucked into the well constructed pile of goodness, I was pretty stoked with my choice.

We were also tempted by the warm banana bread ($4).  With 2 large slices, the serve was quite generous for the price, which was a pleasant change to your usual single slice in many a cafe.  Albeit a little dry at the edges, the banana bread was very flavoursome and a nice sweet finish to our meals.

The coffees were spot on too, which made for a delicious, well rounded meal and a lovely relaxed hour or so in the gentle sunlight reading the paper.

• The Nook off Hawthorne – 261 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne +61 7 3170 3377

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