Whether I’m out on a morning run or an enjoying an evening in the city with friends, my favourite spots are those that track alongside the river. In the mornings there’s something very peaceful and surreal about how the sparkling river bends around the city, with the sun reflecting off the imposing buildings above – I love nothing more than a quick coffee, or a lazy breakfast, while soaking up the view.
The Riverside along Eagle St Pier is home to a range of casual and fine dining venues, all showing off the same magnificent view of the River, Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the Story Bridge. Groove Train is no exception, tucked in across from the Eagle St City Cat terminal. Complimentary to the exceptional outlook is great food, great service and a casual but funky vibe that seems to exist no matter what time of day you drop in.
MM and I met another couple for a recent Sunday breakfast at Groove Train. It was a cool but sunny morning so we ordered a round of coffees before even contemplating the menu. The creamy coffees came back to us promptly and warmed us up for what was to be a long, lazy session of food and chatter.
Somehow I managed to get the seat that ensured my back was facing the river…but hey, I got to check out what was going on in the restaurant and all its little quirky features. Groove Train has a long bar located towards one end of the room and overlooks the main dining area that faces the river. Up the opposing end of the venue is a scattering of lounge chairs for those who like a more casual approach. Best of all, they have 3 or 4 Galaga game consoles…which takes you back to the 80’s and brings out your inner gamer. The walls are plastered with all kinds of posters and artwork – let’s call it a constructive mess of vibrant colours and textures.
Back to the menu and there was a myriad of options to choose from and we had to send the attentive waitress away with another coffee order before we could make up our minds on what to have. Finally some success, after another brain stimulating hit of caffeine….
MM had his usual construction of poached eggs and bacon with a hash brown on Turkish bread. The poached eggs were perfect in goo-factor and the bacon was trimmed of fat and nice and crispy.
Ebs chose the strawberry ricotta pancakes with yoghurt and fruit which looked lovely and fresh; not my cup of tea for breakfast but she certainly enjoyed it.
Mully had the smoked salmon scrambled eggs with Turkish bread and a hash brown – the aroma from his dish was mouth watering and once again I was jealous and kicking myself for not going down the same path.
I chose the vegetarian breakfast of poached eggs, tomato, spinach, mushrooms and “Boston” beans (an interesting combination of several types of beans in a tomato and onion salsa) with a side of crispy bacon (a not-so-vegetarian option anymore). The mountain of food on my plate looked, smelled and tasted so flavoursome; the eggs were cooked to perfection, the bacon was crispy and the beans combination was strange, but it worked.
The venue was starting to fill up as we continued to fill our bellies. I had managed to maneuver my chair so I was able to catch a glimpse of the river and its surrounds without turning my back to my fellow voyeurs. The side walk by the river was bustling with Sunday morning walkers and families out early to cruise the river on a City Cat. This really was the perfect people watching spot. We ordered another round of coffees and watched the world go by for a little longer, then finally we picked ourselves up and sorted the bill out, which was pleasantly surprising at just under $25 per head.
We waddled out on a caffeine-induced high and strolled along the river to aid digestion and soak up the sun as it shimmered off the river. What a perfect Sunday morning. I will definitely be back to Groove Train for breakfast and wouldn’t mind having a snap at their highly acclaimed wood fired pizzas for dinner.
- Groove Train, 123 Eagle St, Brisbane +61 7 3320 0420
I love your blog but it’s incredibly laggy for me!