So you’ve finished your Saturday morning lake walk and you’re ready for breakkie and a coffee. You’ve already sipped and tasted your way through the lakeside cafes and you’re craving something a little different. Jump in your car or add on an extra 2km to your walk and find yourself in Manuka, a vibrant hub of cafes, lawns and personality.
Check out our favourite spots to break the fast.
TYPICA
There’s nothing typical about TYPICA. With a menu of elevated classics and hearty favourites, it’s the perfect joint to enjoy a cuppa and debrief on the week that was with a friend. Family friendly (including your furry friends), the tables expand indoors-out, so the little ones can frolic on the lawns while you get your hands on that necessary caffeine fix.
The drinks menu expands across an entire page, with ONA coffee being the star. You’ve got batch brews, single origin pour overs, iced chais, milkshakes and house made bubbly beverages.
Eat your way through a classic brunch infused with modern Australian flavours featuring Biscoff French toast, jalapeño, cheddar and potato fritters, ocean bagels and a special kiddies’ menu. If you’re a smashed avo lover (and who isn’t these days), TYPICA dishes up arguably one of the Capital’s yummiest & prettiest servings.
Urban Pantry
As Manuka frequenters know, Urban Pantry is always the go. The bright, coastal and rustic feel draws you in and through to the eating deck where loved ones gather to start their days together.
The seasonal, fresh and local menu showcases the best of Canberra’s produce in the perfect setting of Manuka Lawns. Enjoy your cuppa, smoothie or cold-pressed juice overlooking the grass as kids play, families unite and dogs stretch out in the sun.
Win the morning, win the day with an open omelette with prosciutto, tomato, avocado, provolone and sourdough. Or perhaps you take a liking for something sweet, like blueberry hotcakes with vanilla mascarpone, blueberries, candied almonds and organic maple. Whatever your preference, the variety of 5 different Belgian hot chocolates is enough to convert a savoury lover, to a sweet tooth, just for a moment.
Patissez
A distinctly Canberran icon and home-place of the legendary Freakshake, Patissez does a breakfast as good as (if not better) than their drool-worthy shakes. Obsessed with amazing fresh food, cooked to perfection without any of the “modern day fancy nonsense” the menu has something for everyone.
If you were a victim to the FreakShake obsession, be warned that their French toast menu stretches across 6 options, including a chocolate smash, banoffee and el hefe, a house-made dulce de leche superstar. Equally as fantastic-o are their Tijuana tacos, which prove that anything can be a breakfast option with an open mind. Toasties, loaded brekkie burgers, pulled pork benedict or just a good-old eggs on toast, a morning spent at Patisessz is undoubtably indulgent (and deserved after the week that was)!
1or2 Café
“One or two?” will be the question you’re asking yourself after the first sip of delectable bean juice (A.K.A coffee). The heritage listed space of 1or2 is adorned by the shopfront’s original façade from 1983 yet is uniquely fresh and contemporary with that unparalleled experience where the barista probably remembers you name.
Part owner Alex Gelonesi says, “We’re going back to basics, everything’s so complicated these days, there’s nowhere you can go for just simple stuff.”
The delectable menu has been known to star their iconic baked eggs & mushroom bruschetta with avocado and pine nuts; and the Spanish Eggs served with homemade tomato sauce, basil & chorizo, alongside a gourmet array of takeaway sandwiches. A brekky rendezvous should never be complicated, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at 1or2.
We’re not lying when we say Manuka Lawns are a popular spot… be sure to check out the café’s website for booking info to avoid disappointment!
