Early morning musings led me to The European, just beside the Princess Theatre. Spring Street is one of the picturesque places in the city, near the Treasury Gardens and the Parliament House. I thought I was early, but several other people, couples and families, beat me to it. Stepping out of the cold and into The European, I felt like stepping into early 1900's interior. It was dim and dark with incandescent lighting with everything in dark wood, from ceilings to walls to tables, chairs and floors. Waiters all dressed in full black, whisking their way from the al fresco seated diners to the ones inside. I was shocked that the people inside, including me, weren't wearing bowler hats and corsets. It is a real gem.
After finding me a seat along the wall, I ordered their Frittata with Smoked Trout and Avocado Salsa. I know that The European is reputable for having the best poached eggs in town, but I thought of saving it for another time. With a nice book in hand, flat white and breakfast, I'm all set for the day.
The frittata is nicely cooked but not the best I should say. The smoked trout still got little pieces of bones in it and, if you have a hang-over, don't think of ordering this dish. I honestly prefer my potatoes to be thinly sliced, something similar to a roesti, crunchy and not boiled. Though the egg part of the frittata has runny, scrambly eggs (the way I like them) but the potatoes are the tad too thick though soft. Not entirely satisfactory but there were some elements that worked well. Hats off to the avocado salsa. Tangy and creamy with some slivers of red onion and red chillies, I loved it with my slice of crunchy, crusty, well buttered bread, something like a crostini. Yum!
The European is an ultra-busy joint, especially on weekends. Popular with couples and families alike. It is not a good place to put your feet up and laze around on a weekend though. I found it much too crowded and "happening".
After a quick breaky, I wandered off to Flinders Lane, more or less a 4 block walk from Spring Street, down to Swanston Street, until I hit The Journal Kanteen. I wasn't expecting them to be open on Sunday, but much to my surprise and delight, they were. I made a mental note to come back on another weekend for breakfast, so for now, I had coffee.
The interiors were cool and I fell in love with it. No wonder Melburnians love to hang out in this place. The pictures will prove that what I'm saying is right. However, after a few good minutes later, people started pouring in for their usual coffee and meet-ups and it became too boisterous to bear.
After finding me a seat along the wall, I ordered their Frittata with Smoked Trout and Avocado Salsa. I know that The European is reputable for having the best poached eggs in town, but I thought of saving it for another time. With a nice book in hand, flat white and breakfast, I'm all set for the day.
The frittata is nicely cooked but not the best I should say. The smoked trout still got little pieces of bones in it and, if you have a hang-over, don't think of ordering this dish. I honestly prefer my potatoes to be thinly sliced, something similar to a roesti, crunchy and not boiled. Though the egg part of the frittata has runny, scrambly eggs (the way I like them) but the potatoes are the tad too thick though soft. Not entirely satisfactory but there were some elements that worked well. Hats off to the avocado salsa. Tangy and creamy with some slivers of red onion and red chillies, I loved it with my slice of crunchy, crusty, well buttered bread, something like a crostini. Yum!
The European is an ultra-busy joint, especially on weekends. Popular with couples and families alike. It is not a good place to put your feet up and laze around on a weekend though. I found it much too crowded and "happening".After a quick breaky, I wandered off to Flinders Lane, more or less a 4 block walk from Spring Street, down to Swanston Street, until I hit The Journal Kanteen. I wasn't expecting them to be open on Sunday, but much to my surprise and delight, they were. I made a mental note to come back on another weekend for breakfast, so for now, I had coffee.
The interiors were cool and I fell in love with it. No wonder Melburnians love to hang out in this place. The pictures will prove that what I'm saying is right. However, after a few good minutes later, people started pouring in for their usual coffee and meet-ups and it became too boisterous to bear.
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