Peter Pan Bakery and Cafe - Oamaru

Date: 26 April 2016

Clean. Tidy. Children laughing. Clinking of cups and saucers. Server welcomes us and advises that we are welcome to go to the bakery section to select or food as the display is rather barren.
Few tables with remains of previous client's lunches. We chose the couch and a server was very quick to come clear off the table. Some of the food on offer looked dried out.

Ordered:

• 2x flat white coffees ($4 each)
• 2x lamb and mint sauce sandwiches ($3.50 each)
• 1 spaghetti mousetrap ($4)

Coffee was nice. Good taste, good temp and good size.
The lamb sandwiches were 2 sandwich sliced white bread slices, nice amount of lamb with the adequate amount of mint sauce. Enough for flavour but not too much to make the bread go soggy.
The mousetrap was a slice of bread, spoonful of tinned spaghetti, cheese, diced tomato pieces and a few stands of chives.

Overall an adequate lunch but when you know what's around, it's over priced, especially the mousetrap. Doesn't help that to get the food, we had to walk through to another part of the shop and had to explain that we were dining in the cafe and not running away with the self serve food.

Verdict: can do better, probably won't be back.

The Roost - Oamaru

Date: 27 April 2016

Clinking of cups, laughter, chatter and radio playing current music on the radio.
Server looks up and smiles then goes back to making someone else's order.

Clean. One table with remains of a couple's meal. Nice comfortable decor.

Ordered:
2 x Bacon and egg bagels with hollandaise sauce on the side ($8 each)
1 medium flat white. ($4.70)

Very fast service.

The egg was well cooked. Not too runny and not too firm. Bagel buttered with aioli, Bacon rasher then topped with poached egg. A side serving of the most delicious chutney is also on the plate as well as the home made hollandaise sauce, which turns it to be complimentary.

That hollandaise sauce is divine!! No packet to be seen. I even met Kelly, the chef, to congratulate her just on her sauce.

The coffee comes in the usual 3 sizes and are a very good size for each description. Great flavour and perfect temperature.

As we sit through brunch, there is a constant steam of customers, of all ages, coming and going. Most leave thanking Dan, owner and barista.

Verdict: so many yummy looking options. Good value for money. We will be back.

The Bridge Cafe - Oamaru

Date: 25 April 2016

Clean and tidy.

Tables were all clear. 

Cold as door was open, although one of the servers did offer to close the door when the third lot of older cafe goers sat down to eat.

No visible greeting from server

The barrista did turn around to say that the cafe had been busy that day

ordered:

1 small flat white coffee ($4.20)

2 cheese and onion sandwiches (freshly made as only 1 remaining in cabinet) ($6)

1 vegetable soup ($10)

The coffee was OK. Only wanted a small one, and received quite a big cup so most of it was wasted.

The sandwiches were made of thin bread with a small amount of filling. Considering that when I broke it down, it would have cost me 50- 70 cents at the most  to make the same sandwich at home, I feel that the $6 price tag was excessive.  The vegetable soup was nice, served with either 1 slice of fresh or toasted bread, but again, for the $10 price it was a very small serving. 

Sorry, as this was the experience that made me decide to create this blog, I don't have any pictures. However, I thought I may be able to find some on their facebook page. OK, hasn't been udated since June last year. and when I see the picture of the breakfast available back then for $10, I feel very shortchanged. 

I realise that these small places have costs, but they wont get new customers if they charge restaurant prices and serve up mediocre food.

Result: May give them another go at some stage, but I'll be sure to order something else.

Brunch

   brunch  noun

     noun: brunch; plural noun: brunches

1.       a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch.

         "he cobbled together a brunch of cold remains from the fridge"

      Origin

      

      late 19th century: blend of breakfast and lunch.