Canberra 2011: Urban Pantry

Urban Pantry

5 Bougainneville St

Griffith, ACT 2603

(02) 6162 3556

Website

And now we come to the final post in my series on Canberra!  As you may have gathered, all our previous eating destinations were chosen by our gracious host An.  Urban Pantry, on the other hand, was one that I really wanted to visit, having read about it both here and here before our trip.  It was super crowded when we arrived at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, and we had to wait around 20 minutes for a table, which gave us some time to check out the surrounding shops.  The whole Manuka area seems to have changed a lot since our last visit in 2009, with many more trendy cafes and bars popping up in the meantime.

Mango Magic - mango, pineapple & nectar blended w/ ice topped w/ coconut cream - $8.80

Yes, you read that right - $8.80 for a smoothie!  They have a 10% Sunday surcharge, but that didn't seem to deter the crowds.

I was still full from my massive breakfast, and couldn't even contemplate eating a full meal.  Instead, I chose a little almond and honey slice from the cake cabinet.

Honey & Almond Slice - $6.05

The slice itself was tasty and had a good level of sweetness, but the berry sauce seemed unnecessary, so I scraped it off.  I felt a bit like Joey in Friends when he ordered the cheesecake: "Excuse me sir, there seems to be some sort of red crap on my cheesecake", hehe!

Wagyu beef burger w/ spiced tomato relish, cheddar,onion rings & salad greens served w/ fries - $20.90

The wagyu burger (ordered without salad) was really fabulous.  (Yes, I snuck a taste!)  The patty was super tender and juicy - I wish I'd had a big enough appetite to order one of my own!

Thyme scented mushroom bruschetta topped w/ Persian fetta - $20.90

The mushroom bruschetta was also delicious (although quite expensive, especially considering the Wagyu beef burger is the same price).  It had a pungent but not-overpowering garlicky taste, and the gorgeous little pieces of creamy Persian fetta complimented and lifted the savoury mushrooms.

I liked Urban Pantry, but I would have been better off coming with a bigger appetite - poor planning on my part!  I'd love to visit for dinner and also try some of their desserts!  I must say that it is very expensive though, even without the Sunday surcharge (see the Breakfast/Lunch and Dinner menus here), so it isn't one that I'd visit more than occasionally.

And that's my last post about my trip to Canberra!  Thank-you Canberra, it's been grand!

Urban Pantry

5 Bougainneville St

Griffith, ACT 2603

(02) 6162 3556

Website

And now we come to the final post in my series on Canberra!  As you may have gathered, all our previous eating destinations were chosen by our gracious host An.  Urban Pantry, on the other hand, was one that I really wanted to visit, having read about it both here and here before our trip.  It was super crowded when we arrived at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, and we had to wait around 20 minutes for a table, which gave us some time to check out the surrounding shops.  The whole Manuka area seems to have changed a lot since our last visit in 2009, with many more trendy cafes and bars popping up in the meantime.

Mango Magic - mango, pineapple & nectar blended w/ ice topped w/ coconut cream - $8.80

Yes, you read that right - $8.80 for a smoothie!  They have a 10% Sunday surcharge, but that didn't seem to deter the crowds.

I was still full from my massive breakfast, and couldn't even contemplate eating a full meal.  Instead, I chose a little almond and honey slice from the cake cabinet.

Honey & Almond Slice - $6.05

The slice itself was tasty and had a good level of sweetness, but the berry sauce seemed unnecessary, so I scraped it off.  I felt a bit like Joey in Friends when he ordered the cheesecake: "Excuse me sir, there seems to be some sort of red crap on my cheesecake", hehe!

Wagyu beef burger w/ spiced tomato relish, cheddar,onion rings & salad greens served w/ fries - $20.90

The wagyu burger (ordered without salad) was really fabulous.  (Yes, I snuck a taste!)  The patty was super tender and juicy - I wish I'd had a big enough appetite to order one of my own!

Thyme scented mushroom bruschetta topped w/ Persian fetta - $20.90

The mushroom bruschetta was also delicious (although quite expensive, especially considering the Wagyu beef burger is the same price).  It had a pungent but not-overpowering garlicky taste, and the gorgeous little pieces of creamy Persian fetta complimented and lifted the savoury mushrooms.

I liked Urban Pantry, but I would have been better off coming with a bigger appetite - poor planning on my part!  I'd love to visit for dinner and also try some of their desserts!  I must say that it is very expensive though, even without the Sunday surcharge (see the Breakfast/Lunch and Dinner menus here), so it isn't one that I'd visit more than occasionally.

And that's my last post about my trip to Canberra!  Thank-you Canberra, it's been grand!