Vanessa: I’ve said it before and I will say it again, we are truly spoilt for dining options in Sydney and this particular Sunday I was delighted to come across yet another establishment that is worth writing home about. A gathering with friends, self-titled the ‘Sunday Lunch Club (SLC)’, brought us to Burnt Orange, a truly hidden gem in the beautiful suburb of Mosman. Nestled amongst the greenery, stands this grand sandstone house which has been converted into an inviting cafe serving breakfast, lunch and high tea.
On this occasion, we had opted for a breakfast gathering, and were all instantly impressed with our dining choice when we arrived. When we entered and saw that the cafe also hosts a store selling all sorts of lovely clothing and home wares, my instinct told me that we were onto a winner.
The cafe is large, open and boasts a wrap around balcony with views over the harbour. We had chosen a perfect day to dine here as the sun was shining, complementing the open setting. As we sat down, our attentive waiter took our drink orders immediately. I always appreciate this because, let’s face it, who can make decisions without coffee first thing in the morning.
We perused the menu which is fairly extensive with a variety of options.
There were five of us dining and each of us ordered something different. One of the SLC members, who opted for the organic oatmeal porridge ($13.20) (much to the surprise of the rest of us) had the fear of food envy. As it turns out she had the last laugh! The porridge was beautifully presented with fresh strawberries, bananas, brown sugar and sprinkled with roasted almonds.
There was a collective oohing and aahing as each meal was set down on the table. I had opted for the sautéed forest mushrooms on sourdough with hazelnuts, thyme, ricotta and poached egg ($19.80). This was a delicious choice. The mushrooms were juicy and meaty in texture and the ricotta was sprinkled with the crushed hazelnuts making for a great textural accompaniment. The egg was poached perfectly with the yolk oozing.
SLC member ‘T’ went for the breakfast board ($20.90), consisting of house-smoked trout, grilled haloumi, avocado and a soft-boiled egg served with Avoca brown bread. This is great if you are after a lighter option for breakfast. The one thing we did question though was the reference to the trout being smoked, as the distinct smokey flavour was non-existent and it looked more like a confit trout.
The general crowd pleaser, eggs benedict with barossa ham ($18.70), once again did not disappoint. Naturally it is a rather heavy meal, especially as the eggs were served with toasted brioche, which further adds to the richness of the dish.
The other option I was debating over, the breakfast bruschetta ($20.90), was ordered by SLC member ‘C’. This was a rather large serve of tomato and avocado salsa with smoked bacon, poached egg sitting on grilled sourdough. A generous, rich meal that is geared for a big appetite, of which our dear friend did not have.
The full breakfast ($22) was also ordered consisting of scrambled eggs, crispy smoked bacon, roasted truss tomatoes and those juicy field mushrooms with sourdough toast. A classic breakfast choice for anyone wanting the works.
Feeling full, yet content from our meals, we settled up and thankfully all had the same agenda…to check out the store. This quaint retail outlet features all the gorgeous things you would expect to see in a boutique, from candles to clothing, books and accessories.
They also offer trinkets, books and clothing that appeal to men… very clever thinking on someone’s behalf!
We spent sometime wandering around ogling over the lovely items in the store and not one of us walked out empty handed, it was just too tempting.
The team behind Burnt Orange have created the ideal scenario… a one stop shop for a bit of food and a spot of shopping. Throw in the beautiful setting and you have a winning combination.
We will be back!
Vanessa
V.B.A
mmm breakfast board si my type of meal!
This place definitely looked difficult to find. I’m not quite sold on the portion sizes (some of those dishes looked awfully bare up against their plating!), but the flavours seem to deliver. That’s something!
There’s so much to buy there! We had a mother’s day lunch here and everyone really enjoyed themselves 😀
I know the shop is dangerous!!
I came across this place a couple of years ago after walking through the national park on the harbour. It’s so cute, but didn’t end up eating there. Interesting presentation with the breakfast board. It’s so sparse!
It is pretty sparse, it was certainly described differently to how it was presented. I am keen to go back and check out their lunch menu.