The Cove At Drummoyne, Drummoyne – Rating: 19/25

The Cove At Drummoyne

Having just done a lap of the ‘bay run’ in Canada Bay we felt slightly out of place as the well-dressed waiter greeted us in our running shorts and T-shirts. We were soon at ease though as we realised that clothes like this are the norm for a café situated along one of the more popular running circuits of Sydney. The Cove At Drummoyne is a larger establishment than most we visit consisting of a deck, a long hall of tables (all with waterviews) and more space around the corner as the hall opens to another dining area. The waitstaff were quick & attentive and water bottles & glasses are readily available on the counter. Breakfast is available until 12pm when the lunch menu starts. They are also open for dinner on Saturdays & Sundays and are able to host functions too. The lunch and dinner specials menu was enough to entice us back for more with items such as grilled prawn & blue cheese salad with red apples, roma tomato, watercress spinach, walnuts and balsamic reduction and crispy skin duck breast with kifler potato, buk choy, spinach, asparagus and orange & honey glaze.

Sunrise smoothie and Bay berry crush

Other than the two drinks we chose, the beverage menu offers freshly squeezed orange juice ($5), San Pellegrino varieties ($4), soft drinks ($4), Dane’s coffee ($3.50), hot chocolate, Chai ($3.50 each) and lemon, lime and bitters ($4.50). The sunrise smoothie ($5) with banana and low fat milk was a great taste of what was to come. Hints of honey mixed with ripe banana produced a truly satisfying drink. The frothy light milk prevents it from being too heavy but you have to pace yourself or you’ll run out of room for your meal. We imagine the drink transcends seasons and can be enjoyed year round. We couldn’t resist the ingredients of the Bay berry crush ($5.50). Made up of raspberries, blueberries, apple juice and lemon sorbet, it’s a very refreshing drink. Tasting mainly of raspberries, the other ingredients complement very well, the lemon offering a delectable ZING at the end of every sip!

Panini with fried egg, bacon, onion jam, rocket and aioli

Consider this the Bay equivalent of the ubiquitous bacon and egg roll. The panini fried egg, bacon, onion jam, rocket and aioli ($12.50) was more filling than it looked and very hard to fault. The bacon has not been trimmed which some patrons would not like however Dane enjoyed the flavour the rind had to offer. The panini itself was toasted but still soft and had a strong fresh taste. The egg had been cooked perfectly while the other ingredients blended in the background to give some great overall flavours. Nothing was added in excess nor just for the sake of it which was a welcome surprise as often chefs can be too clever for their experience level.

House loaf topped with ripe avocado, lemon & pepper

We noticed plates of the house loaf topped with avocado, lemon and pepper ($14.50) leaving the kitchen in vast numbers. It seemed to be a very popular dish. It was nice to see a simple yet delicious dish on the menu and it was the prefect size after a lap around the bay. The fresh lemon juice and cracked pepper on the side was a nice touch allowing us to add them just as we liked them. The Cove won us over with soft ripe avocado and thick, fresh slices of toast. A superb breakfast all round.

We recommend an early breakfast at The Cove followed by a leisurely stroll around the bay. Alternatively, you can earn your breakfast with a good run then relax over breakfast. We’re interested to see how the construction of the new bridge over the bay will influence the trade of this cafe. We expect that strong local support and enthusiastic walkers will keep them busy despite the changes.

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