Café Splat, Queenscliff – Rating: 20.5/25

Café Splat

Summer has finally decided to show its glorious self which has encouraged us to review more beachside cafés. Splat has been on the list for a long time and we finally made it there today. Its location is outstanding – perched above Queenscliff beach with a view stretching across to the International College of Management. There are two tables on the sidewalk, a bench for those waiting or just enjoying a coffee, numerous tables inside and a deck with spectacular views at the back (this would be our recommendation). We seated ourselves and after about five minutes asked for our menus which arrived quickly. The menu is diverse and has some unique items: weekend waffles – freshly made Danish waffles served with maple syrup ($10.50), mixed berry compote ($2), scoop vanilla ice cream ($1.50), chocolate sauce ($1), the local – poached eggs, bacon, pork and leek breakfast sausage, potato cake, oven roasted tomato, aussie beans and lightly buttered ciabatta toast ($18.50) and the just-moved-in – the mystery breakfast combination – not quite local ($13.50). I had some high expectations from Splat and to be honest we all left extremely impressed.

Smoothberry Smoothie

We found the smoothberry smoothie ($6.50) too milky for our taste. I was the only person at the table who enjoyed it so it’s lucky I was the one who ordered it! The majority of the flavour was blueberries but in the future we would request some ice cream be added to thicken the smoothie and provide some extra taste.

Skim cappuccino

The skim cappuccinos (regular $3.50) tasted a bit burnt. We have tried the Gusto blend before and enjoyed it so we were expecting better.

Babycino

You simply can’t order a babycino ($?) without everyone at the table going “awwww” when it arrives. Smiles aplenty from the young patron who ordered this and the marshmallows were a much appreciated bonus.

French toast and crispy bacon

The French toast ($13.50) pleased everyone at the table in terms of presentation and flavour. The bacon used at Splat is delicious, slightly thicker than normal and cooked until just crispy. The maple syrup was slightly thicker than normal but it tasted great and the toast itself was fantastic: soft and fluffy inside while slightly crisp outside.

Herbed mushrooms and bacon with extra pumpkin & lentil sausage

The prices at Splat were reasonable with the sizes of all the dishes suitable for most people. The herbed mushrooms and bacon ($12.50) was easily the largest of our meals. The person who ordered it is not usually a large eater but finished everything on her plate. She added a pumpkin & lentil sausage ($3) on the side to taste. It was extremely soft inside, flowing out as we tried to fork it. The flavour didn’t blow us away but it combined well with the main dish. The mushrooms themselves are sautéed in real butter and the herbs as well were fresh and full of flavour. There was a distinct rosemary taste amongst others but altogether the flavours were great and our guest would order this again on return.

Big breakfast sausage

While on the subject of sausages, you may be horrified to know that we ordered a big breakfast sausage ($4) for Hugo, our obedient Daschund. Of course we tasted it ourselves and we were glad we did. The top of the menu boasts that the sausages are award winners (we’re not sure what award) and with good reason. The pork inside tasted great and we can now add this location to our extremely small list of cafés that serve good breakfast sausages.

Zucchini and corn fritters

The zucchini and corn fritters ($15.50) was another in a stream of dishes that were enjoyed by everyone at the table. We would have preferred the balsamic reduction on the fritters as they needed the flavour boost more than the bacon however the combination of the fritters with the rest of the ingredients in this dish work well for them. A forkful of the fritter, rocket, bacon and tomato became a highly sought-after commodity at our table so kudos to the chefs on a great dish.

B.L.E.A.T

After the ‘great failed BLEAT search’ (see Jenny’s Café) I felt dubious about ordering another as I was unsure whether it could live up to my expectations. Splat’s BLEAT (bacon, lettuce, egg, avocado, tomato) ($13.50) surprised me. Despite its lack of aioli which is one of my favourite BLEAT additions, the sheer freshness, perfectly prepared ingredients and tasty Turkish roll made this a great meal. Lots of Splat’s great bacon was present and the egg yolk, fresh avocado and tomato topped this sandwich off for me.

The friendly locals and staff combined with awesome food and a view to die for make this one of my favourites in recent weeks. It’s also nice to find a menu, website and of course group of staff with some personality and a sense of humour. The menu has plenty more on offer than what we tried and listed at the beginning of the review so you may need to visit multiple times! Thanks Café Splat, we’ll be back!

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