Café Splat, Queenscliff – Rating: 20/25 (re-review)

Café Splat

Splat round two! After our first review, this café has become the favourite of Dane’s sister so when she invited us along, we couldn’t resist a return visit.

Sitting on a sun-drenched corner of Queenscliff with a gorgeous view over Manly beach, Splat definitely has the location thing down. The staff always seems to be a mix of nationalities so it’s always fun to chat to them and have some interesting conversations. Despite having to wait a few minutes for a seat, they promptly found a table, cleaned it and had us seated. The menu here is truly expansive and you’ll find something delicious no matter what your palette feels like!

Long black

The long black ($3.70) was slightly more expensive than we’re used. Despite this we did find it slightly weak however the milk bottle on the side is a nice touch. Request it strong!

Large skim cappuccino

Again the large cappuccino ($4.20) was too weak so we’d recommend asking for an extra shot (50c).

Mango smoothie

The mango smoothie ($6.50) was thick and had plenty of fruit (albeit frozen but you couldn’t expect anything else at this time of year). You can definitely taste everything that’s been put into this, especially the nice hint of honey as you swallow.

Other drinks available on the huge list include: traditional iced coffee (which they put a double shot in!, $4.20), watermelon juice (weekends only, $5.50), energy shake (strawberries, wheat germ, honey, milk, yoghurt and ice cream, $6.50), a variety of smoothies ($6.50) and milkshakes ($4.50) and a fruit cocktail frappe ($6.50).

French toast

Onto the food… and what a treat we were in for with every dish that rolled out of the kitchen being a hit at our table! As with last visit, someone ordered the French toast and crispy bacon ($13.50). While trying this plate I found it hard to recall a better rendition. The soft toast, well soaked in egg and the crispy bacon with just the right amount of maple syrup make this one of the best we’ve ever tasted.

Ouevos rancheros

The ouevos rancheros ($15.50) is a tomato-based dish with a spicy punch thanks to the chilli and chorizo. There is also a good amount of beans mixed through for good measure and topped with two perfect poached eggs. The guest who ordered this scooped the delicious mixture onto the rye sourdough and had us all drooling. There is also a vegetarian version, ouevos vegetariano ($14.50) simply without the chorizo.

The local

The local ($18.50) is large enough to curb most large appetites featuring two poached eggs, bacon, pork and leek sausage, potato cake, tomato, beans and ciabatta toast. Good sausages are hard to come by but Splat makes them extremely well (award winning ones according to the menu). Everything was a star on this plate – the beans were some of the better ones we’ve tasted and the potato cake was moist and a healthier alternative to a deep fried hash brown.

Herbed mushrooms and bacon

Dane’s sister returns to Splat for this meal alone. The herbed mushrooms and bacon ($12.50) features “mushrooms sautéed in real butter” and a great combination of herbs to make this a mushroom-lover’s delight. The balance of flavours was perfect with a hint of rosemary and parsley thrown into the mix.

B.L.E.A.T.

Ahh the B.L.E.A.T. ($13.50). So simple yet so easy to get wrong and so hard to make your rendition stand out. To be honest we still don’t know what makes Splat’s so special but it just is! First and foremost it is fresh and clean. Each flavour stands out on its own, all of the ingredients are bright and delicious and the tower is put together neatly and with care. What more can we say… it tasted out of this world and we highly recommend it. Perhaps it’s the organic eggs that also give it that extra edge because they do taste great.

The delights of the menu roll on with items such as: berry brioch (toasted brioche slices topped with yoghurt and a warm berry compote lightly drizzled with honey, $10.50), queensie (poached eggs and avocado on rye with our own salsa verde, $16) and the spinach or salmon scramble ($12.50 and $15.50). See our previous review for a mention of some other dishes on the menu.

You truly feel like a local as you sit at this café and watch the waves roll in. We think Splat could easily expand to take up double the space they currently do and it would still be packed with patrons but it would lose its quaintness and homeliness. Eat here and you’ll know you’ve found something special.

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