Bunda Street is the heart of Civic’s food and wine precinct, but for over a decade, Cream Café & Bar has, quite literally, stood at the crossroads of this busy strip and set the standard for contemporary cuisine.
Recently, Cream debuted a revised interior, as well as a comprehensive new menu to match. For the large and loyal clientele of this popular venue, it brings a fresh feel across the board, while retaining all the key elements that have made it such a favourite.
The menu has you covered from the early morning all the way through to the late night, thanks to a clever and concise arrangement of different styles of food across the easy-to-read design of the menu.
It’s not hard to imagine starting the day nice and slowly with Buttermilk Pancakes served with a cinnamon & orange glaze, fresh blueberries and delicious pistachio gelato. The pancakes are perfectly light and fluffy, with the highlight being the addition of candied orange. By adding sweetness as well as a chewy texture, the dish achieves true balance.
For a nice, light lunch, it’s hard to go past the Sazerac Salmon. Gently cured and thinly sliced, the salmon is served mixed through kale, watercress and thin sticks of apple. There is a lovely mouth-feel from the salmon; the curing process holding the rich flesh together while the crunchiness of the bread creates contrast. A deeper flavour takes a while to make its presence known – it’s the kale, adding an earthiness to ground the light and delicate flavours of the other ingredients.
Burgers have been a part of café culture for ever, but in recent times a whole new range of flavours – from sweet brioche buns through to Wagyu beef – have changed the way the way we look at this casual staple. At Cream Café & Bar, the Pulled Pork version offers a degree of tenderness through slow-cooked meat and beautifully cooked bread.
The Chimmichurri sauce is perfectly matched to the seeded mustard slaw, but the masterstroke is the addition of some fried pork pieces that add an amazing and delicious crunch. You would not be disappointed if a bowl of this (just by itself) ended up of your table.
For dessert, there are plenty of offerings, including a lovely (and very pretty) Crème Fraîche Cheesecake. A deconstructed version of what you might expect, the flavours and textures of a classic cheesecake are on offer, with a sense of playfulness that only enhances the sweet and refreshing dish.
Once that’s all done and your hunger is satisfied, grab a glass of wine or a drink and settle back in your chair and enjoy the combined ambience of the cafe and its customers. It’s this collection of elements that has kept Cream Café & Bar at the forefront of Canberra City dining, and long may it remain the case.
