childhood memories with one of my faves

When I was younger I used to come to Shelley Beach every weekend with my family, so it always sparks up special memories every time I go back. This weekend I decided to go back to my roots, and tried The Boathouse Shelley Beach, which opened three weeks ago.

We all know my love and affiliation for The Boathouse cafes (see my review on Palm Beach and Balmoral Beach), so to try the Shelley Beach cafe was absolutely on the cards. My husband and I got there at about 8.30am on Saturday and were lucky enough to score a table out the front, and in the sun. Best seat in the house in my opinion.

The Boathouse Shelley Beach is surprisingly big, and I would guess is their new flagship. As you would imagine the interiors, menu and vibe are on par with its sister cafes, but it feels much more spacious, with a variety of areas where you can sit - by the beach, on the side amongst the garden, the large open plan inside, by the coffee bar or on more intimate tables. It's also perfect for people watching!

We ordered the obligatory coffees - double shot skim cap and a skim latte. As the coffee beans are from Single Origin, there were obviously no complaints. And as silly as it sounds, I love the chocolate anchor that comes on the cappuccino. The best looking cap in town...

For breakfast we ordered the Coconut bowl, nut crunch, coconut panna cotta, coconut chia pudding, with dates, apple & fresh berries and the Avocado, tomato and poached eggs on charred toast with goats curd and basil. I am obsessed with anything coconut so I was in my element and scoffed the coconut bowl down fairly quickly. It was exquisite, but could have done with more nut crunch to fill me up more. The avocado and poached eggs were nice, but we probably wouldn't order it again. The bread was a little too thick (too hard to cut/chew), the avocado was too 'lemony', and too much goat curd for my husbands liking.

I'm still perplexed as to the fact that you need to line up for a good 20 minutes to order and there is barely any service needed, yet we pay premium prices. But... it works. And I loved it. And I shall be back.

Cafe: The Boathouse Shelley Beach
Price (for 2ppl): Food $36; Beverages $8.50
Hours: 7am - 4pm; 6pm - l0pm (Tue - Sat)
Must order: Coconut Bowl
Coffee: Single Origin Coffee Roasters