Lumiere
| Where | Shop 13, 417-425 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010—View map |
Contact | 02 9331 6184 brekkie@breakfastout.com.au |
Website | — |
Open | Monday to Friday 07.30 am to 05.00 pm Breakfast all day Saturday 08.00 am to 05.00 pm Breakfast all day Sunday 08.00 am to 05.00 pm Breakfast all day |
Payment | EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Cash |
Diet | Check with venue |
Seating | Inside and outside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Welcome |
A Place in the Sun
Natalie Ward 27 January 2009
The tightly knit streets of Sydney's inner suburbs aren't known for their wide open spaces. Of course Surry Hills has its fair share of small green patches where once a terrace might have stood, but few of these are big enough for Fido to stretch his paws and even fewer come with cafes attached.
I can't help but think that this spatial deprivation is at least partly to blame for the enduring popularity of Lumiere. On Sunday mornings it seems like every man and his dog from within a three mile radius has taken up residence at one of the many outdoor tables. To secure a seat at this place you must first navigate a canine obstacle course of lounging labradors, curious beagles and the always excited Little White Dogs.
Doggy daycare aside, Lumiere does some seriously good things with breakfast. Wrapping itself around a sharp corner, this light-filled café divides itself loosely in two with street-side people watching at the front and a patisserie section opening out onto the spacious plaza at the rear. Personally I think the French got it right when they decided that coffee and croissants are the perfect breakfast companions and, after many pastry-fuelled mornings, I can highly recommend the pear Danishes and almond croissants on offer here.
This morning I have arranged to meet a friend for brunch. I am not usually a big fan of brunch - the timing is all wrong. I much prefer to roll out of bed and into breakfast in one fell swoop. By the time we score a sunny street-side table I have worked up some serious hunger and begin scanning the menu in a somewhat desperate manner. Tossing up between sweet and savoury, I consider ordering the signature dish of ricotta hotcakes with sour cherries, honeycomb and marscapone before settling on the chorizo omelette with field mushrooms and a coffee.
My omelette arrives shortly after accompanied by two thick slices of sourdough bread and a small dish of butter. The service here can at times be a little rushed, due no doubt to the busy breakfast crowds, but today it is friendly and efficient. I accept the waitress' offer of ground pepper (although I am never sure why this service exists - can't we be trusted to administer our own pepper?) and cut into the omelette. Inside are several whole mushrooms and hearty slices of chorizo bound together by melted gruyere cheese. It's a tasty combination, with the rich, spicy sausages offset by the light, fluffy texture of the egg. What started as a late breakfast might well become an early lunch so I order a second coffee in preparation. It's the perfect start to a lazy summer day.