You’re all going to groan, but my experience at the Bittersweet cafe in Kingston is, well, bittersweet.
I’ve declared before that I really am not a big fan of Kingston, but there’s certainly a lot that’s drawing me to it at the moment (not least Penny University and, of course, the Old Bus Depot Markets) – so much so that I’m willing to give some of the older establishments another look.
Bittersweet opened in Kingston’s Green Square in 2011 and has a very large outdoor area, where a friend and I take our seats on a cool Tuesday morning.
It’s really rather busy which makes me think my constant bad wraps of Kingston have perhaps been unfair.
Chai latte
My chai latte affirms this – it’s up there with the best I’ve ever had. Friend makes the same assessment of her coffee.
I’m a little uninspired with the breakfast menu (linked here from Urbanspoon). Everything’s under $20, but it’s basically old favourites: scrambled eggs, rosti, big breakfast, croque monsieur, muesli. I pick the huevos pericos – scrambled eggs with tomato, coriander, spring onions, garlic and chilli, served with sourdough toast.
I expect fluffy, just-cooked scrambled eggs with the other ingredients laced through.
Huevos pericos
Instead, I’m served rubbery eggs with not just a sprinkling of spring onion but onion galore: it’s basically onion with overcooked eggs and a bit of tomato thrown in. Maybe my expectations are way too high and this is how the traditional Colombian dish should look. I dunno. The sourdough comes without butter, so I’m brought out one of those small foil packet butters. The drops of oil you see pictured on the bread is how far it spreads.
I am pleased that the meal comes with steak knives to allow for proper cutting of the bread, but be warned: this is super crusty sourdough which even the steak knife struggles with.
With an uninspiring menu which doesn’t deliver, and so many other choices in Kingston, I can’t recommend Bittersweet for breakfast. However, its coffees are outstanding, and worth the trip for a takeaway.
Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Where: Green Square, Kingston
Cost: Unsure total cost; my meal was $15.90
Worthwhile factor: Not worthwhile breakfast, highly worthwhile coffee.
Want more? Bittersweet is most active on Facebook. Its lunch options are also generally under $20. Bittersweet doesn’t take bookings for breakfast.
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In The Taratory 
Thanks for the ping back Tara. I just had almost the best eggs ever at Pod Food this morning. I think I may give Bittersweet a miss no matter how good the Chai latte is.
I am hearing such good things about Pod Food! I must go. I agree you can give Bittersweet a miss! There are too many other good options around.
Pod food is a must if you’ve never been there.
As for Kingston, I don’t what you don’t like about it, but I reckon it’s a great place – not that every place in it is great – but it’s historic Canberra and I love seeing it come back to life. But, it has always had a collection of wonderful restaurants from the 70s when Truffles and Kate’s (if I remember the names correctly) reigned supreme along with a rather nice little vegetarian place called Sesame, through to the 80s and 90s when the stunning Tang Dynasty with its high class Chinese and EJs kept us happy, and then into the 2000s with Artespresso, Silo and so on. Kingston has always had something to offer I reckon. But, then, I think you’re a northsider and you like Belconnen!! LOL! Just teasing.
(Truffles and Kate’s were in little cottages a street away from the shops – they were delightful
My gripe with Kingston is that it has/d a lot of hype for not much – not just with the shops but also the food and the rental/buying market. But like you said I much prefer Belco which says something 😉 Those places sound excellent. Shame they don’t exist now.
Not much? LOL. I think we’ll have to agree to differ on this one.
Yes, those places really were very good – but I can say that now as you can’t really check me out can you!
I love Two For Joy in Kingston – other venues have been disappointing/over rated as you said (e.g. Me and Mrs Jones)- so we always head back to Two For Joy (formally Pizzazz).
Is it the one on the corner? I get confused what’s where, but have heard before that it’s excellent.
I’ve been there once since the change but only for coffee. Must try it for something more substantial.