Merriweather Cafe - CLOSED

Overview

Brisbane is a lover of breakfast dining – the words 'all-day breakfast make our hearts sing – and so it is no surprise that Merriweather Cafe has quickly put down roots as one of this river city's new favourites. Not one to be happy with the usual offerings, Merriweather carves its own path with pork belly, crumpets and duck ham all making the menu shine.

Sitting on the edge of Musgrave Park in South Brisbane, the corner cafe has an industrial feel with raw-coloured pine fittings and furniture, Edison bulbs hanging and 'Spirit' the coffee machine working the grinds. The breezy spot is the perfect place to stop for a coffee – Cup Specialty Coffee that is. Merriweather is the brainchild of Mairi MacKinnon and coffee master Josh Russell of Cup, guaranteeing a good drop.

Kicking off the new year with a new chef, Merriweather's breakfast offerings should be the envy of fellow cafes. The zucchini and haloumi fritters ($18) are accompanied with perfectly poached eggs, pickled eggplant, spinach and labna. The three kofta-style fritters were fragrant and pickled eggplant was a match made in heaven – and a pleasant step away from the predictable tomato relish.

The potato and herb hash ($17) took the 'hash cake' part literally and was served in a thick slice with a pork sausage, single egg and spinach. Besides another perfectly poached egg, the hash was flavoursome and generous in size, and most importantly it wasn't greasy or dripping with oil. Add a side of bacon and you may have a new favourite.

Besides the coffee, Merriweather's green smoothie is pretty kick-arse. A refreshing mix of pineapple, kale, banana, ginger and lemon goes down a treat. Merriweather also bust out a changing lunch menu with a stack of fresh salads (we're talking slow-cooked lamb) and sandwiches made-to-order each day.