Sunbear in Hobart’s CBD is currently serving the best breakfast dishes! The dishes have been designed with thought and care and the result is very tasty and satisfying food.
Sunbear – Introduction
Sunbear has been operating now for some time, but recently we have noticed a change (for the better) in the food offerings. In fact, a breakfast we had here recently was very satisfying and ticked a lot of our requirements as far as breakfast dishes are concerned.
One of the problems we often face with dining out at breakfast time is that many restaurants just don’t take breakfast seriously. Signs of this lack of commitment to breakfast include assigning a junior to the cooking task, dishes that are pre-cooked (with pre-cooked poached eggs being the most egregious), dishes designed to fill you up without any thought to the combination on the plate, bad bread, overly commercial coffee and many more.
It hasn’t always been that way. When Megan and Adam operated Tricycle in Salamanca we often used to drop in there for breakfast. We found it to be the best breakfast offering in the state. Everything was freshly cooked, the coffee was always serious with single origin offerings available and the service was very good.
When they sold the café, we transferred our allegiances to Bryher in Launceston which remained a favourite until last year when the owners sold the operation after a very solid innings. We still yearn for their excellent Croque Monsieur which was filling but fortified us for the drive back down the Midland Highway.
Sunbear – The Food
So we were pleasantly surprised when we dropped in for breakfast recently following the recommendation of a friend whose judgement we trust.
The café is a pleasant place to dine. It is quite light with large windows allowing light to penetrate, especially in the mornings. There is a banquette in front of the windows and a number of tables scattered though the space. The kitchen is open to view and the food is displayed in a glass display cabinet to help you choose.
We had no trouble choosing dishes from the chalked menu and the printed menu that was brought to our table.
We ordered the boiled egg with green sauce dish and the ham and pickle toastie, however most of the dishes looked like we would enjoy them.
Alternatively, you can walk over to the display cabinet and peruse the food there.
We also ordered a couple of espresso coffees which arrived promptly and were fine. The food arrived within a short time and looked as good as it tasted.
The egg dish reminded us of a breakfast dish at Napier Quarter in Fitzroy where we sometimes have breakfast if we have time for the relatively short drive. When we are in Melbourne (not very often at present) we tend to have breakfast at either Napier Quarter or, more often, at Cumulus which is one of Andrew McConnel’s restaurants. They take breakfast seriously there and have suitable dishes such as freshly made crumpets with honey you serve from a jar placed on the table.
So, the egg dish came on a thick slice of toast with a couple of hard boiled eggs cut in half and sprinkled with deep fried capers for a bit of crunch. The egg was topped with a green sauce similar to a Provençale pesto. Nestled underneath were thick slices of very fresh radishes. This dish ticked a lot of boxes – taste, texture, visual appeal and size (not too large, not too small, just right!).
The toastie arrived at the same time. Once again this was a very good dish. There was a layer of ham topped with some zucchini pickles. The taste and texture of the pickles added interest and contrast to the toastie ingredients. They reminded us very much of the pickles served at Zuni Café in San Francisco which we have enjoyed many times and which are documented in the fabulous book by Judy Rodgers who was the chef there until her untimely death.
We are looking forward to having this dish again soon! And further good news is that they now open on Monday as well!
You can see more of their dishes on their Instagram page:
We will be back soon to enjoy some more dishes, or maybe we will just have the same again!
Additional information
Restaurant: Sunbear
Street: 145 Collins St
Town/Suburb: Hobart, 7000
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 7:30am – 3pm, Sat 8am – 2pm