Restaurant Review: Fox and Bow

A few weeks ago a few girlfriends and I gathered for our semi-regular brunch catch-up. I had heard that a new cafe had opened up at the Farrer shops, a very convenient location for all of us so we met there at 10am.

Fox and Bow was buzzing! Only open a couple of weeks the locals and not-so locals alike had discovered this funky new cafe and we initially thought we wouldn't get a seat. However we found ourselves a table and some stools and set ourselves up with a few other people across the access road to the back of the shops on the footpath. It may seem like an odd location but it is pretty close to the cafe and was out of the bright January sun.

Fox and Bow is an order at the counter type place which I do like in groups as it allows everyone to simply order separately without having the issues of split bills. Our orders were quickly taken and drinks arrived quite promptly, however the food did take some time, probably a good 30-45 minutes although I will admit I was too busy catching up with the girls and having a detailed conversation on the pros and cons of top-loader vs front-loader washing machines to watch the time.

That said, we had definitely arrived at the peak, by the time we left at around 12 there were tables free and I think the time taken was a reflection of a new cafe finding its feet and being completely swamped with patrons on a Sunday morning.

But onto the food. Apologies, for not having photos of everything, I haven't trained everyone into the necessities of food blogging photos and it all looked so good they dived right in!

I enjoyed the "Senorita Fox" which was toasted sourdough, smashed avocado, 2 poached eggs, tasmanian smoked salmon, lemon, parsley and grilled haloumi ($18). It was delicious, everything I want in a breakfast. It was a little on the salty side because of the combination of the haloumi and smoked salmon so you definitely didn't need to add any salt but the salad topping added a really lovely fresh note to the dish.

Everyone else at the table also greatly enjoyed their meals which ranged from a corn fritter dish that I can't find on the current online menu, to custom ordered eggs and bacon and a gluten free version of "This is how we roll" Darrel’s smokey bacon, free range egg, house-made bbq relish, hash brown, jack cheese which is normally served on a toasted brioche bun. When this came out my friend was initially very suspicious of the bread as, in her words, it looked way too good for gluten free but she risked it. Later the owner came by to ask what she thought of the bread as he was getting it from a new supplier. In her opinion it is the best gluten free bread she has ever had and is now tracking down the supplier herself.

For drinks, I'm assured the coffee was good and second rounds were ordered (the only downside of counter ordering came here in that we had to go back in to order). I had an "Ohh Darla" Smoothie made of watermelon, pineapple, sorbet and berries topped with sorbet ($6.90). Aside from being spectacular looking this was extremely delicious and very refreshing.

While our food did take some time to come we found the staff easy to grab (even from the other side of the road) and very helpful. The atmosphere was great with a live jazz singer most of the morning and the buzzy happy people enjoying great food on a sunny Sunday morning. The fitout is fun and funky with mismatched furniture, a large group table, and bar seating as well as individual tables. There are lots of opening windows which is great for summer, it might be a little more crowded come winter but I'm sure they will invest in outdoor heating like every other Canberra cafe.

As we left I popped in and bought a cinnamon cronut and caramel donut to take home. The donut was a little on the stale side but the cronut was supremely delicious. They came out of a cabinet of yummy looking treats which make me think it would also be a great place to stop in for morning or afternoon tea.

All in all, we had a lovely morning at Fox and Bow and I'm looking forward to heading back there in the not too distant future.

Fox and Bow
Farrer Shops
Farrer Place, Farrer