Dandy Lane Cafe — Restaurant in Hobart

There are two ways to get into Dandy Lane. While we came in through an old-fashioned arcade, which made it look like we’d be dining in a terribly lit office corridor, more savvy folk would enter through Collins Court, where a giant Phibs mural captures the beaks and beady eyes of Hobart’s plentiful birdlife. Viewed from this side, the interior space is attractive and inviting.

While I’m not sure about the white wall decorated with empty picture frames, I do credit Dandy Lane with coming up with a new way to hang their Edison bulb hallmarks of a hipster café. The stark steampunk-inspired minimalism is offset by some organic forms - a beautiful glass dome of pastel blooms sitting right on our window table, and a glass pot of the kind of sugar that says they're serious about coffee. The beans, which are from by local, small-batch roaster, Villino, went okay in a Latte ($4) but performed better in our strong Flat White ($4); so go the Extra Shot ($0.50) if you like good coffee cut-through.

Dandy Lane puts their own spin onto hipster breakfast standards. They are clearly concerned with how they’ll look on Instagram, but the vanity metrics are mostly kept in balance with creating good flavour. Zucchini, Mint and Fetta Fritters ($19.50) are fresh and tasty against a pink lake of harissa labneh scattered with seeds (seed scattering seems to be a bit of a Hobart motif). You'll find the crisp brown balls tucked away under a tumble of springy fresh herbs and house-made pickles, along with a golden slab of haloumi cheese and a poached egg.

Continuing the good Hobartian form on chilli, the sriracha Hollandaise is the real win across both a Fried Chicken and Waffle Benny ($22) and a Pulled Pork Hash ($23). While there’s a lot of waffle to get though, the fried chook is a standout against poached eggs, freshened up with spring onions and parsley. I’m not quite sure what the prosciutto is doing on this plate other than adding some pink.

The same goes for the peanuts on the pulled pork hash, though I like the rest of the combination - long shreds of tasty pulled pig, crisp potato, ‘slaw and onion rings - even if it is kinda hectic for an early breakfast. It’s all bound together with that bright orange sriracha ‘Holly’ which I am pleased to report has actual bite.

While Hobart seems to err on the side of generosity, it’s my view that the portion sizes at Dandy Lane are exactly right for breakfast...

Despite all the good reviews, I didn’t have a good experience in this place. My daughter doesn’t like eggs so I was looking for something without egg for breakfast. The staff were not very helpful when we asked for a modification to one of the menu items. (The excuse was this would alter the price that we were happy to pay anyway) then we asked if we could modify the butter and toast item and get cheese instead of butter, the answer was ok. When we received the meal, we saw only one piece of cheese on 2 slices of burnt toast. Interestingly the price also increased without our knowledge. At check out when the guy behind counter asked me if I was happy and I said no, he tried to find out why, but the way he handled the case made me feel worse. He was trying to convince me that it was my problem I didn’t ask what I wanted. Anyway I wasn’t planning to make a fuss about it but this really made me feel bad. Not only i didn’t get the service, I was getting blamed for not being communicative on my requests. To be fair, he gave me 50% discount on my daughter’s meal. (Not on the original price though. On the increased price which I didn’t ask why they increased it in...

Hidden away is this little gem of a cafe. I recently stumbled upon it while exploring the area and was pleasantly surprised by its charm and delicious food.

The cafe itself is small and cozy, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The staff were friendly and attentive, making me feel welcome from the moment I walked in.

I decided to try the mushroom and halloumi toastie, and it was absolutely delicious! The mushroom medley were cooked to perfection, and the halloumi was perfectly melted. The bread was toasted to a golden brown, and the combination of flavors was simply divine.

I also ordered a latte, which was smooth and flavorful. The barista knew how to make a great cup of coffee.

What sets this cafe apart from others is its menu, which features a variety of Asian-European inspired dishes. I noticed items like okinomiyaki & mini Dutch pancakes on the menu, which I'm eager to try next time.

Overall, I had a fantastic brunch experience. The food was delicious, the coffee was great, and the atmosphere was lovely. I highly recommend this hidden gem to anyone looking for a unique and satisfying...