Cafe Birkenhead

Despite initially being the only ones in the restaurant the quality of both our food and drinks was very poor. My mum’s hot chocolate was luke warm at best, which thankfully they remade.
Then came the meals. I had poached eggs and bacon with a side of mushrooms, mum had fried eggs and bacon. My ‘poached’ eggs were so over cooked that it probably would have been better if they fried them. But fried eggs were no better. Granted it was requested for them to not be runny, but what we got was just short of being burnt. The bacon was also way over cooked, whilst the toast was barely warmed.
Overall, despite rave reviews from friends, this was a major let down. Considering there was at most 10 customers in the restaurant when we left, there are no excuses for the poor quality of the food we got.

What’s not to love about this place? They serve good food, have friendly staff and if you’re lucky enough to score a window seat you can enjoy the views of the water and pretend that you own one of the boats.
I have been here several times and will keep coming back.
Today I had the Special of the day, Squid Ink Pasta with chilli and scallops. Omg, yum! I just wish that there were more scallops BUT I think anyone that complains about the quantity of ingredients should always check the price they are paying first especially if it’s something like scallops. One of my pet hates is when people complain about the quantity or why frozen seafood is used… seriously, look at the price you’re paying and it would be quite obvious… anyway end rant — back to the dish — I could have easily had 2 servings of this, it was so satisying and worth it.
My favourite breakfast dish here is the Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters nom nom nom. Breakfast strictly finishes at 11.30. They don’t take bribes or fall for any form of sweet talk if you want breakfast after 11.30 so be sure to get there well before 11.30 and not be one of «those» customers that come in at 11.29. That’s just mean I think.
I recommend booking during the weekends especially if you are a large just to be safe, I’ve seen it crazy busy some weekends.
One of the best parts of this place is that I can go shopping afterwards to walk off the food I just ate or check out the little cakes downstairs at Jones the Grocer *drool*.

OMG Am I really the first to be reviewing this place? Good lord! Why???
Look here’s the scoop: — Café BIrkenhead as a name opened (if memory serves) in 1996 or 1997. It won accolade after accolade for sensational food, with a seasonal menu (yeah they changed it every season) and million dollar waterfront views of the harbour, right across to North Sydney (you could see the brown block of RNS in the distance), but with magnificent Cockatoo Island in the foreground. I adored this place. Then it changed hands and everything went a little «cheaper». same type of food, but instead of delicate obviously fresh whiting fillets for «fish and chips» something frozen and re-​fried was slathered on top of a pile of greasy chips.
Then Birkenhead point changed. Café Birkenehead had to move, and it now has. a-​hundred-​thousand dollar views of… other peoples apartments in Balmain, across sparce water filled with a marina, with little traffic. Worst, the layout of the new place is so wide that the views aren’t that great from the ample couch seating at the entrace side.
Too many staff now dominate the floor, and I don’t think any of them know what they are doing, at least none of them knew enough to take our order in a timely manner (the first time we returned) or to serve it in a timely manner (the second time; yes I had to ask for the food to be brought out)
Who eats polenta chips? Honestly? they are greasy and disgusting, and frankly sound like a way of using up left-​over polenta carried over from one of the other restaurants owned by this multi-​congolomerate restaurant chain (Blackbird at Darling Harbour have you mended your broken wing yet?!). Why do I mention these polenta so-​called «chips»? Well, because they are absolutely ubiquitous on the fabric covered menu. Everywhere.
The schnitzel was generous, and lovely, if you discount the mushroom sauce which was obviously made with that «sauce base» you can buy in a beer bottle (look for it at Coles) and the fish was actually quite well cooked although its en-​crustment of chickpea neither holds up to that wonderful crunch I expect from deep fried fish, nor to taste, as anything remotely pulse like in the batter was lost amidst the staple batter ingredients.
Food that arrived late, food that pretentiously apes at classy bistro food combined with late, un-​interested and un-​caring overall service, ritzy «look there’s fire!!» decorations, fancy exposed beams and air-​vents (that’s Birkenehead Point’s signature look). Does this sentence make sense? No? neither does «Café» Birkenhead. My memories are of a better place.
Sorry, café birkenehead, keep trying. I’ll review this again no doubt in the coming months because I am a sucker for punishment.