Symposium Cafe

I couldn’t resist the siren call of a breakfast degustation any longer, and thank gosh for giving in to my temptation. The lads at Symposium were super friendly and welcoming, and even accommodating — when I emailed to book in (bookings are mandatory for degustations and not accepted otherwise), I queried whether the degustation was paleo, seeing as the café seems so gung-​ho about the paleo trend. I guess the great thing about degustations is that the menu can change at any time, and Ben was more than happy to put together a totally paleo menu for my friend and I to enjoy.
For $ 45 each, we rocked our way through a handful of espressos and three breakfast courses — the liquid course, the savoury course, and the dessert course. I think my favourite was the liquid course, to be honest. A neat single origin espresso, a wee espresso mug of warm spiced nut butter and almond milk, and a pear & ginger granita. No dairy, no gluten, no added sugar — and yet, heaven. It IS possible. The other two courses were also great (we couldn’t quite finish the dessert course of fig, date, walnut & coconut balls with butterscotch & banana «ice cream») and we meandered through a comfortable two-​hour stint.
When we arrived at 10:30am the place was buzzing, but by the time we finished up at 12:30pm the weekend breakfast rush had well and truly finished and there was plenty of room in the small café. Triple J was pumping through the stereo at a bearable volume, and I was glad I was wearing a jacket because it was a little chilly in there (though I’ll admit it was a little chilly anywhere in Brisbane over the weekend).
In short, I was stoked to finally try a breakfast degustation from Symposium and I’m hoping to go back for a «regular menu» visit.

Paleo Diet. Caveman Diet. There’s various terms floating around for this currently popular way of eating and unlike most ‘fad diets’ this one actually makes sense. Eat like our ancestors did. Cut out the refined and over processed foods. Eat, like Michael Pollan says, as close to the source as possible. Symposium Café is one of the only and certainly the first I’d heard of that focuses their menu around this eating concept entirely. Their breakfast and lunch menu (one in the same) is home to a number of balanced of paleo, gluten free and vegetarian options and really the hardest thing is deciding what you’ll have. There’s the truffled eggs with hollandaise, zucchini fritters and your choice of ham, hot smoked salmon or smoked bacon (we went with the hot smoked salmon), slow roasted & pulled lamb shank (do try this: it is amazingly delicious), pan roasted salmon fillet and standard eggs, french toast or sticky fig porridge.
My first visit to Symposium was on a dreary and rainy Sunday morning. You’ll see what I mean when you visit that along this stretch of Commercial Road you’d forgive yourself for thinking this café is for the Monday-​Friday gang of the surrounding offices, but give it a chance and walk on in. We were greeted by a warm and friendly smile and quick chat with the owner. As we sat down we ordered coffees and were left to our own devices. It was a slow, easy and stress free breakfast — as all Sunday breakfasts should be. And instead of feeling «overstuffed» from a usual café breakfast we felt satisfied, energised and nurtured.
The last thing I’ll tell you about Symposium (the rest speaks for itself) is do not leave without trying the ‘PHIVE’ dollar shake made from dark couverture chocolate. For $ 5 it is easily the BEST chocolate milk I’ve ever sipped.

The Symposium Café in Newstead is a nice place to visit in a strange location. Surrounded by commercial buildings, the outlook isn’t the best for people who enjoy watching the world go by while they eat. The food and service, however, are great, and that should be the main thing. I visited armed with a magazine for a solo breakfast and enjoyed the experience.
Since I visited, the menu has had an overhaul and I’m keen to return and try the white truffle benedict and prawn bruschetta. Unfortunately, last time I visited the website the breakfast degustation menu (which I really wanted to try!) was nowhere to be found. Hopefully it will return for the new year.

I’m one of those strange people who genuinely enjoys taking myself out for breakfast… alone. Of course I go armed with my «dining alone armor» which is usually a book, newspaper, laptop or magazine and a look on my face which says «yes I am actually here alone and no I have not been stood up». Sometimes it’s just nice to eat your brekky in peace and have an hour or two of solitude. My most recent lone soldier breakfast trip was to Symposium on Commercial Road.
From the moment I walked into this little café, I could tell I would like it. It has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere and staff were lovely (and didn’t give me a quizzical look when I said that I was after a table for one). One bad thing about dining alone is that you often get stuck with a dodgy seat. I was seated on the bar which faces the outdoor seating area. I immediately regretted my outfit choice of a little summer dress. One wrong move and the people eating outside would get much more than they bargained for! The bar was on a slant, which made it difficult to sip of my coffee (which was great by the way) without spilling it all over myself. I struggled with all the choices on the menu as they all sounded amazing. The waitress gave me a helping hand and I eventually decided on the eggs benedict with truffle oil. Wow! It was scrumptious, especially with the added flavour of the truffle oil which differentiated it between all the other eggs benedicts I have devoured before.
I was full and happy when I left Symposium, which is a clear indicator that I’ll be back. Yet another date with myself and I was very proud that a) I had not spent a fortune and b) I had managed not to flash anyone. A good morning all in all!

If I want a decadent breakfast or lunch Symposium Café is the place to go. Every time I visit this place I get the white truffle eggs Benedict with spinach and hollandaise sauce, spelt sourdough and my choice of either shaved leg ham, Heinz bacon or regal hot smoked salmon (I prefer the salmon). You can tell just from the description of the food on the menu that this place is upscale. The coffee is amazing here as well, poured by co-​owner Benny. With regular seasonal menu changes you will never get bored of the food here.
The decour is simple, clean and modern, with sandstone walls and large glass windows to look out onto Commercial Road. The staff are friendly and its good table service. When you listen to the conversations happening between staff and customers you can tell that they take pride in their work and many people end up becoming regulars. With the recent freak cold weather in Brisbane, when I went they offered nice blankets in the outdoor area (which is covered and dry) for us to snuggle up in. Definitely check Symposium out, as the food, coffee and service are sure to impress.