TL;DR: What it boils down to with Arte and Gusto is the cafe knows well what works, akin to someone studying hundreds of cafes in Brisbane over the years and selecting the items that make an impression with the most people. Going from there, it is made sure everything is good quality and that the service and aesthetics are both at a high standard. This is a case where you more or less know how it will turn out, but if the way it turns out is a good enough journey all is well.
Right within the Ritz junction around Graceville, someone has managed to renovate the entire place out and have it look good right from the get go, tempting the many drivers going past to have some interest to peek in. That is the impression Arte and Gusto have gone for, and boy do they have a fit-out and a plan to cast their net wide to please the wide range of potential customers from the way the restaurant is set out, to the fare that is brought to the table. Sometimes it doesn't really pay to be hip, just know what has worked time and again and we have got it right center stage.
What is first apparent with walking into Arte and Gusto is how they utilise the al fresco aesthetic. They have set it out to make it dog-friendly, with all the facilities to attract canine owners, the tables are shaded under big umbrellas, plus it is spacious. Most of the seating takes place out in the elements, with a few extra ones indoors plus the addition of a bar with several stools. It has the ideal combination of modern design with traditional aesthetics, and pretty much has the cafe look down pact.
We come to the service, which overall was pretty good. The ordering is done at the table - which I honestly prefer, so that is plus right out the gate - and paying is done at the counter. The young lady who was serving us was fairly friendly, and constantly in motion ensuring that the place was both looking good and running fairly well - the equivalent of a mechanic looking at each part of the car while fixing it just to make sure all is working as planned. The food came out thick and fast, to the point that I was surprised when it appeared on the table.
If there is anything that can be observed from the typical Brisbane cafe, it does have the guise of being up for anything when the time is right, and the all-day breakfast/brunch rules the roost any day of the week. Of course there are the signature dishes that will inevitably be associated with Brisbane or possibly south-east Queensland as a whole. For every eclectic and inventive one, you will have about half a dozen at least who go for the current trends or to please the audience as a whole. Even in the afternoon, the quieting down during lunch, they have their set lot to place on the menu.
All of that lays the foundations for Arte and Gusto, whom lay it all on the table at once. The menu is a single-page, all-day affair. On the menu, there is the array of an all-day breakfast, plus several seafood dishes, some of the usual cafe staples which include a burger, some nachos, and a share bowl, plus a couple of dishes that are a little more inspired. Adding onto those, keep an eye out for the specials board, and the cabinet which has a healthy array of sweets, treats, and other such items.
Much the same method is used with the drinks menu, going for only one page to lay it all out. Tea and coffee are presented first, as they always get done, then it is the cold-brewed beverages that usually accompany the coffees. After that, the drinks are all cold with sodas, juices, smoothies, and milkshakes. On that very same page, the second half of it belongs to the alcoholic drinks that include all sorts of wines, beers (on tap and in the bottle), plus ciders and spirits.
All up, it is a truncated version of what can be found in the numerous cafes and restaurants around Brisbane, and that is going for the kind of dining experience that Arte and Gusto is aiming for. It does a pretty good job at it without going down an all-too-familiar road. This is one that can easily be a meeting point for those within the neighbourhood and surrounding area. That, and the general casual atmosphere meeting a decent level of quality while maintaining reasonable prices level out pretty well.
Getting into business first hand, whatever time of day it is the same old rhyme goes - and it is double when we are talking around breakfast time. That is coffee, and for me it goes as usual - the doppio. For the beans that they use in their brew, it is a new one on me yet again. From what I can remember, the brew is called "Kuhl-cher" and it is a local roaster. This is a touch that will often go over unobservant heads, using one of the more elusive and specialised brews in town adds a distinction regarding the overall quality of the product ever so slightly. The doppio was well presented, smelt pretty good, and went down a treat. The flavours in the notes were slightly fruity as is usually the case with South American beans, and the strength was somewhere down the middle. For those who like it a bit strong, it might be a suggestion to get that extra shot but it is not absolutely necessary.
Ordering the main part of the meal, it was a snap decision opting for a bacon and haloumi burger. Each time the breakfast burger is a prospect, it manages to proves how worthy it is as a mainstay on any menu. This was two rashers of bacon, with a fried egg, haloumi, and hollandaise sauce with the usual tomato and spinach. It was served on a sesame seed roll, which is always the ingredient to hold the rest of the items together - all round, this was almost a Benedict burger. The bacon was crispy, haloumi squeaky, the tomato and spinach merely contributed freshness, and the egg mixed with the sauce made for a slightly rich experience. From my house mate's plate, I tried some of his pancake and ice cream, which was poured over with a small bit of maple syrup. All pretty serviceable - the ice cream was cold and smooth, and buttermilk pancakes always prove themselves as a winner.
From my perspective, the average batting range has been pretty high recently with the real dub being as rare as hen's teeth, and a mediocre one even being not so much more common. Therefore, to rate them all on a curve will be an injustice to them. That is mostly because of knowing the sources, and listening well to the voices who know what they are talking about. Even so, roping in the untread mediocrities to the mix Arte and Gusto would be somewhat above the batting average bar. With some exceptions on the menu, what they serve is more or less the same old fare; with it being said and done, that fare turned out to be pretty good quality, and very filling. The strengths that is has got beyond that is the way the cafe is set out, using al fresco to the best of their advantage, and some of the quickest service I have encountered in quite a while.
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