Review Stand By Me Cafe - Canberra

This place is just the best. Their kitchen and the cafe is so hygienic. It's worth every penny paid. Food is just beyond words. I have been to so many cafes around Canberra but nothing like it. So so good food. Unique taste and the best service. People if you haven't explored yet, trust me you are missing out on something really good.

Loved the presentation of food, friendly staff, great sitting arrangements front of the cafe, inside and at the back too!!! Best wishes to lovely cafe people and thank you🫶😀

Me and my Family came from Sydney to Canberra to travel, my friends recommended this cafe and we never had a better use of time. the atmosphere was amazing and comforting. the dishes were the most unique dishes i have ever tried for breakfast runs. The Full Medames and Eggplant and Haloumi burger were splendid with refreshing cappuccinos and chai. Iwould definitely recommend this to anyone trying to look for some unique dishes and refreshing drinks in Canberra. 10/10 would go again

Amazing food and great ambience. Must have their avocado smash and eggplant and halloumi burger with sweet potato curls. Great coffee and very close to Woden town centre

Some good twist from your normal cafe. As usual the French toast is great. Weird combination this time around, but surprisingly they work. The okonomiyaki was crunchy and not overly swimming in sauce. Would come back again for a different french toast flavour.

Stand by Me is my favourite Canberra Cafe. Joy and Reena are always welcoming. Great service and I love the retro feel decor. The food is wholesome and fresh with an imaginative twist. They have the best quality organic teas in Canberra. I can’t live without their green tea! Also their chocolate fudge brownies are to die for! This cafe is definitely worth a visit 💗

Great little corner for a breakkie. The Okonomiaki and the French Toast were great, the long table at the back was good to share with friends while warm in a cold morning. The staff is very friendly and want way and beyond to make us feel comfortable and well served. Definitely a keeper.

Came here for the first time for a Sunday morning breakfast and am absolutely thrilled with the results! I ordered the Ful Medames and it was nothing like what I expected, in the best way possible! The food was fresh, full of flavour and delivered quickly. The staff were incredibly pleasant and checked on us more than once. Price was very reasonable and will absolutely be coming back 😁

Fantastic, and super friendly staff. Incredibly honest, good food. The weekly twist on the specials keeps the menu interesting. And GREAT coffee too. Love this place!!<br/>Without a doubt my favourite weekend place to relax and enjoy some breakfast.

We went today with 2 friends. Table of 4. Despite having feta as an ingredient in other dishes, they wouldn't crumble it on my avocado toast (it wasn't listed as a side on the menu). They also wouldn't smash the avocado on the toast (it was listed on the menu as a half avocado, so I had to smash it myself). My husband wanted a mushroom omelette (it wasn't the omelette of the day so he couldn't have that - plenty of mushrooms elsewhere on the menu but this wasn't a listed item). It wasn't particularly busy yet our table took well over half an hour to be cleared and nobody asked if we wanted another coffee. We went to pay the bill and despite it being very quiet they refused to let us pay as couples, so they provided us with a docket and a pen and sent us to the side to work it out for ourselves whilst they stood there doing nothing. Seems everything was too difficult and they chose to be inflexible about absolutely everything. We are a hospitality family - husband a chef and we had our own restaurant for 10 years, so we understand hospitality. All policies here were for the convenience of the staff, not the customers, and they were unapologetic. I will not ever be going back.

In Short: Stand By Me has quickly become our favourite little cafe in Canberra. The decor of the cafe is like a trip back to the 70s and it’s a great place to chill and seek refuge from the depths of winter. When the sun’s out there’s space outside to take in the rays too. Outstanding service combined with delicious food and expertly made coffee. Get the address in your maps app of choice and get in there ASAP!

Great coffee and a spot on selection of cakes and sweet treats. The menu is bold and creative and the staff and friendly and approachable. Expect to line up on the weekend - a good atmosphere and there are always friendly dogs around. Stand by me is the best thing about Lyons.

We had breakfast here on a recent visit and where blown away by this funky little place. The coffee and food where of the highest standard and the staff where really friendly. Can't wait to visit again. Maybe for lunch next time as it looked great on he menu.

Hidden gem in Lyons! A breakfast on a Saturday morning that was filled with lots of ticks, none more so than the prompt service. The coffee, albeit a tad milky, was really nice. They serve good quality beans - which are also available for sale if you're really into them (like me). The menu is small but more than does the job, covering all the dishes you'd expect to see on a good breakfast menu. Meals arrived super quick. I ordered the splashed avocado - a dish with some odd inclusions that appealed to me. I took the punt and had no regrets. A good combination of flavors, ranging from herbs to the yoghurt. We really enjoyed the experience here. The vibe is chilled and the staff are cool. Will be back!<br/>

Really disappointed in this cafe. My boyfriend and I are huge French toast enthusiasts and have tried just about everywhere. Saw great reviews for the French toast here so thought this would be a cute brunch date. The coffee was very weak and cold and we had to wait half an hour for food on a Saturday morning service most cafes would have locked down the routine for. Ordered the French toast, was told the jam donuts which accompanied it had run out but that it was still good. The French toast arrived and it was cold and not tasty. Not sweet at all, which might have been okay with the right additional things but with only measly drops of syrup it tasted like French toast a child could have plattered up. Not once was I asked how the food was, even when paying. My advice is to not continue to sell your food if you have run out of key ingredients for the dish. Overall, an expensive and unsatisfying time.

Pretty good, fun breakfast. Companions loved he French toast. The service was lovely. The asparagus and baked eggs were a little too strongly seasoned; the thyme was overpowering and woody, but the drinks and everything else was nice. Give it a try.

Had breakfast here over the weekend - absolutely spot on! Coffee was fantastic! Fruity, perfect temperature and just Devine. I ordered the Korean style pork belly and was blown away by the flavours of the dish. <br/>Husband ordered the special, steak fajita which was quite bland (hence the lack of 5 star rating)<br/>Loved the decor, wonderful staff and comfortable place to take a toddler too as well. Think I've found my breakfast spot!!

Genuine and friendly service from the staffs, great coffee, yummy brunch and relaxing atmosphere. My only feedback is that I think it'll be better if they offer lunch menu on weekend as well, instead of just a breakfast menu. That's the time when they can make more money as more people can visit the place on weekends...

Outstanding brunch! The waiter was so friendly and accommodating. Loved my ham hock & winter green hash, and my companions loved their smashed avo and pun-tastic granola. Coffee also superb!

We've been to Stand By Me a few times with mixed experiences, but last time was a winner. We kept it simple, ordering scrambled eggs, mushrooms and avocado. The scramble was cooked perfectly - light and fluffy, and mushrooms were full of flavour. They do great coffee too.

SWMBO and I were looking for something different for breakfast and after an article in HerCanberra, decided to give it a go. <br/><br/>Arrived shortly after and were seated quickly - nice cosy spot inside that could probably do with just one less table to make it comfortable. Service was amazingly quick and coffees bought out soon after. <br/><br/>The coffee:<br/><br/>Other reviews have picked his up, but the coffee isn't 100%. It's nice but needs work. A lot of work. Well made but the blend just isn't there. <br/><br/>SWBMO ordered the ham hock hash and I got he smashed avo. Beautiful presentation as you can see from the pics. <br/><br/>The food: <br/><br/>The ham hock was nice, however the hollandaise had too much lemon (not offensive just a wee too much). I guess it wasn't really what we expected, hash conjures an image of a grated potato and fried in glorious butter. This was more an 'open' hash. <br/><br/>The avo? Well it badly needed salt and pepper. Next time I'd suggest we do away with be fennel and just focus on the Avo. Also, maybe a firmer feta, it looked, felt and tasted like ricotta. <br/><br/>The sausage was nice, but despite being advertised as spicy, it wasn't. Perfectly poached eggs, bang on! <br/><br/>The staff are amazing, only downside is we weren't asked if we enjoyed out meal. EFTPOS available. <br/><br/>The verdict:<br/><br/>Coffee: 5/10<br/>Staff: 9.5/10<br/>Ambience: 7/10

Ive been here a long time ago when they still have the pork meatballs on the menu( yumm!). Back there again last week, but the menu has changed,<br/>I was a little skeptical when I saw nasi lemak on their menu but ordered it anyway. Wow it turned out to be one of the best nasi lemak Ihave ever tasted. Coconut rice mixed with shredded baramundi fish and topped with their yummy sambal and fried egg with a sprinkle of fried shallot. Great coffee and awesome service. I<br/>highly recommend this place.

I love that some of Canberra’s best eateries are tucked away in suburban oases – Stand By Me is one such gem. I was so impressed by the staff here; friendly, attentive and professional, not to mention happy to answer my questions knowledgably about the menu. I ordered a bottle of blood orange juice and the Samurai Mushrooms ($17.50) to eat. This is such a fabulous dish! The presentation is immaculate, with two wobbly sous vide eggs sitting atop a pile of assorted mushrooms (swiss browns and enoki were the only ones I could identify), with lovely bread soldiers and threads of dried chilli on top. Wow. The flavour

Sunday brunch. Great coffee. You have to try the apple crumble milkshake (yes it is a thing). French toast for the sweet tooth. GF options appreciated. Great value for money. Planning to go back again with friends.

Stand By Me is another one of Canberra's hidden gems. Located in Lyons this stylish, fresh cafe offers a variety of delicious breakfast and lunch options. The flavours of the food are zesty and fresh, the coffee is great and the service is excellent. One of the owners is a vegetarian so there are heaps of vegetarian options on the menu. I had the vegetarian beans and they were full of flavour and surprisingly light for breakfast beens. My partner had the avocado on toast with caper berries and there were a burst of flavour! Stand By Me is a great little cafe and I'll definitely be returning.

Really lovely little suburban cafe. The service was just brilliant so friendly and welcoming. The breakfast was lovely, not the best ever but really lovely. we had french toast with gina and tonic jelly (was beautiful ) however the french toast itself was a little dry and wasn't soaked long enough. Scrambled eggs were a little dry as well but truly if thats all we had to complain about were doing pretty well. No high chairs bunt thats understandable as its a cosy little gem. Will most definitely be going back..

Do you ever wish your town had more spicy breakfast options? I do. Having visited various Asian countries I've developed a healthy craving for curry for brekkie. (Here are pictures of some of the breakfast delights we enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur a couple of years ago.) While Canberra has lots of fabulous Asian restaurants their proprietors are, it seems, sensible enough to stay tucked up in bed on cold winter mornings rather than opening their doors to serve breakfast to oddballs like me. Fair enough.

Average prices, add ons are a little expensive but generous , good service! Great coffee, great menu but little to choose from. Cute atmosphere, lots of sitting options and lots of available parking <br/>

Venue has lots of potential but badly let down by poor service. It took a very long time for the food to come and one meal never came. They even got the coffee order wrong. Food quality was disappointing one meal was good but the other two only average. Sadly the coffee is also only poor to average. Finally for a suburban cafe it was not very kid friendly.

Hey, I'll stand by you anytime! Walked into a fabulous seventies space and sat down to coffee and fruit toast with ricotta and honeycomb spread. Absolutely worth trying! What an impact this place made on us - decor cleverly chosen, relaxed and warm setting, drawn in immediately by the reminiscent sounds of vinyl turning on a turntable. A tea for the tiller man experience if ever there was one. The service was friendly and thoughtful, and it won't take long for this little nook to get well- known - we just stumbled on it and we're glad we did.

Chicken congee. Humble looking dish that packs a bigger punch than many more elaborate looking dishes

A bit mediocre. I can't decide if I like this place or not. I like the atmosphere and the coffee is good but the two occasions where I have eaten here the food has been average. Flavorless eggs (Scrambled) and Ricotta and honey on fruit bread with a not very nice ricotta and barely enough honey to have on half a piece of bread. I would stop here for a coffee but not go here to eat again.

Friendly atmosphere, good parking and great cake and coffee. The eclectic vinyl and reading matter give SBM the edge.

Had a nice breakfast there once, but today, brunch was a disaster.<br/>I had their tortellini lunch special, tiny serving, pasta very undercooked & vegies mildly undercooked it could've been a great dish had it been cooked properly.<br/>My other half had a chicken dish on a sourdough bread that was so stale it was like a brick.<br/>Neither dish had decent flavour, borderlining on bland.

I wouldn't miss the hot chocolate at SBM...luscious mousse on top and great chocolate flavour. A friendly and unpretentious family run cafe with lots of homely touches creating a slightly retro feel. It was buzzing today.

Awful and pretentious. Don't go here unless you like terrible coffee and pretentious food.<br/>Not worth it.

Great food but Terrible Hot Chocolate. Really great experience every time we go there, friendly service and delicious food. My partner says the coffee is amazing, however as a non-coffee-drinker myself, I love my hot chocolates. The SBM hot chocolates are barely drinkable. You need at least 2 spoons of sugar to get it down. I won't be buying one again unless they change their formula.

Great coffee. I live just round the corner from here and stop some mornings for a coffee on the way to work. Haven't tried the food yet but the coffee is the best I've had in Canberra. Friendly staff, great atmosphere good location (forme anyway!)

I'm okay with boards if they're done right. I'd been here once before and had a good experience so maybe this was a one off but, I went here yesterday with my boyfriend and just didn't have an amazing experience, I got the smashed avocado which was nice but asked for a side and wasn't given it and it was served on a board so that my runny eggs went off the side. My boyfriend got a lamb burger which was served on a board about the size of the burger and the lamb was raw inside. The coffee was good though so would probably go for coffee and skip the food.

Extremely friendly staff, great coffee, great food with some nice alternatives tan just your average bacon & eggs. Will be returning & spreading the word. Thanks for such a nice experience :)

From unknown cafe to regular hotspot!. My partner and I live in the city and we tend to go far and wide looking for great eats. Stumbled on this cafe and decide to give it a go. Love the simple interior. Boston baked beans and meatballs make a really hearty breakfast! The roasted tomatoes was also a great choice. Tried the hell French toast and it was amazing too, only too sweet for breakfast. Their almond crossoint was nothing to shout about. Good coffee. Overall, really enjoyable. Would recommend it to everyone.

Great little cafe. I have been here a few times, and have enjoyed it every time. <br/>I have had the smashed avocado , the lamb burger special and the heaven/ hell French toast. <br/>the pastries and brownies are also very nice. <br/>I would suggest expanding the menu.

Great breakfast. Immediately when you walk in you know you're in for a treat. The coffee was good, the meals were fresh and of a high standard. The service was excellent . As a group of 15 with kids we were welcomed. prices are cheaper than cafes at the nearby shopping centre that is nowhere near the quality. well worth the visit.

All 'round great!. Went there for breakfast and was thoroughly impressed with it all! On arrival we were greeted by multiple friendly staff and were taken to sit outside in the wonderful courtyard out the back. Such great service, atmosphere and menu - I got the 'Boston Baked Beans' which were fantastic and came out very quickly. Overall I was very pleased with the service, vibe and food, and I would definitely recommend going there. The only complaint I could make is that the music in the back courtyard was considerably worse than that playing inside!

More on the menu please!. I've enjoyed my meals at SBM but the menu items are limited - I wish there were more to choose from! The French toast was lovely and the coffee is consistently great. I also enjoyed the lamb breakfast burger which was yesterday's special. Would love to see more on the menu

Yum yum yum. I love cafés at local shops. This one has a great atmosphere, lovely staff and yummy food. I had the 'Hell' French toast for Saturday breakfast which was anything but hellish (though definitely decadent). The coffee was good too.

I got a bacon and Egg role a.... I got a bacon and egg roll and a soy milk coffee. The BBQ sauce on the roll was so peppery I couldn't eat it and the coffee wasn't soy (I am lactose intolerant so I could tell)

Ermergherd! Yum. After spotting a blog review of Stand By Me, I HAD to come and try the Hotcakes (I normally avoid sweet breakfasts). Really good, the mint yoghurt is a nice touch. My niece had the Roasted tomatoes with homemade pesto and poached eggs which looked delish, and she had a side of bacon and the mushrooms. I tried one of the mushrooms (again something I generally dislike) and I could have eaten the whole lot!<br/><br/>Please to report fantastic coffee and excellent service. Well done, ticking all 3 boxes seems quite rare in Canberra but you've done it! :)

While it is a welcome new addition to the Woden workday lunch scene with a short list of regular dishes and some changing specials, its real strength is it’s breakfast menu (only available until11 am weekdays, but all day on weekends).

A friend and I headed to newly opened cafe, Stand By Me, at the Lyons shops for brunch last weekend. There are only a handful of tables inside and a back area with outdoor heaters to keep you warm. Arriving at around 10am, there were only a few stools left at the the small bar by the front windows. I was greeted warmly and with a big smile by one of the waiters who kindly showed me the back courtyard but I preferred to sit inside. The fit out is bright and urban with exposed brickwork and lots of bright popping colours dotted through out the cafe - like the brightly coloured mural on the back wall, coloured cushions and comfy bright orange stools. The yellow daisies on each table also helps to brighten up the cafe. There are books on the back shelves if you want something to read. There's also an old school vinyl player and records but I'm not sure if it was working. We noticed some opera music playing at one stage. I thought the water tap installed into the shelf was a good idea to q

The food at this new little cafe was really hearty and reminded me of home food on a cold winters day which was a nice change from all the clean and hip food we get around Canberra.