Emma Jones
A delightful cafe for weekend brunch with friends. I had called ahead to book a table for 12 and a suitable table was ready for us in the centre of the cafe when we arrived. There weren't enough menus to go around for all patrons in the cafe, so the staff brought over only a couple, then took them away again for other tables (photocopier anyone!?) The staff did not help explain this problem at all. The food was tasty (I had the stuffed french toast) although perhaps a little on the small side for the price. Delicious Campos coffee.
Shena D
A lovely little cafe hidden inside one of Manuka’s shopping arcades. Interesting Asian fusion lunch menu. I only wish they would offer some Asian breakfast such as rice porridge, bread with kaya or some small noodle dish. Coffee is pretty good with great prices.
Check it out - I think it’s better than some of the bigger, noisier cafes around here.
Ian Mybusiness
Very friendly staff. Food is a cut above the local cafés. Rosti stack with salmon was great.
Leah Skinner
The food at this place was impeccable! The cafe does well enough to create a pleasant atmosphere in a shared indoor space and just about manages to escape the "plaza" feel. Staff are friendly and coffee was nice. Again, couldn't fault the food for the life of me. Would definitely recommend.
Jae -
Consistently good coffee and the staff are always lovely, however, the food is dreadful.
Ordered the rosti with a poached egg and mushroom. The rosti was a stack of three thin greasy crisps (they should be fluffy and light), the salsa was drown in yogurt dressing and the entire dish was cold. Even the mushroom and poached egg were cold. The egg was cooked nicely though. The mushroom was just that - one small field mushroom. There was a lack of flavour in the overall dish as well.
Also ordered the avocado with bacon. The serving size was great, lots of bacon, but the entire dish was cold. Again, perfectly cooked egg but stone cold.
This place is quite expensive for what you get. If you're looking for good food, there are much better places around.
Peter Wise
Good food, quick friendly service. I think the physical layout needs some working on, though - the large table in the middle and the lack of dividers and pot plants between tables gives the feeling of a lack of privacy for customers seated at tables. This feeling is reinforced by the cafe's location in the courtyard of a shopping centre.
This Dude
Long wait, absent-minded service, food not bad. * Waited for 50 minutes for our order (followed up twice during that time). * food was initially brought without cutlery. * side order was left out. * food was good but not up to the level you see in photos in their ads or reviews. For example, bread was basic supermarket type bread.
Virginia Ferguson
4 of us had lunch here 3 of us went away disappointed. the Field mushrooms were a complete disappointment. I small "top" of a mushroom came out with 1 poached egg and 1 rasher of bacon. The egg was poached nicely. that was the only good thing about the lunch. The "rosti" in the stack were overcooked and had no substance to them. The coffee was average. Another cafe bought by chinese wanting visa perhaps i don't know!
LP Wilson
Great service. Friendly and very helpful. They even went and got a newspaper for my partner to read. The coffee and food are excellent. The goats cheese and mushroom omlete is the best I have ever eaten. We had breakfast there two days in a row as couldn't go past their coffee and service. Like the garden vibe.
Emma Grey
Our running group meets every Sunday morning for a different walk/jog and then at a different Canberra cafe for breakfast afterwards. In five years, we've seen a LOT of cafes, and a hugely varied range of service. The staff at Secret Garden were very friendly and attentive and we didn't feel at all rushed. In other cafes, we often get the vibe that we're an 'inconvenience' because we're usually a group of around ten (we get this vibe even when we book ahead), but we felt very welcome at Secret Garden. Great service, thank you, and amazing food presentation! We'll be back. :-)
Rita Capeling-Evans
Food and service excellent. A little gem hidden away in Manuka. Loved the rosti stack (chefs recommendation) and John thought the good old bacon and eggs were the best he’d had in long time. So nicely presented too!
Christian Alex Zappa
I really enjoyed the coffee and see the potential this place has. But right now I didn't get the vibe the Secret Garden is going for. It felt a little like a lonely food court cafe, maybe some music from a speaker in the eating area rather then the ceiling would fix this. Also up the garden vibe. More plants! More pops of colour, flowers on tables, try and remove the echo you get from being in the old food court, make it's feel cozzy and private, take me to that place you want me to go to.
Gong Yi
Top class cafe - good friendly service, comfortable environment and delicious food. Best latte cheese cake and Thai chicken salad in Canberra.
Amanda Whitley
One of those little gems that punches above its weight. The dishes may seem simple but the depth of flavour packed into each of them shows real skill. Our new weekend fave.
Tom Connor
Good variety of fusion food. Coffee is wxcellent.
Mike Clayton
A business is only as good as their staff.
Michael out front a day chef in the back are a wiz bang tag team. Delivering perfect coffee no matter how you like it to accompany, fresh healthy and flavoursome food! Can't stop going back
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