Review Cafe 51 - Canberra

The menu at Cafe Essen is very large, mostly-Mediterranean-inspired and eclectic, with almost as many blackboard specials as well. There are soups, savory and sweet crepes, burgers, Lasagne, salads, curries, and all day breakfast. Our delicious food was slightly let down by slow service (only one cook on a Friday lunchtime!). My wife ordered the tofu salad, which was mildly spicy and delicious, and I ordered the vegetarian breakfast, which was pretty much perfect (see photos). One minor niggle: the hollandaise sauce I ordered as an extra (it's not normally part of the standard breakfast) came out as a pale white sauce that, by the cook's own admission, contained no egg yolks. I'm sure it was very nice, but it was NOT hollandaise - it tasted like inexpensive mayonnaise and simply didn't work with breakfast eggs. If I had ordered the eggs benedict and that anemic stuff had been poured all over it, it would have been pretty awful, so be warned. My attempt to explain to the cook what hollandaise sauce is usually made from was met with polite but stubborn refusal to admit error. Luckily it was served on the side and could be avoided. Apart from that one irritating encounter, and the slow service (which may have been a one off), oh - and the lack of air conditioning on a warm day, it was actually a very good meal. The food was fresh and delicious. I mostly recommend Cafe Essen.

Pretty average place. Early breakfast on the weekend in a group. Coffees were poorly made and took about 15 minutes to come out, despite there being only about 5 customers in the cafe. Large selection of different foods of all types and prices. Prices about right for breakfast cafés. Vego breakfast was fairly lack luster. Eat here if you want, but with grey city buildings and concrete all around, I think you could find better places to eat a 5 minute walk away on Lonsdale Street.

Really yummy, and always love a place that has a vegan menu. The coffee I had really hit the spot, smooth, but with enough of a kick to wake me up. My partner had the fresh orange juice which was also great. I had the bean & tofu scramble was was so flavourful and filling, and my partner had the eggs benedict with salmon which he really seemed to enjoy. Overall it was a really great breakfast, looking forward to eating here again!

Essen use to have such a cool vibe and quality food that felt artisan. I had breakfast here on a weekend. The cafe was pretty empty but it took quite a while. The breakfast was something you could cook at home. The staff were friendly.

Took 40 minutes to get 2 dry pancakes with military ration serving of syrup (at $15) and an hour for the other 2 meals which included olives when requested for none. Drinks took the same time with an orange juice that must have been at least 15% skin based on the taste and possible extra coffee was estimated to be over an hour. Coffee was okay though and the wait staff were doing their best but would be completely unsurprised if the chef suffered a recent lobotomy.

Tea at Essen can be one of life's joys. Sitting and watching as the world goes by, can be lovely particularly with the right company. The food is really good, particularly after a big night out. I have been there late in the evening for coffee and cake and early in the morning for breakfast - never disappointed.

Open late, usually quiet enough to have a chat. Perfectly adequate coffee with a few food options. I'm not saying it's the best place in Civic. But it's a reliable spot to meet someone or hang out.

Cheerful but uneven service. A curious wait even though quiet. Coffee was good with a nice range of beans. Menu not particularly unique. Breakfast wrap was tasty. A simple dish done well.