Cream Cafe Bar

4 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  3      Value  3     

A Sunday breakfast with family, made unpleasant by uninterested staff who seem as if you're being done a favour. We actually asked for butter and there was eye rolling!
Portions are small on small plates - value lacking. I was also unimpressed with the spinach side that was not only expensive, but completely saturated in oil. The fit out is good, and we were warm and comfortable, but good service really is an unknown concept here.

Apr 23, 2012 

3.5 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  1     

We went there (2 adults, 2 kids) on Good Friday. The foods were so Expensive ($27 for a supposedly-pancetta pasta with a oil, garlic and couple of pine nuts? You gotta be joking). My husband had a veal meal, not much to brag about. Kids had the kids menu, very pricey.

On top of that, the public holiday surcharge of close to $18! Hmm...Canberra, very expensive. At least they did not charge for the chilli oil I asked for (or did they?).

Apr 12, 2012 

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  8     

Go for the great food but do not stay for the service or atmosphere.

Read more on my blog

Mar 24, 2012 

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  3      Value  2     

Valentines day in the city with my Husband, tapas and oysters were fine, no complaints. I ordered the 'Jambalaya' with 'seafood' for the main, after one mouthful I felt disgusted that they could serve what tasted like a frozen meal. I asked the wait staff to take it back and if I could order something else. This was such an ordeal, I was asked 'whats wrong with it?', I explained that it tasted 'pre frozen', not like the Jambalaya dish I'd had once before.

The waiter knelt down beside me in a patronising way and explained "this is the poor mans version of 'Jambalaya', the poor people in the southern USA eat it".... I wanted to take it off the bill since I didn't eat it but they insisted I pay (we had already ordered a bottle of wine, tapas for two, a dozen oysters, two main and an extra glass of wine...).

A very expensive frozen meal of Jambalaya and a waiter who refers to one of Cream's dishes a 'a poor man's version'. Never again!

Feb 15, 2012 

5.3 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  5     

Had lunch there. Welcome is good and shown to a table very quickly. Given water and menus and order taken quite quickly. Son's burger was very, very good (chicken), however, my beef burger was atrocious. I should have sent it back (I know that). It was almost a rubber consistency, not a nice meat pattie with some interesting texture and flavour. I could barely cut it let alone eat it. Loads of tomato type sauce so your face was a big mess if you bit into it.

For the cost ($50 for 2 one soft drink, one coffee and 2 burgers) won't be heading back there anytime soon. I'm not kidding, a McFeast from Mcdonalds is a more interesting beef burger.

Oct 25, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

I had lunch at Cream yesterday with my daughter. The place was very busy, yet the service was good. It took us a while to decide what to order from the interesting (although not overly extensive) menu. I was quite peckish and given the price of the dish I was considering, I was concerned that the serving size would be a little on the small side. How wrong I was! Both dishes we ordered (Chimmichunga and Lamb Skewers) were very substantial and both tasted amazing.

There appeared to be an interesting dessert cabinet, however, neither my daughter nor I had room for anything else!

Jul 24, 2011 

3.5 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  6      Service  1      Value  4     

Ate here on a Friday night as we were looking for somewhere in canberra we could spend a while and chill out. The atmosphere is nice, but the service was atrocious, no removal of dirty plates or glasses from the table, no-one asking if we would like to order anything, we had to get the attention of the wait staff every time we required anything. Though looking at the waitstaff, I'm assuming they are employed on the basis of looks, not ability! Food was ok - nothing to rave about -all a bit overcooked, and took a long time to come (we waiting about 90 minutes between ordering and receiving our main course). It was the second time I'd been there, and was seriously unimpressed the first time as well, but thought i'd give it another chance - but not again... there's much nicer places to eat in canberra than here, esp since it's not cheap either!

Jun 15, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  10      Value  10     

We were seated and served well despite showing up just as the kitchen was closing. Food was so tasty, I wanted to come back again but we were just in town for a weekend. The ambience is a little too bright and cheap-looking, and the staff is a little young and casual, which both betray the quality of everything else, which was great!

Apr 24, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

I have been to Cream on several occasions, it is always my 'go to restaurant' when I am out with the girls. I have been here for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Breakfast, the serving sizes are a little small, however, tasted divine. I had the home made waffles with mixed berries and mascarpone. Tasted good, would have preferred it a little crunchier, and more of it.

Love coming here for lunch. I am always drawn in by the linguini on the specials board. Dinner a few times, even with my very aussie boyfriend, he loves it, not too fancy for him, and great flavours. He had the whole baby barra once, and won't stop raving about it. I have had the potted pie and the curry on the menu, and always to full for dessert.

I am a bit younger, which is, perhaps, why I have never had a bad experience with the waiters, as they are my age. Treat them well, and they will do the same.

Jan 31, 2011 

5 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  4      Value  5     

I quite liked this place until I had a bad experience there. I ordered the barramundi for dinner and when it arrived I bit into it to find it was undercooked. Undercooked Barra is not nice. So anyway I called the waiter over, I think he was the manager, and told him and was surprised when he looked at my plate with an expression of disdain on his face then picked it up and walked away without saying a word! He returned 5 minutes later and apologised obviously after confirming with the chefs that I was correct.

I thought it was really bad form as he should have apologised right away. Any decent restaurant would fall over themselves to apologise and usually would at least offer free coffee if not knock the meal off the bill. We got nothing. Very bad for business. I doubt the owner would be happy if he knew. Left a very sour taste in my mouth. We had been here several times before but won't go back after that. Also the waiters are pretentious and up themselves with their fashion victim haircuts, popped collars and fake 'how ya doin guys' greetings etc. Its all very try hard. End of the day its their loss cause we won't go back again and if anyone asks us what its like we will tell them.

Nov 26, 2010