I Don't Eat, I Devour

As far as views go, Hacienda is definitely up there. Located in the Pullman at Circular Quay, with a clear view of the harbour bridge, the opera house and the ferries that sail serenely on Sydney's glistening waters, Hacienda offers a stunning backdrop both day and night. If only it didn't have loud nightclub music pumping. I had called Hacienda to book the Sunday brunch - and received a call to confirm my booking. When we turned up, however, we were told that brunch finished at 1pm - right when we booked. The staff were lovely - they checked with the kitchen to see if they could still make some brunch items for us, but alas, the answer was no. The kitchen had packed up the brunch ingredients - fair enough, we were fine with ordering off the general food menu. The food menu, however, was not what we wanted: it is bar-foody and it was difficult to find things which were interesting. I suppose the whole point of the menu is to nibble while one drinks. The cocktail menu is...

Gratia Cafe is the sister cafe to Folonomo Restaurant, a 'for purpose' restaurant which donates its profits to charity (review coming soon, stay tuned!). Its service, however, cannot be compared to that of Folonomo. My friends and I experienced what is one of the most bizarre experiences we have ever had at a cafe. Scroll down for my rant - but as this is a food blog, let's talk about the food first. The food at Gratia is so over-priced for what they are that it has single-handedly lead me to believe  there might be some truth in the infamous suggestion that us Gen Ys would be able to put down a deposit for a house if only we forgo our smashed avos. Bagel, $15 This is a bagel. With some sour cream, one thin piece of smoked trout, and some leaves (branded as watercress and sorrel). And a wedge of lemon. Such thrills. Bacon and Egg Roll, $12 And this, my friends, is a bacon and egg roll. Except the menu makes it sound so much more mysterious than it is - I had t...