Stowaway – Cafe On Pittwater

This is one delightful café with beautiful views over the marina. Being very near the doggy beach it’s our go_​to place after our pup Bella has had a swim as they are super doggy friendly. The food here is always excellent with something for everyone and the coffee is consistently good. The service is always friendly but at busy times can be a bit slow but with such a lovely outlook no one seems to mind.

This café is only a few mins from my home but I only recently discovered it. Located at the Marina at Bayview, you’d be forgiven for missing this café from the street as it sits on the waterfront side of the building. Entry is from the small car park to the left side of the building (not the main council car park located to the right). I visited on a cold and rainy day, possibly the worst time to take advantage of the location, and it was still lovely. Warmed by an outdoor heater, the seating is outdoor undercover. Orders are placed at the counter, but food is delivered to the table. Seating is comfortable but not luxurious. The staff were very friendly and highly attentive.
The menu is all day breakfast or lunch, prices aren’t cheap but based on quality of fare I would say they are reasonable. I ordered a full breakfast consisting of bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, toast and hash brown. The menu price was $ 20 which is at the upper end of what I’d expect to pay for a café breakfast. I asked for them to hold the hash brown as I didn’t want it. What arrived was a mountain of good food. 3 full bacon rashers, 2 sunny side up eggs, 2 beef sausages, 3 slices of premium loaf toast, a halved grilled tomato and sauted mushroom. I have to assume they added extra bacon in lieu of the hash brown because there was no room left on the plate for anything else. It was delicious, pure and simple.
Perhaps it was the cold weather, perhaps it was the cosy warmth of the heater, perhaps it was waiting until midday for breakfast. Even accounting for all those things, the food was delicious. The bacon was premium quality, the eggs were free range, the sausages were gourmet, everything was cooked perfectly. We asked for a coffee and that came in a big mug, ready to warm the hands, perfectly suited to the day. Maybe it was a one off to have such a good experience, and it helps when you’re not expecting it, but I will be heading back here.