Banksia Bistro - Downtown

Wow! This place did NOT disappoint! Quaint, modern bistro with a wooden slat wall full of hanging plants and windows all around to let in tons of natural light. I had an iced vanilla latte and the Quinoa Watermelon salad. My daughter had an iced Chai tea latte and the biscuits and gravy. The drinks were fabulous. The Chai had just the right amount of spice. We could really taste the clove and cinnamon. The coffee was smooth and mild. They even did decaf for me. The biscuits were fresh, and the sausage gravy was very tasty. Thick and creamy and almost tasted healthy. My salad was phenomenal. Served on a bed of fresh arugula, cubed watermelon and quinoa featuring grilled halloumi cheese, and toasted macadamia nuts made for a very tantalizing taste experience. A very light vinaigrette with a touch of chili completed the masterpiece.

We had a great time sitting on the patio on a Friday night. The patio is dog friendly. We absolutely LOVED the food. We had the meatballs to start. I had the Australian prawns and my husband had the Aussie burger. For dessert we had the caramel slice. The food was beyond amazing and the service was great. We love their cafe and this is the perfect extension of that. If this is what Australian food is like I want to go there immediately.

Good amount of gluten-free options, including actually-good GF toast (still rare!), and a selection of desserts. The service and atmosphere were lovely. The prices were a bit steep for the type of food and drink offered, but ultimately, it was understandable given the location and likely overhead costs. My favorite food item was the mushroom-beet toast. Haven't had anything like it before, and I was pleasantly surprised!

Amazing food and cocktails! We were here for a wedding over the weekend and wanted to get something light. We ordered the Jerk Chicken Salad and Mediterranean Chicken Salad. Both choices were fantastic! We loved it here so much that we went back for brunch the next day!

Extremely disappointing experience at Banksia. We arrived at 7:30 PM on a Friday—a full 1.5 hours before their posted closing time of 9:00 PM—only to be told they weren’t accepting any walk-ins. The restaurant was practically empty, with only two tables occupied. Still trying to be understanding, we politely asked if we could at least purchase some dessert to go. The answer? A flat-out no. I’ve rarely encountered such dismissive and unwelcoming customer service. If I were the owner, I’d be seriously concerned. This is not how you run a business—turning away paying customers well before closing time on a weekend night? That’s just bad business, plain and simple. We won’t be back. And I wouldn’t recommend anyone waste their time trying to give this location a chance unless you enjoy being turned away from a nearly empty restaurant. And to whoever responds to reviews on behalf of the business: I’ve read your replies to other critical reviews, and there’s a clear pattern of defensiveness rather than a willingness to reflect and improve. Frankly, that attitude explains a lot about why the service and overall experience are lacking. Instead of appreciating honest feedback and using it to elevate your standards, you offer excuses for everything—slow service blamed on “seven deaths in one day,” stale pastries brushed off because “staff forgot to remove the old ones.” Seriously? Even if you believe you had justifications after the fact, none were communicated in person. What we experienced was stonewalling, not transparency. And let’s be honest—personally attacking customers in your public responses doesn’t just look unprofessional, it reveals a lot about your character. Owning a business comes with responsibility. Everyone makes mistakes. The difference is in how you handle them. Learn to take accountability—it goes a lot further than excuses.

This was our favorite stop when visiting KC! The meat pie, ricotta pancakes and pavlova were absolutely amazing. The staff were so friendly!! Definitely a MUST if you are downtown!

Hidden Gem in Kansas City – Delicious Aussie-Inspired Bistro Near the Convention Center! While visiting Kansas City for a volleyball tournament, we planned to grab a quick bite at Chipotle but ended up discovering an amazing Aussie-inspired restaurant instead—and we’re so glad we did! As the wife of an Australian, I was immediately drawn to this unique bistro that brings a taste of Australia to the Midwest. We arrived early for dinner, fresh off a flight, and were just looking for something light as it was technically our late lunch. The happy hour menu had great options at even better prices. We ordered the margherita pizza, grazing platter, and polpette meatballs. I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and my daughter enjoyed a Shirley Temple. Every dish was flavorful, fresh, and satisfying. The total came to just around $44 before tip, and we left completely full with leftovers. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, yet upbeat and contemporary—perfect for families, travelers, and anyone looking for a break from chain restaurants. I highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting Kansas City or searching for “Aussie food near me,” “best happy hour KC,” or “family-friendly restaurants Kansas City.” We’re already planning to return tomorrow to try their Australian meat pies and sausage rolls, which are my daughter’s all-time favorites. This place is a must-visit for fans of international cuisine or anyone looking to try something new in Kansas City! Second Visit – Still Delicious with a Few Misses (and a Fun Aussie Twist) We enjoyed our first visit so much that we came back the next day for lunch so my daughter could try the sausage roll and meat pie. Unfortunately, they were out of the lamb meat pie, so she went with the beef—it was good, but we both agreed we’d love to try the lamb next time. She also had the lamb sausage roll instead of the pork. I had a bite and thought it was tasty, but we’ll have to go back and compare it to the pork version. Both pastries were perfectly flaky, though I have to admit—it’s hard to beat my husband’s! For dessert, we tried the lamington. It was good, though a bit dry for my taste, and I wasn’t a fan of the raspberry filling (if that’s what it was). I’m more used to a traditional lamington, which I personally prefer. That said, my daughter loved it—she said it reminded her of a mashup between a lamington and an Iced VoVo biscuit. I ordered the pork belly, lentil, and spinach salad. The salad itself was fresh and well-balanced, but I wish the pork belly had more flavor—maybe I’m just used to BBQ-style pork belly with a smokier, more seasoned profile. Bonus: The table numbers are labeled with letters, and each one has a fun Aussie fact on it—which we loved! It’s a charming detail that adds to the experience and gives you a little conversation starter while you wait. We’re already planning to come back again—next time to try the mini pavlovas!

My girlfriend and I stopped by Banksia Bistro for lunch and were disappointed by the overall experience. When we arrived, there were only two tables occupied and at least four staff members present, so we didn’t expect service to be an issue—but it was. We ordered our food and sat at the bar hoping to get drinks. Unfortunately, the woman behind the bar, wearing a flannel shirt (possibly the bar manager), spent the vast majority of our visit on her phone and made no effort to serve or even acknowledge us. We tried to make light conversation with the staff—mentioning that one of them shared a name with my girlfriend—but were met with silence and walked away from. Throughout our visit, staff repeatedly said, “this is the calm before the storm,” while we continued waiting for service in the “calm.” Water is self-serve, which would be fine, but most of the glasses were visibly dirty—around three-quarters of them. When we finally received our drinks and food, the woman in flannel returned—not to check on us, but to inform us we had an unpaid balance while we were still eating. That comment alone made us decide not to order anything further. The final moment that sealed the visit was when an older man in a polo started clapping in the air trying to kill the fruit flies buzzing around the bar and seating area. All in all, the food was fine, but the service, cleanliness, and overall atmosphere made this a place we don’t plan to revisit.

I finally made it to Banksia before their big move to 12th street! Conveniently located a block from the streetcar line on quiet 9th street. It's pretty small inside, and I have seen it get packed on the weekends. (The previous times I have tried to eat here on a weekend at 10 am, there have been no empty tables and an hour wait for food! You know it's gotta be good!) You order at the counter and then find a seat. You know what we're all here for -- the sausage rolls and meat pies. I tried a pork & fennel roll and a lamb & harissa roll. Boy am I glad I tried both! They were both outstanding. Perfectly crisp dough wrapped around succulent sausages! The lamb and harissa roll was particularly delicious - salty and sweet and spicy. Make sure to get here early on the weekend because they will sell out of the meat pies and rolls! Check the warming case on the left end of the bar for what's available! I also ordered a breakfast sandwich. Ordering it on a croissant was the right move for sure. It was tasty! It has to be hard a hard life for this breakfast sandwich to be located right around the corner from the best breakfast sandwich in KC (Mildred's, in my opinion), but we're all at Banksia for the sausage rolls anyway! Nevertheless my quest to eat all the breakfast sandwiches in KC continues, and I am glad I finally tried it. Can't wait to see what the future holds for Banksia's big move a couple blocks away! I'm already thinking about when I'll get a sausage roll next.

This was my first time at this location of Banksia. I usually go to the Plaza location and was excited to try this location as well! I came with my sister right after we got our nails done at Polished. Which was great because it was right across the street. There was a good amount of seating and it was busy while we were there but luckily had no issue finding a table. I ordered the corn and zucchini fritters which were amazing! My sister really liked what she got as well. I love the open windows and the greenery sprinkled throughout the restaurant. Their pastries looked so good but we didn't get any. I am glad to know this location is just as good as the other! I will definitely go back next time I'm downtown.

I've been here twice and loved it each time. As they say 'Experience a little bit of Australia here in the Heartland' First I had the homemade sausage roll so good next was the egg, over easy and sausage English muffin sandwich, I didn't ask for an easy egg and this was To Go so that's something to ask about. There is also outdoor seating.

I had to update my review because I had a really off experience yesterday, and I hope it was just a one-time deal. Because I am used to ordering anything in the pastry case- including the gluten-free orange poppyseed cake - and it being incredible and decadent. However, yesterday the orange poppyseed cake had a very bitter astringent flavor to it like maybe the pith of the orange/too much of the rind was used when zesting the orange or maybe it was something else but, it was throughout the whole cake. I will try the cake out again here soon, and hopefully, this problem isn't presenting itself again I still highly recommend this Australian bakery and cannot wait until they move into the larger location where the downtown Plow Boys used to be, so do not let this review discourage you from visiting!

First, I would say that their coffee is great. I would recommend their cold brew. The reason why I am reviewing them 3/5 stars is that their avocado toast was not good. It was super salty, and they laid on the miso paste VERY THICK. That was the only thing you could've really taste. The bread was not toasted and the tomatoes were also very salty. The only thing that was really edible was the egg and some of the arugula that wasn't touching the miso paste. I would probably try something different from their menu, like their French toast, or pancakes, or even their pastries, but please skip the avocado toast.

banksia pavlova 4lifeee ft the beef and cheese potato pie. this and their greek lamb are my favorites! (p.s any pie w the marie sharp's smoked habanero hot sauce on it is amazing if u like spicy)

We absolutely loved this place! We were actually heading to Mildred's when we found Banksia and could not recommend it enough. They have a variety of pastries and sandwiches. The ambiance is amazing and has another room attached as well as a patio that we weren't able to check out due to the weather. The service was quick as you order when you come in and they bring you your food. We got the BLT and brie sandwich. Awesome place for a coffee date or some light work

The downtown location is a quaint and sweet little breakfast/lunch spot. Stopped by for a cappuccino and quick bite - I ordered half salad, half soup of the day (potato), and an almond croissant. My boyfriend ordered the B.A.T. The barista was kind, and prompt. Food was ok, and I'd like to give it another try! The potato soup didn't have much flavour, and I would have loved for the almond croissant to have a smidge more frangipane for an added layer of sweetness. But the bites of sandwich I tried were tasty, and the drinks were pleasant. I love the ambiance of the location, and especially enjoyed snagging a table next to the window. Perfect, quiet spot to finish some work, read a book, or enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend or partner.

We were looking for a different eating spot and came upon this lovely Australian bakery. My wife and I both had the Chai tea latte which was good. I enjoyed the Avocado Toast which had slices of ripe avocado which was nice as sometimes avocado toast can be scant on the avocado. My wife had the Bacon, Avocado, and tomato sandwich. There was a delicious tangy dressing which made this sandwich special. We were happy we happened upon this fun spot.

My family had a great experience at Banksia! The three of us went for lunch on a Saturday around 12:30 pm. The staff was so kind and welcoming to a hungry toddler- he had a cinnamon roll and couldn't have been happier. I was afraid there would be a wait, but there were plenty of open tables.

Delish!! Food was great! Staff were friendly. Glad that they are moving to a new location. Only thing is that the table is outside could've been cleaned up. It had leaves and debris on them. Seats were dirty as well Dusty.

At an event at the convention center but wanted something good for breakfast. Found this cute place and the gluten free options were amazing

Looks way nicer in the pictures. Went for breakfast and it was just ok. Prob won't give it another shot. Seemed like they were moving or something by the empty display case and lack of decor.

I really love this spot! I think you can't go wrong with anything you order off of their menu but you have to try the pavlova! Love coming here when I am in KC!

Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate drinks all very much above average. I've had several kinds of quiche there and they've all been perfect. Very helpful, unrushed service. It's just a great place to hang out for a while with breakfast or brunch, a cup or a glass, friends or a book.

Banksia continues to be one of my favorite spots to visit whenever I'm in Kansas City. I am thrilled to learn that they opened up another spot! Their hand rolls and baked items (especially the Pavlova) are to die for. I also love how their table numbers teach you something neat about Australia. Definitely worth checking out!

Each of my visits to Banksia have always provided excellent food and service. In the past, I have purchased slices of cake to-go but today i enjoyed a meal inside. I had the breakfast burrito, and my friend had the BAT (BLT with avocado, Russian dressing, et al). Both were excellent. This cozy place would be an excellent place to meet a friend or colleague, read, or catch up on some work. When it comes to local coffee shop/bakery places, Banksia comes with my highest recommendation!

I love Banksia! My friends and I originally found it when we needed a cute place to grab some brunch for a bachelorette party. Their menu has several staples worth trying, my favorite is their beautiful pavlova. I haven't tried anything I haven't loved so far! I always have great interactions with the staff, will be bringing more people next time I go!

I love it here ~ the environment is fresh, the staff is lovely, the food is so delicious and of extremely high quality ingredients. The place is straight out of the 1920's with original floors, lines, chandelier, and a really quiet quaint back patio for personal space. Let's keep this darling a secret, but I doubt it as it had quite the frequent regular coming in the original front door and ordering their regular! Open only during the day and the tarts, pies, pastries , cakes, quiches, sausage rolls, Australian hot pies, go quickly ~

The coffee is pretty good. The service was great. This shop is different than any shop in KC, which is what I love.

The salads were wonderful. The Moroccan salad with couscous and grilled halloumi cheese was delightful and bursting with flavor. The Jerk salad was delicious. This place left me wanting to try more of their menu items

Wow! What a treat this place is! Location is downtown near the library so street parking can be kind of a pain but there is always a spot within a couple blocks. They serve breakfast, brunch, and lunch as well as pastries. I have been here many times and never had something that wasn't amazing. The mushroom beet toast sounds different but wow was it good! The ham and Brie sandwich with apples for lunch... so good! Treat yo-self and check this place out!

If you are looking to waste your day waiting 20-30 minutes for subpar food l, this is your place. Quite honestly there are way too many other options in KC. Don't know why anyone would CHOOSE this place. Got a sandwich and a cinnamon roll. Ticket time was 25 minutes. There was only one person in front of me. 25 minutes is the time you'd wait at a fine dining restaurant not a cafe. The sandwich was loaded with sauce and butter. I threw it away after taking 3 bites. Cinnamon roll was okay. On the dry side. Just so many better options.

I love the downtown location of Banksia. The vibe is cozy and calm, the staff is so kind and the food never disappoints! One of my fav breakfast spots.

I ordered a corned beef sandwich and had it delivered through one of the delivery services. The sandwich was not very good and the bread was soaking wet and soggy on one side. That's the good part. It came with a side salad and the greens in it were absolutely rotten. Not wilted, rotten. I have no doubt I would have gotten sick if I ate any of the salad. If they serve that for salad we'll see what happens now with the sandwich I ate. Hopefully it stays down.

Cute place -- the plants on the wall add a nice, warm atmosphere. Ricotta Hotcakes is really good, although pricey for Kansas City. Probably won't come back because it's not cheap, but it was a nice meal. *visited 3/20/21

Heard great things about this place, and I had a great experience myself. Stopped by for breakfast on a chilly morning. Counter staff for friendly and helpful and my coffee and breakfast sandwich were the perfect start to the day. I had my sandwich on an English muffin with bacon. The sunny side up egg was just the right touch and it was all seasoned perfectly. There's so much on the menu I can't wait to try in the future! Such a cozy spot for a bite, chat with friends and people watching.

Delicious, generous servings, delicious sweets and pastries, fair priced. Chill vibe and super nice shaded patio. Great place to grab breakfast or brunch. Looking for a place to bring your out of town guests and avoid the large busy chain restaurants this is your place. So glad they are in my neighborhood.

I am so mad at myself! This place is literally down the block from me, and I am now just trying it out. Tasty food and delicious lattes, count me in! I cannot wait to come back to try other items. Today, I got a matcha latte. & my friend got a cappuccino. She said it is the best one in town. We also got their breakfast burritos for $12 to share. Huge portion. Definitely need to split that with someone, or not. Hahah

I went with a group for breakfast one morning and everything we got was fantastic. One of my friends got the eggs Benedict which she said were Incredible, and I got the zucchini/corn fritters! The refried beans on the side were surprisingly delicious and had great flavor. The bacon was exactly what you want in a piece of bacon - juicy and thick with a saltiness that brings out that great natural flavor! 10/10 recommend and in such a cute area downtown. Great place if you're visiting or a local wanting to try out a new spot! They also had an assortment of rolls and pastries that are authentic to Australian cuisine. I got a piece of their Lamington to go and it was incredible. I will definitely be going back!

Awesome local coffee shop. I had a pumpkin latte and the avocado toast. Love all the paper cranes.

Food was great (the sausage rolls!) and the cappuccino was amazing. The theme is Australian. Only downside is seating is limited. Will go again, if you are in KC it's a must try.

The food was to die for. Definitely need to have again when in the area! Short walking distance from downtown hotels.

I've only been to Banksia twice now but I could see myself becoming a regular. I ordered an egg sandwich (without the cheese or protein), and my partner ordered the same thing (but with cheese, a lot prettier than mine in the picture). It fell apart immediately, so I opted to eat it with a fork and knife. You could tell the biscuits were made in-house - so good (though a bit too sweet). The coffee was also phenomenal, can't wait to try more in the future. Definitely, I'll be back. I really want to try the vegemite toast next time.

a cool, quaint place with a few problems. first- the good: cheerful, clean atmosphere and staff. great coffee(s)- it's hard to find a strong flat white in the USA- really legit sausage roll (if you've been to AUS you'll appreciate), etc etc. her croissant was also great. avocados were unavailable so i ordered the eggs benedict. what i got was really good truffled scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of ham, a scattering of spinach on top of two (legit) english muffins... and no hollandaise. at all. and a side of undressed greens. delicious, but certainly not egged benedict. it was just... eggs. add hollandaise, toss the greens in a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon over it all, it would prob be great. maybe it's new kitchen staff? not sure. regardless, worth a visit- just ask twice when you order about the ingredients. cheers!

Wow! We came here solely through the macaroons that we heard about from a friend and let me tell you they did not disappoint. This is probably one of our favorite places to get fresh Macarons. My daughter is obsessed with all the things Macarons and these are her absolute favorite in the Kansas City area. We will definitely be coming here often to fulfill her cravings. Great service! Can't wait to try some of the other options they have.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TIME!! I've been sitting here for 15+ minutes waiting on an avocado toast to go- I have never ordered avocado toast and had it take so long. I'm now super late for work and had I not paid $12+tax for this toast, I would have walked out by now. Update: my egg was cold, the toast is difficult to eat because of its setup, the spread they put on the bread was extra salty. In the future I'd order the coffee, maybe try a dessert, but I'll pass on ALL food after that. Go here to sit down or order 20+ minutes ahead of time.

Stumbled upon this place while looking for another coffee shop nearby. And I am so happy I did. This place is so cute & quaint. Theres paper cranes all over, and it's a double sided seating area. Menu is quite straight forward. All the coffee, and lattes. I ordered a vanilla latte and it was made quickly & very delicious. Customer service was so friendly & welcoming. I also ordered a pavlova with chantilly cream, it was sooo creamy & light. Perfectly balance of sweets. FYI- they let you take a crane inside a jar and pass it to a loved one for peace and healing! Love this beautiful idea.

The first time I stopped in it was due to the guilty pleasure of hot cross buns. I did not find it however I did come across a number of child hood fav meat pies- lamb to chicken leek. This place warmed my heart. Over the cause of time I have come to love their tarts as well. One piece of advice if you plan on doing a takeout feel free to give them a call and ask them for a frozen version of your fav pie.

This spot was a block and a half from our hotel and we had breakfast here 3 out of the 4 days on our trip! We obviously liked it if we kept coming back. Over the 3 stops we tried about half the pastries/baked goods, the hot cakes (my favorite and a must try), avocado toast, breakfast burrito, and biscuits and gravy. All the dishes were delicious and all prepared fresh with homemade ingredients. They are a bit expensive for the area, but well worth it.

Such good meat pies and friendly service. We bought a whole bunch of extras to freeze for later.

Stopped by banksia for some yogurt, breakfast sandwich, and coffee. Coffees were pretty standard. The breakfast sandwich was great! Biscuit was well made. I loved their yogurt and granola! But I have to say it's more like granola topped with yogurt while I'm used to having more yogurt than granola. But I won't complain! The granola was well made with bits of dried fruit. It was a great start to our day.

Australian bakery/brunch spot with unique pastries and dishes! Go early (opening time) if you want any particular pastry. When we arrived a little after 9, they had already run out of the lamington cake and pavlova. We ordered a fennel sausage roll which was filled to the brim with sausage and delicious! I ordered the ricotta hotcakes and my companions ordered biscuits and gravy and the breakfast burrito. The pancakes were my favorite. Thick and fluffy with good amount of butter, strawberries and caramelized bananas. The biscuits (2) swimming in gravy ratio was on point. Though gravy was a bit sweet for my taste. The breakfast burrito definitely has a kick but was quite salty unfortunately. A side of sour cream would have been nice. Will definitely return to try the meat pies and pastries!

It's a nice place to try something new. The coffee is good, and it's in a cute little building downtown

Lamington is awesome - super moist, chocolate, coconut delight! Food was excellent and of course, I've waited too long to post this after our visit, so I can't remember what we specifically ordered other than the above mentioned Lamington. What I do remember is that all of the items we ordered were good and tasted fresh with great flavor combinations. We will definitely return when we get the chance!

Solid (and big) breakfast burrito! Also had an egg bacon and cheese breakfast sandwich - sooo good and the perfect runny yolk! The pastries and baked good looked amazing. Do not miss this place if in town! Great seating inside and a cool outside seating area too.

Awesome place. Have been several times and I love the diversity of the menu, the promotion of Australian culture and the quality of the food and desserts.

Food was okay. $60 for 3 for breakfast, I think is overpriced ! But the worst experience is that the order taker/servicer ? She is pretty tall and big but also pretty rude and unfriendly too. Fortunately, we had a darker skin servicer/food runner help us out later on, he was way better than that bigger lady.

Have been exited to try this place since I'm Constantly nostalgic for my semester in Australia. Thought the good was good and very authentic to my experience! Excited to have two locations in KC and will definitely be back. They were out of some of the classic pastries when we got there at 9 so definitely go early for the best selection!

I looked far and wide in Kansas City for the best breakfast sandwich. A buttery soft croissant, fresh ham, fresh eggs, spinach...came together like music in my mouth when I took the first bite today at Banksia. It's so hard to find this in KC, everywhere else is frozen this, basic that, packaged that, not here at Banksia. But don't take my word for it, look at the pics and GO EXPERIENCE THIS!