Highroad

I can see many one star comments saying this place is ridiculous but I waited till my second visit to give a fair one star. The first time I had brunch and the food was towards the horrible end, while the service was worse. Waited for about half an hour for my cake but turned out my order was forgotten (even I followed up once and was told it s coming), leaving me and my puppy sitting outside in Canberra winter, without any service, for over 30 mins. Had my second visit just now, with the spirit that it might be better, which has been proven wrong so easily. Ordered a banana latte and a piece of Earl grey cake. Waited again outside for about 20mins, then a waitress rushed out told me they are closing soon so my order will come in take away. Fine. I can take away. Then, my $13.5 drink came as in the photo, with watery taste and syrup sticking at the bottom. After another 10 sth mins, another waiter came and told me the cake was sold out……. So recommended me to change to another. The cake got strong artificial sweetener taste. Not my thing. Not coming back for the third for sure. And really wonder how this place can be over 4 star.

We believe in paying appropriately for a good meal. However I was taken aback to be charged $74.50 for breakfast for two. Be warned: Come with a fat wallet. Food was just okay (Eggs Benedict was overcooked). It shares the same standards as most cafes in Canberra. Service and kitchen is terribly slow when there were only 3 occupied tables.

Very nice place for brunch or lunch. Had eggs with minute steak on sourdough. Also saw many veggie options. Good coffee and range of other drinks. Good service too. Definitely go again.

I have had diver at Highroad on two separate occasions and have been very pleasantly surprised. The quality of the food is excellent and the menu includes high quality and great tasting French, Italian, Spaniards and Asian options. Prices are more than fair and’s on Fridays there’s live music that creates a great atmosphere. I’ll be coming back a third time for sure.

We went to Highroad for a meal and coffee. We ordered the $38 steak and omelette. The first red flag was when the waitress did not ask how we would like the steak cooked. It was full of gristle, over salted and riddled with uncooked fat. It was reminiscent of a cut you’d expect between two bits of plain bread from a Rotary bbq (which at least always leaves you satisfied). This was certainly not a dish you’d expect from a restaurant that charges as much as Highroad does. The pepper gravy was unbalanced and near inedible. It was served with a mountain of similarly over salted fries that would not seem out of place at the McDonald’s across the street- perhaps where they sourced them, in lieu of hiring a competent chef. The omelette came with half the plate filled with a sauce that resembled something you’d get from a jar.

I had the fried chicken waffle. It was absolutely fantastic, perfect blend of savoury and optional sweet with the side of maple syrup. The service was exceptional too, with the waitress checking up throughout and recommending the dish to begin with. Definitely recommend coming here and trying it, and with the great, friendly staff it makes it a great, memorable experience.

Went back again, still good food and service!!! Definitely try when you are in Canberra! Good brunch place with lively atmosphere. Lovely steak sandwich and chicken burger! A little pricy for breakfast!!!

The food and drinks were out of this world. This is like the next generation of Australian brunch. We already have the best cafes but this surpasses them- it sets a new bar that everyone will have to meet to compete. I am honestly shocked at the low average star rating and can only assume it comes down to very poor reviews due to service. Service was not bad when I was there- but it wasn’t stellar. I really tried to find the amazing looking drinks I could see at the next table on the menu, and ended up not being able to find them so settled for my usual raspberry candy flat white. Eventually I spotted a drinks specials menu on another table and ordered something fun later. I saw it happen to the next table along, too. I used to work in hospo and it feels like something that should have been noticed as missing from the two tables, especially at a time that wasn’t particularly busy. However, this was a small gripe in what was a fantastic experience and I would absolutely try to come back any time I could.

We visited Highroad in Canberra in the northern suburb of Dickson. The cafe is owned by the Ona Coffee brand and it is certainly not your run of the mill cafe. It is unique in its menu, stylish in its decor and has a very cool vibe to it. Architecturally, I describe the cafe as an industrial/Art Deco/urban architecture blend. High ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and a huge expansive space to sit with mod style chairs and wooden booths as well as communal tables. The back of the cafe has another large dining space. The bathrooms are reminiscent of an old cinema. The area just had great feng shui to it, and felt quiet and calming despite it's size. This was especially interesting since we found the clientele was majority families with young children. The coffee bench sprawls the wall adjacent to the entry, and shows off their quality coffee gear and baristas doing what they do best. The coffee here is outstanding. Using beans roasted in their Ona Fyshwick roastery, the way they serve it is visionary, with different milk based blends and you can order according to taste preference, and the staff even can advise which milk would work best. In addition there's also filter, cold brew espresso (single o and blends). They even have a reserve list for their espressos. You can guarantee a good coffee here. Behind the coffee bench is an impressive installation showcasing bottles of wine, and they have a wine list as well as selling craft beers. The cafe has an all day menu and meals to suit dining at brekkie, brunch or lunch so it's extremely versatile. The food here is impressive and the dishes have interesting takes on classics, the use of new and cool ingredients and presented well. It was most certainly a tough ask to settle on a preferred option since they all sounded appealing. I went with the Kingfish, a gf option with a lovely and light cured Hiramasa Kingfish perched on a piece of dark rye, spread with cream cheese and arranged with green apple, beetroot, fennel and dill. We added a side of pickles and this dish was simply perfect. Our friend ordered the Beef Cheek which is suitable for a brunch option since the 16hr braised beef cheek is topped with a hollandaise sauce and the fact that it is served with pearl cous cous and tabouli salad brings it into a lunch dish. Our dining party also ordered their unique take on the smashed avo. This is a gluten free and vegetarian option, served with a cool vegemite ricotta, toasted seeds and nuts, poached eggs, herbs, foccacia. We added some fried chicken to our dish to add a bigger protein hit. Other option include a parmesan & pickled jalapeno waffle, a beautiful green bowl, pork Sando or it can be as simple as a bacon and egg roll or Muesli. The staff here are excellent - efficient and knowledgeable. Overall this was a memorable dining experience.

Tasty bacon and egg roll. Pialligo bacon and pickles were a nice touch. Good coffee with a range of beans to choose from. Coffee temperature could have a little more heat, especially in winter. Staff are friendly and efficient. Lovely open and relaxed vibe. The eggs Benedict/Reuben combo with homemade corned beef is stunning and worth a visit just for that alone.

Couldn't say enough great things about this place. Staff are fun, knowledgeable about their coffee and food, and more than happy to help with menu alterations. Great menu, consistently great food quality (no matter which day you go) and great options for vegetarians and kids. Fantastic coffee!