bowery lane.

Admittedly I am still new to the Sydney brunch scene, so I am all ears whenever someone mentions a place which I haven't heard of.  Bowery Lane was one such destination; surrounded by high-rise office buildings and mainly populated with suits and ties, the O'Connell Street restaurant is aptly named after one of New York's historically popular districts.  One of the most important things to note is that they do not do breakfast on the weekends, as my party of three devastatingly found out on a Sunday morning.  In fact, they're not open at all on Sundays so definitely plan ahead!

Minimal decorations can be seen inside which gives it a slightly cold atmosphere, although the comfy two-seater dining booths and warm lighting add a bit of coziness to the place.  Menu content is easy to read and all dishes sounded enticingly delicious! There is an overlap between some of the lunch and dinner dishes but the breakfast menu is exclusive.

Brooklyn Bagel & Salmon: flaked salmon, smashed peas, scrambled eggs, creme fraiche, dill & salmon roe ($17.00)

 For those wanting a light breakfast, this is not the one to get.  Each bagel half is smothered with creamy creme fraiche, a small mountain of sweet and mushy smashed peas and a huge serving of salmon.  On top of all this is basically a river of soft, creamy scrambled eggs which is generously dotted with salmon roe.  I only managed to comfortably finish one half of the bagel before needing assistance from my fellow eaters.

The textures of the smashed peas and scrambled eggs worked really well, although the egg needed more salt.  The salmon was also slightly underwhelming in terms of flavour, but the salmon roe was the saving grace of the dish - each little egg was a bubble of salty goodness amongst its slightly bland companions.

Breakfast Stack: asparagus, kale, spinache, poached egg, tomatoes & walnuts ($16.00)

The Breakfast Stack wasn't so much of a 'stack' in terms of presentation, but it fits the restaurant's 'refined rustic' look to a tee.  The combination of all the different ingredients provided an interesting explosion in the mouth, although each element tasted fresh and delicious on its own as well.  Light, zingy and relatively healthy, this one is perfect for those who don't want a heavy start to the day.

Scout's Breakfast: mushrooms, roast potatoes, prosciutto, poached eggs, goats cheese & parmesan ($16.00)

A great take on the humble breakfast potato - this dish looked and tasted delicious.  Large cuts of salty prosciutto blended nicely with the crisp roasted potatoes and flavoursome mushrooms.  The two poached eggs was cooked perfectly with smooth, yellow centres and a smattering of croutons made an appearance as well.

Mocha & Hershey's Cookies and Cream Milkshake

The Cleanser: beetroot, watermelon, ginger & carrot

The drinks were probably one of the best parts of the meal.  My order, the mocha with an extra shot of chocolate, was smooth and deliciously chocolate-y.  Long-time readers will know I can't take caffeine well, and this mocha was surprisingly light on the coffee.  The cookies and cream milkshake was brilliantly done.  The balance between milk and icecream was just right and the extra chocolate was very welcome.  The juice was also scrumptious - not overly sweet with a very clear taste of ginger and watermelon.

This meal was probably one of the best brunches I've had so far in Sydney, and that's quite a statement.  The serving sizes were quite generous for the prices we paid, which were fairly standard breakfast dollars.  The service was alright - nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either.