Bookplate Cafe - Canberra

Our group chose to dine at Bookplate for breakfast prior to feasting on the brilliant exhibitions currently on show at the National Library. We were all very impressed and satisfied with our meals, great coffee and the excellent service. So good we repeated the performance the next day!

Super busy place the day we were there but service on the ball but then again we only had a coffee and a sweet treat. It was hurried service so that seat can go to the next person waiting in line. Coffee was good.

Made sure we booked a table on a busy Thursday for four friends. Enjoyed each of the lunches paid at the counter by queueing up in a slow served queue. Much improved over previous visit and credit cards are now accepted for payment. Can be very noisy in a crowded popular destination lunch and coffee venue. Service is good with sufficient staff respecting patrons eating style. Coffee was above average. Wine by the glass seemed a bit overpriced for the venue. Certainly a place to return to as long as a booking has been made. Great to be able to get breakfast until 1430.

Enjoyed Sunday morning breakfast with friends here. We were shown to our table by a very lovely and patient waitress, who then had to put up with a diatribe from the guy at the next table, who complained for about 3 minutes about another staff member not putting sugar on his table. She handled this with diplomacy and was so very pleasant to him.I had the hash brown eggs benedict, which consisted of spinach on sweet potato rosti and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. It was tasty, and the sweet potato was just right.My friend had the breakfast burger which was also delicious and included the rosti and hollandaise sauce, which she also enjoyed.The coffee was good and hot, and all were served quite quickly. It felt warm and cosy inside the restaurant on a cold Canberra morning. Only downside was the complaining diner, who was obviously lonely as he tried to start conversations with all around him and had long conversations with any staff member who came near him. The staff seat with him professionally and provided good service.Have visited here on a sunny Sunday afternoon for lunch previously and it is gorgeous to sit outside looking over the lake while you enjoy your meal.

I've spent many a day studying at this Library and have had more lunches and afternoon coffees and cakes here than I can remember. It is incredibly popular, such that quite a queue can form at lunch time. The coffee is great, the food excellent and the cakes also excellent. Go early on the weekend to avoid the lunch queue and get the best choice of the partisseries.