- Lovely and helpful staff
- Good, café food
- A friendly, relaxed environment
On Wednesday morning, Michael and I woke up with horrible colds. Feeling rough as dogs, we decided to drop off the baby at childcare then head into Gungahlin to the chemist for some drugs! Once we arrived in Gungahlin, we realised we’d missed breakfast and decided to head to G-Tree Café for something to eat.
We’ve been going to G-Tree Café for years, since before I was diagnosed with coeliac disease when we had first moved to Gungahlin. It’s a friendly, relaxed place with food I feel safe eating, and staff that are welcoming.
On Wednesday morning the place was half full. We arrived around 8.45am and it was quiet but not uncomfortable. The staff were buzzing around and there was the hum of chatter under the jazz music that was playing.
The café is split into two sections. There is a raised area on the Hibberson Street entrance and a long lower area that is accessed from inside Gungahlin Marketplace. The walls are black with a variety of bright and colourful artworks throughout the space. Despite the dark walls, the place is well lit, with a wall of windows at the top area. In the lower area of the restaurant, one side is seating and tables while the other is the coffee station and kitchen area with cakes displayed in a glass fronted counter.
We sat at a table in the raised area. It was warm and bright with the sunshine pouring through the window, and we had a look over the menus. The menu contains breakfast and lunch options. I have found the food to be safe (after talking with staff) and it has a casual, comfortable feel to it. If we go for breakfast I usually get the Spanish Omelette ($16), otherwise I opt for the extremely garlicky chicken risotto ($18).
The service we receive at G-Tree is another positive. The staff are always friendly and attentive. Staff hold the door open for you, they’re friendly with Milly, and they remember our coffee order. After a short wait, a staff member came over and asked if we were having coffee. We said yes, and he confirmed it would be our regular coffees, a skim flat white and a decaf skim flat white. We continued to order our food at the same time with Michael opting for the G-Tree big breakfast, and I chose the eggs benedict with salmon.
As I said before, I’ve been coming to G-Tree for a really long time, and I’m lucky enough to be familiar with some of the staff. When I ordered, the staff member confirmed that my order would be gluten free without my prompting. Having said this, I would recommend that any coeliac eating at G-Tree ask the standard gluten and cross contamination questions.
Our coffee came quickly and was followed by our food after a total wait of about 15 minutes. The coffee was really good. We usually go for small coffees but in this instance, we got larges and they were smooth and tasty.
Michael’s Big Breakfast contained bacon, Italian sausage, spinach, hash browns, tomato, mushrooms and toast. My understanding is that this is not available gluten free because of the hash brown and Italian sausage. It looked really good but because of Michael’s cold, he said he couldn’t taste it very well!
The eggs benedict with salmon was good though, and I could definitely taste everything! The eggs were very nicely cooked, and the yolks were rich and creamy. They had a slight vinegar taste to them. The hollandaise was tangy and acidic, and the salmon was fresh and salty. The gluten free toast was soft and very chewy. It wasn’t soggy from having the poached eggs or hollandaise on top of it. It had a satisfyingly chewy texture, and I found the dish quite comforting to eat.
Obviously, I like G-Tree. The coffee is good, and the food is tasty and reasonably priced (our meals totalled $46.00). But what I like the most is the staff. They are always friendly and accommodating, discussing my dietary requirements with the kitchen and providing safe, gluten free food for me.
Big W Building, Gungahlin Market Place, 26/30 Hibberson St, Gungahlin ACT 2912
02 6241 5664
https://www.facebook.com/Gungahlin.act.au
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