Eating at Norwood, Adelaide

Eating on the Parade at Norwood – Bravo and Buongiornio

Good food in the suburbs? Well yes, why not you say. It has not always been that way, with traditionally the better restaurants being in the city, or even well within the CBD.

Probably has not changed a lot, but there is a developing range of decent eateries removed from the CBD. These are not necessarily top flight restaurants with attendant stars and awards but good solid restaurants and eateries – from smaller local restaurants with a good table service and a reasonable wine list [or even better BYO], bistro style and “pub grub” that provide good value for money and decent food for both locals and visitors. And with pleasant staff – that is a big plus!

Adelaide has a range of these venues for example, along the Parade at Norwood, with two notable places being Caffe Buongiorno and Cafe Bravo on diagonally opposite corners on The Parade.

They have a strong returning clientele, decent food and coffee and a good to even great atmosphere. Local lunch time patrons, those for a quiet coffee as well as some coming for a coffee and a chat, mothers with kids in tow and / or their parents, business people for lunch. A typical bustling scene with a somewhat noisy background reminiscent of a good Italian trattoria!

A recent extended visit to Adelaide had a few visits to both of these cafes / bistros – for both coffees and food. You can feel the vibe when you visit. A look around sees locals and visitors, staff being pleasant and treating customers with appreciation – and a smile, a busy kitchen, customers obviously enjoying themselves, plenty of food being prepared and served, a range of patisserie offerings and reasonable prices. And guess what ?...........they always seem to be busy!!

Check out both of these locations for decent reasonably priced food when in Adelaide. They do a decent coffee too.

Caffe Primo - Mawson Lakes, near Adeaide

Caffe Primo – at Mawson Lakes

There is a campus of the UniSA at Mawson Lakes along with a nearby light aircraft and training airfield and the area has a developing Business and Technology Park with quite a few medium sized developing businesses. Mawson Lakes has also been a site used as part of the Tour Down Under international cycle race in January each year – sometimes as a criterium or a start location. It has a fair share of business visitors, who now have a few locations to stay, rather than in Adelaide itself.

While there are some eateries along the Promenade and overlooking the lake that have been the main location to service these visitors, location does not always ensure decent service and food.

A recent extended stay for several weeks at Mawson Lakes recuperating after surgery has meant opportunities for a more than one visit assessment of some of the local eateries, and at different times of the day. One is a bit vunerable when unwell, and a bit rickety on the legs, a time to assess how staff operate with people not as vigorous as normal.

The best of the bunch award would have to go to the local Caffee Primo on Main Street. This is a combination of coffee shop, bar and restaurant, with the prominence of the component s of the mix varying over the day and week. Hard to miss, with a very large outdoor sign draped across the upper building levels [ also serves to stop the western afternoon sun].

Coffee shop in the morning can become a bar at night, yet the food service is generally pretty good at all times, with a decent weekend buffet breakfast on offer too, although not during the week – it is a cooked breakfast style “to order” then, and that is a reasonable price, a lot better than a motel “breakfast pack”.

They offer a modest range of well priced lunch meals [about $13] including pizzas and a range of pastas as well as a la carte meals. The chicken Caesar salad is particularly good value and very tasty, and has been my number one choice. Wine is available by the glass [reasonable range] and bottle as well as beers and spirits.

Dinner has essentially the same range as lunchtime plus a wider range of more expensive meals including steaks and there is a complimentary pancake and ice cream dessert too.

Meals are a good size, and the pasta range especially is very filling. The pasta is of good quality, obviously fresh and very tasty.

Staff have been exceptionally pleasant and helpful, and pull a decent coffee too. That alone is quite important for a coffee shop – both the staff and of course the good coffee! All the staff have been tremendous - without exception; a pleasant smile, a "hello" and that is seen when they deal with other customers too -it does bring out the pleasant side of your customers, almost always.

Tables are more bistro style, and they have some outside as well. Some of the original leather chairs are a bit run down, but are obviously being replaced, since most have already gone, with similar style wooden ones as replacements.

Observations over several weeks would indicate a steady stream of regular customers for both meals and coffees.

A recommended good value choice for meals and coffee in Mawson Lakes.