I'd been meaning to check out Scout Cafe on Petrie Terrace for some time but I just never seemed to think of it when the time came to choose a breakfast venue. Whenever I'd passed it, there always seemed to be a lineup of cute looking hipsterish young people outside, so I assumed it was popular and hopefully for good reason. I finally remembered it a few weeks ago when working out where to go to catch up with N and S.

N had been before and cautioned that it could be a long wait if we went late so we decided to meet at 8:30am on Sunday morning. I was the first to arrive (incredibly unusual for me!) and there were no available tables but I was told it should only be a short wait. Scout Cafe is in what looks like a converted house or shop, with a small room off the main front room. There isn't a lot of space but they've managed to squish in quite a few tables with several stools to allow perching at the counter and there are a couple more outside. As I was waiting, a table outside became available but the waitress who greeted me was busy and another one gave the table to a couple who just arrived. Luckily the original waitress saw what happened but as the others hadn't arrived yet, and I preferred an inside table as it was an incredibly warm morning, I told her I'd just wait for the next one. S and N arrived shortly afterwards, just as an inside table became available - great timing!

Counter-slash-bar area

We did have to squish into what was really a table for two but we made do. We were handed menus and given water and ordered our much-needed caffeine hits. Scout's breakfast menu rotates regularly but I believe that they keep a few favourites like the avocado toast and the standard breakfast bagel. Some of the other items change completely and a few are just modified. I'd intended to get the Breaky Bagel because I'd heard that Scout do a mean bagel and this one had Kaiserfleisch, a cured and smoked German ham, on it and I love smoked ham. But as I was waiting I saw a girl at the counter eating the Breaky Salad with kale, beet leaves, zucchini, farro, avocado, shallots, sunflower seeds, chilli lemon dressing, soft boiled egg & a slice of rye ($17) and it looked delicious so I decided on that. I wasn't overly hungry and the bagel sounded like too much that morning. N chose the Smashed Avocado with fetta, herbs, olive oil, lemon on pane ($12) and S went for the Spiced Pear & Walnut Loaf with vanilla marscapone ($8).

Daily available fresh juices

Coffee did take a while to arrive but when it did, it was excellent. My long black was strong but not bitter and I didn't even need the milk I requested on the side. When our meals arrived, I was delighted to see my salad look just as good as the one I had spied earlier. It was green and plentiful - fresh kale and beet leaves and grated raw zucchini on top of a bed of farro with a large dollop of smashed avocado and a boiled egg on top and two halves of toasted rye bread tucked in on the side. N's avocado toast included two slices of toast, one on top of the other, with a dollop of mashed avocado and feta with some herbs and a few stray green leaves on top. The amount of avocado served was disappointing - there really only looked like there was enough of it for one slice. S was served two toasted slices of the fruit loaf, dusted with icing sugar and with a large scoop of creamy marscapone on top.

(clockwise from top) Pear & Walnut Bread, Breaky Bowl, Smashed Avo

My salad was delicious - fresh with a lemony oil dressing to give it zing and the boiled egg had the perfect gooey yolk which added creaminess along with the smashed avocado. The farro had a good bite to it which added texture and the raw zucchini and sunflower seeds added crunch. It was the perfect mix of textures and flavours and with each mouthful, I felt like I was actually getting just a little bit healthier. The rye bread was lightly toasted and had a nice slightly sour taste. I smeared bits of the mixed in salad on it, which worked really well. It was filling without making me feel stuffed at the end of the meal and I took significantly longer than the others to finish. It was the perfect warm weather option!

Breaky Bowl ($17) -  full of healthy goodness

Overall I highly recommend Scout Cafe for breakfast, although it is a bit on the expensive side and I wouldn't advise you to order the avocado on toast! The menu isn't extensive but does cater for both sweet and savoury tastes, small and large appetites and with a range of optional sides including gluten-free bread and bagels. They are also open for lunch and do several types of bagels and salads and there are some baked goods available for dessert. I still want to get back for the Kaiserfleisch...

Street graffiti outside

Pear & Walnut Bread ($8) - a lighter sweet option

Avo Smash on pane ($12) - light on the avo smash

Outside seating area

Delicious looking friands kept company by woodland creatures

Watermelon - the fruit of the summer of 2014