the bower & urban corner cafe

quirky décor, friendly and attentive service, along with beautifully presented, delicious food at reasonable prices. a real bonus was the early opening at 7am for breakfast, comprising perfectly cooked scrambled eggs with crispy bacon. encouraged by this experience, a second visit to the bower involved a smoky burger and hazelnut semifredo from the evening menu, both tasting as great as they looked. it's good to have acafeof this calibre in the neighbourhood - a drop-in spot for coffee and tasty cabinet fare (i spied an afghan that would feed a family of four!), or to share a pizza or a platter of freshly baked in-house bread with dips. while the only niggle is the invasive soundtrack (lower the volume or change the selection please), an oasis it is, and well worth a drive eastside down new brighton road.

my husband & i would like to give these guys a big thumbs up! following a recommendation from a group that dined at the bower a few weeks ago, we called there this evening and to our amazement, the interior layout was nothing like we expected. we both agree that it was relaxing, the staff were pleasant (i totally enjoyed my scotch!) and our meals were well above our expectation, so well done to the chef. we will go back, more than likely take some friends and may even try out thecafesome time. there is only one thing we would like to see, a db product either draught or export would be more incentive to us :)

the food at this place is amazing so good to have a nice local place that is not only acafebut a bar and restaurant as well!!

the bower has been an occasional visit for us because of their kids playground which is fantastic. if you have children 8 and under, this place is a great venue to let them run around while you enjoy a meal.

the bower is a post-quake product. designed from shipping containers it’s been in place for some time. one side services people preferring an afternoon beer accompanied by the occasional band, whilst the other side iscafestyle with a large outdoor dining area with children’s playground.

the menu has changed since we first started going many years ago, with a more recent introduction of smoked meats.

on this particular visit i ordered just a half rack of ribs which was $20 and a kids menu pizza for my son. the meat is tender and definitely fall off the bone. it’s not absolutely layered in bbq sauce which was a bonus as that dan often be overwhelming. on its own, the smoked meat was probably a 4. a bit light on the seasoning and perhaps didnt get as much smokey flavour as i would have liked but it was still lovely.

the one downside is that the pub side must have a smokers area down the other end of the corridor that houses the toilets. cigarette smoke wafts down that corridor and fills it up. given the place hosts a lot of kids, it would be good if tye bower could ensure children weren’t exposed to the smoke. the one downside in this visit.

a nice weecafewith a really great outdoor area for kids, something that you don't find in cafes often.
the decor was awesome and a really comfortable and friendly setting, the lady who served us was lovely and made sure we were happy throughout the night.
the meal me and my partner had was amazing, we took up the 2 for 1 pizza deal and was not disappointed.
the dessert however- chocolate mousse was a wee bit too rich and heavy which let us down.
all in all though, very happy with the service and will definitely be back.

went to the urbancafetoday with my mum and son for a little coffee date. was very impressed by the friendly service although i thought the price of a kids fluffy is a bit expensive at $3. do like the little cup it came in though. my son (20 months) loved the play area. it's good to go to acafethat is family friendly so you can enjoy your coffee while the kids play. will definitely be back :)