The European

161 Spring St, Melbourne
Visited: 28th July 2011

After a satisfying visit for brunch with a friend at Degraves St, I had an insatiable craving for Eggs Benedict.  And that was how it began, my quest to find the best Eggs Benedict and breakfast/ brunch place in Melbourne CBD.  Got up extra early - what a crime it would have been to waste a rare beautiful winter day, with not a cloud in the sky.  For once the weather forecast got it right - a promising start to the day already.

MerlinFan and I decided on brekkie at The European on Spring St after reading good reviews online.  We initially missed the entrance to the European (the entrance was a pair of dark wood and glass doors which camouflaged extremely well with the surroundings) but once we manoeuvred the two narrow double doors, we found ourselves in another world - dimly lit with its old, weathered timber panelling and checkered floor.  

We both ordered lattes to start.  There was quite a nice range of breakfast fares to choose from but we both had to have the eggs benedict we had both set out to try.

Eggs Benedict $18

The lattes and Eggs Benedict came very quickly, which was a big plus.  The poached eggs sat upon English muffins and delicious ham, smothered with hollandaise.  The hollandaise itself was smooth and creamy, with just enough lemony tang.  Whilst my first poached egg was perfect with the yolk running down the ham, my second was egg was a tad bit overcooked with an almost solid yolk inside.  Awww.... I love my yolks runny!  But note - both MerlinFan's poached eggs were done perfectly.

Overall a great breakfast experience.  A bit expensive for Eggs Benedict, but delicious nonetheless (the over poached egg was forgivable).  And don't let the size of the Eggs Benedict fool you - looking very pretty and dainty sitting upon the large shining place, we thought it looked innocently small when first brought to the table, but it was surprisingly very hearty and filling.

After that, with such a good jumpstart to the day, we decided to go for a walk around the Shrine of Remembrance. I love that place and the surrounding landscape - so tranquil and beautiful.

Shrine of Remembrance - look at the beautiful winter sky

Shadow veins - trees casting creepy shadows like fingers stretching across the ground

A day used to the fullest.  We should do brekkie/ brunch more often!