Gabba + Co

2 Reviews on “Gabba + Co”

• Diana

  We were surprised to find this cafe had replaced another we used to frequently visit, good thing was they had outdoor seating so we could have the pooch along. Only problem we had here was the coffee unfortunately, rather watery with no flavor or strength. Our breakfast was another story, my vegan quesadilla came presented beautifully on the plate with a generous serving of cheesy scrambled egg & perfectly cooked asparagus. Service was very attentive

  April 23, 2019, 6:34 pm

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• Atreyu

  TL;DR: We have tread onto something that is unique from the get go, especially with a menu showcasing creative juices but more so it is the level of customer service exhibited. This is a next-level sort of place, whatever time of day that is desired. At this moment, lots of places are still showing cases of being green which is the last thing that can be said about Gabba & Co. Right out of the starting gate, this is bound to be one of the attractions in town and it can’t be recommended enough. Second verse for this exact location, and this time it should be work more effectively than before. It is not often in this part of town that you get something that is as swish, knows what it is doing, along with each little aspect not forsaken nor disregarded. With the location at the deepest end of the lane way, it has the benefit of ambiance with little noise outside – made more apparent, that this lane way juts off a side street. Whomever scored this shop area had potential for a great project on hand and it was all a matter of finding out how to work it. Safe to say, the folks at Gabba & Co know fully well what they got themselves into, and it has been a great task since day one. Never before from memory have I eaten in a place that is so fancy at the core, yet masquerades as another cafe/bar at the surface. Choosing to eat here is like getting that puzzle that just opens up some new surprise, and challenge that always keeps you intrigued. The same basic skeleton is kept, with the island in the middle. It is from that island, that everything else revolves around to create the perfect ergonomics. Spacious is the word, and there is enough space that you don’t need to pull your elbows all the way in. The lighting is nice, and bright, plus the tables are all set out from the moment you walk in. After observing that enough times, and what comes after, a major tip here is that it will predict a distinction in customer service. Add in a few fresh, green plants around the place, and you have yourself how to do simplicity correctly. The customer service is beyond phenomenal. It is in fact, something else. What impresses me the most with customer service experiences is how the little things accumulate over the course of the experience: that is things like getting the waters just as you are sitting down, coming around to ask how your meal is, asking if a second coffee could be nice – those sorts of aspects. Also, the speed helps a lot and that is not just from ordering to getting the food. Where speed also works is clearing the tables. A good example is right here. At least with the dish I ordered, context definitely dependent. With what I ordered, not everything that is stated in the dish will all come on the same plate much less if any extras are ordered. This is a wee bit confusing at first, but things come out in increments. Also, adding onto that the tables aren’t the biggest hence I slid the contents of one side plate onto the main one to make room for another side plate; I would have happily put one underneath the other, but the waitress then and there was happy to take it to the kitchen. A small observation, yet as it is often stressed coming this way – stressed again, those small aspects to add up to a more lively experience. Plus, it all comes down to the demeanour. Most places that I am used to getting to have a casual and laid-back approach to the customer service. If it weren’t made apparent yet, we are dealing with professionals here. Think somewhere between great customer service that keeps you coming back, and the level of service at fine restaurants. Think about it like the best of all the worlds, you still get the friendly vibe of the local cafe, there is the attention to detail of the places on the next level, and presentation is second to none akin to more ritzy restaurants. Come to think of it, Gabba & Co is one place that warrants visiting instead of hearing about it. The menu is one that is bound to change. In fact, between when I went to when I finally got around to writing about the experience, the breakfast menu has already been changed up. This might be one of the hardest to give a precise and succinct description of the menu; the best that I can come up with it is maybe pan-European. The breakfast menu does something different for a change, and offers up something new with practically each option. Plus the options can be light, or a little more substantial, and there is a refreshing simplicity through the entirety. Lunch gets jazzed up just a bit, taking influences from a variety of sources. Seafood becomes more prevalent around this part, and much of it is Mediterranean in tone. With the changes, and no real apparent aim, it reads a bit like the cook who deliberately diversifies his given skill set. As someone who does that a lot cooking at home, heaps of respect comes this way. These guys don’t let down at any point of the day. Even with the bar snacks, they are bound to show their wizardry in the kitchen and spruce up some of the most reliable bar bites in existence, like someone who has managed to cook and shows off the new recipe at any point he can. The fact they choose not to go the usual route ushers great respect to them. It has shown itself to be fairly laid-back at the front line during the day time, but at night time the game changes itself out once more. I can imagine this is the place you would take the date to really give off a good impression. Several of the bites from lunchtime make it onto the entrees section, with seafood still being a key attraction. Onto the main meals, these are substantial just from a look at their descriptions. Meat rules the roost, and with the menu rotating around every couple of months or so, there is bound to be something that sounds just too appealing pop up for each client coming here. Even the sides don’t get the gloss over, each one is just as tempting as the last – the key is in their description. Desserts! At least during dinner, they got you covered. Same idea that has been mentioned before still applies, creativity is running wild through to the end. The sweets are generally European in influence, and has something for everyone. They have desserts, plus after dinner drinks. Speaking of drinks, they got all the whistles counted. With it being a bar at heart, expect a great array of beers, wines, and the ilk. References to the menu also promise some good drinks, including tea and coffee to start with, then you got some freshly squeezed juices, milkshakes, and smoothies. They have it sorted out well here, which is apparent going from cover to cover. Well, getting onto what was ordered the time of day for this critique was during the morning. In other words, breakfast! Not exclusive to breakfast per se, but definitely attributable to the first part of the morning. Nothing but coffee here, whomever we are talking about. That means one kind of coffee crosses my mind before all others, and it is a doppio. Oh my! A good cup of coffee, or even an adequate one, always gets appreciated at the start of the meal. It sets up the mood for the rest of the meal, and to me it always ties it together. In this case, right off the bat the coffee caused reason to be optimistic. The folks here have gotten their beans from Woolf Roasters, and it doesn’t stop at that. Their precise brew is the Big Dog blend. An agreeable palate of malt, honey, and dark chocolate – which the ingredients would make a great beverage on their own accord – that manages to be pretty strong when done on a double shot, while at the same time the aforementioned notes make it one that is easy on the throat. Getting the most important out of the way first, this coffee was very good. It woke me up, the notes of chocolate always do well by me, and it was well extracted. Going back and forth through the menu, something was eventually found. It was vegetarian this time, a potato rosti that came with spinach, haloumi, and poached eggs. Those eggs were ordered soft. And with it being vegetarian, I came in a ruined it by ordering a side of chorizo. Because I am just like that! Each component of this was just as tasty as the last, and the servings aren’t exactly huge – they will still satiate most appetites. The potato rosi, the central component, was done very well. It had a crispy outside, with the inside having a combination of being really creamy with the sauce they used, plus the softness of the cooked potatoes absorbing that said sauce. Plenty of herbs helps as well. Beautifully done haloumi, spinach that was cooked to the right consistency, plus we all know that when the egg is done properly, all is right with the world. That was the case, with the yolk practically liquid making a really good breakfast. The chorizo was a little milder than what is often the case, and still good with the skin almost bursting after the cooking. From my house mate’s plate, I nicked some bubble and squeak, plus a bit of breakfast sausage. The sausage was pretty good from here, and it is still here showing the European influences. This is like the pork sausages that can be gotten from the butcher in England. If anything needs the good comparison, than that is it. Wrapping it all up with the bubble and squeak, with its characteristic mix of potatoes, cabbage and whatnot. This was also pretty soft, had all sorts of goodies in the mixture, plus he really liked it himself. Both meals have set a high standard. When this is said, none of it is in any way hyperbole. This is one place that has it all well figured out, down to the tiniest neuron. From a little bit of awareness, there has to be some intense training for the finest of restaurants to ensure the waitstaff are able to know all the ins and outs of customer service and that has definitely been apparent here – at this stage of opening, most restaurants are trying to find their feet, at Gabba & Co it is like they are all seasoned professionals. They sure know what they are doing, plus with Gabba & Co being open many hours of the day, and with all the modes for eating between times, many more clients are able to experience just how good it all can be when the attention to detail becomes this astute. Final rating: 4.5

  March 1, 2019, 6:37 pm

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