Picnick View, Westmead

Picnick View in Westmead is the kind of quirky cafe that really makes me smile. The food served is pretty much your regular Australian cafe fare but it's the interior of this cafe that really makes it something special.

Every surface of this cafe, which is located opposite busy Westmead Hospital, is crammed with little collections of bric-a-brac. The interior is wall-to-wall kitsch filled with the kind of figurines and collectables that you'd fine at your nana's house.

Things get a bit more retro-chic at the entrance to the cafe with loads of great vintage furniture and collectables. I get talking to the Barista - a young guy - who tells me that the cafe is owned by his family (who also own the Thai restaurant next door) but all the collectables are his. He simply ran out of room for his collections at home so started bringing to work. I LOVE it! It's so much fun - a really lighthearted space with a sense of humour.

They serve Campos coffee here and whilst my beloved Iced Latte isn't on the menu (the do an iced coffee with all the trimings - whipped cream + ice cream for $5.00) the Barista happily makes me an iced latte when he hears me trying to order one from the waitstaff. It's a good coffee, not too strong or bitter for my tastebuds.

In a very rare moment of putting health over my tastebuds I decide to have a simple breakfast and opt for the fruit salad ($6.90). It's such a delicious looking bowl of food and each piece of fruit is perfectly fresh. My fruit salad comes with watermelon, pineapple, apple, rockmelon, kiwi, strawberry and grapes and for $1.50 I could've added yoghurt or ice-cream.

On my next visit I bring The Boy along with me, hoping he'll get as much of a kick out of the quirky decor as I do (he does, I think). Half way during our brunch one of the staff rolls out this little toy car and parks it by our table. Why? I have no idea but it had my grinning like a clown at the sight. Love it!

We kick things off with coffee, as is de rigueur for any weekend. A piccolo latte ($3.50) for me and a big cappuccino ($3.50) for The Boy put us in the brunching mood. Both are very good - my piccolo is a bit strong for my weak caffeine taste buds but half a sugar puts things right. I'm trying to be a bit more mature about my coffee tastes hence the recent transition to "grown-up" coffee (plus it's too cold for iced-coffees at the moment).

The Boy's big breakfast ($14.90) is SO big it comes on a platter. He's pretty happy (especially as the eggs have runny yolks) but points out to me that this is not the biggest breakfast on offer. That honor is reserved for the Massive Breakfast which I think he plans to order next time.

I initially ordered the Ocean Benedict that comes with smoked salmon but someone in the kitchen was feeling as bleary eyed as me so I end up with your regular type of Eggs Benedict with ham ($12.90). I normally don't order ham/bacon when out unless it's free range but I wasn't going to send this back to the kitchen as it most likely would've been thrown out which means that pig died just to end up as landfill. Not cool. The dish was really good - the poached eggs had lovely, runny yolks and the hollandaise sauce was nice and rich with a good balance of butter + vinegar. I walked away happy and cannot wait to come back again...maybe for lunch next time (I've been told the fish burger is good stuff).

Picnick View is at Shop 6, 163-171 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead. They are closed on Sunday's and not open for dinner. Phone them on 9687 7262.