Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, there’s something about being surrounded by mediocrity and drudgery day in, day out that can act as a catalyst for a special few to burst out of the grey and create something really awesome. Such is the story of Alex Piris. Late last year, tired of slogging it out and serving uninspiring food whilst working for other people, Alex struck out on his own with the goal of creating a down-to-earth community hub serving uncomplicated, delicious fresh food and, of course, some cracking coffee! Enter Fox and Bow?
Excitingly, the team is bringing this genuine vision of hospitality to the somewhat starved suburb of Farrer in Canberra. While other areas of our nation?s capital have recently experienced an injection of good food and café options, Farrer, about 20km from the city has (until now) been skipped over.
Fox and Bow (F&B) throws open its doors seven days a week, offering up a menu handled by head chef, Nathan Weller, who’s had a huge range of experience cooking overseas. The menu is based on quality top hits with a slight twist to liven things up: think Passion Pop French toast with passion fruit gelato and popping candy, or the Mr. Fox with an incredible medley of smoky bacon, hash, chorizo, morcilla, mushrooms and eggs … damn that sounds good! These small goods almost deserve a write up of their own with the award-winning chorizo and morcilla coming from La Boqueria in Sydney. While the crew loves having some fun with the food, Alex certainly has no desire to make things too complicated. ?Some flavours just work — there’s no need to go crazy just to be creative. Good quality ingredients, well cooked, nice flavours, fairly priced — that’s all I want to focus on right now.?
The other lynch pin to any truly great café is the ability to offer consistently awesome coffee. Having made many trips to Sydney and Melbourne in the lead up to opening Fox and Bow, Alex had seen what the other capital cities were offering and wanted to serve some of the same deliciousness to his customers. His son Jack has wholeheartedly thrown himself into the specialty barista role and, rocking a beautiful, matt black Synesso Sabre, the crew is turning out some delicious brews of our ever popular Dark Horse blend to serve alongside their tasty food menu. Currently featuring the Tembo Tembo from Tanzania, Tiga Raja from Sumatra and Konga from Ethiopia, the shots are singing; a rich, heavy base topped out by candied orange and floral high notes. Milk coffee drinkers are in for a special treat too with espresso being paired with Tilba Milk which comes from a small independent dairy turning out rich, creamy milk from their Jersey cows. The coffee offering doesn’t end there with Jack and the team loving to showcase single origins that really grab their attention. Most recently, they?ve been featuring our groundbreaking Lima Putri — the natural process coffee from our coffee mill in Simalungun, Sumatra — it’s blowing up with tropical fruit, melon and brown sugar flavours!
This grounded approach is proving a winner for both Farrer locals and Canberrans who flock from further afield to take a perch in the light-filled space. Polished concrete floors, exposed brick and blue gum timber tabletops create a welcoming atmosphere that’s rounded off by some great tunes. Be sure to check out their cool logo which is done up in bent copper piping!
In a dining landscape beset by the latest fads and trends, it’s refreshing to visit a place that doesn’t try to bedazzle, but instead aims to send you on your way with a satisfied glow, full of good food and coffee without having broken the bank. Whether you’re a Canberra local who’s been hankering for new brunch spot or you’re just passing through the nation?s capital and are in need of some quality coffee, Fox and Bow should definitely be on your destination list!
Fox and Bow
Farrer Shops,
4b Farrer Place,
Canberra, ACT, 2607
Opening hours
Monday – Friday: 7:00am-4:00pm
Saturday – Sunday: 8:00am-3:30pm
www.foxandbow.com.au
facebook.com/pages/Fox-and-Bow-Cafe
instagram.com/foxandbowcafe
