WHETHER you like paleo or are baffled by what the fuss is about, it’s worth giving Elemental in Braddon a go.

This paleo-style café is busy more often than not, although outdoor seats aren’t always full in chilly Canberra these days (understandable).

Barrett co-owns Elemental with Alexis Moran. The fitout features a mural by local signwriter George Rose. There’s lots of reclaimed timber and some reclaimed and refurbished furniture. The eclectic look works.

The menu changes with the seasons and breakfast and lunch appear on the same all-day menu. And it’s not expensive (the dearest dish on my visit was the crispy skin pork belly at $20). The menu includes house granola ($9), beef nachos ($15), Mexican baked egg with spiced chicken, coriander, coconut cheese and harissa ($16), a naked cheeseburger ($17), and warm smoked trout on celeriac mash ($18).

I opted for the brisket pie for lunch ($17) – beef brisket slow-cooked in tomato, garlic and smoked paprika with bacon, parsley oil and sweet potato mash. It was a generous serve and although the brisket was beautifully tender and full of wonderful flavour, I found the dish overwhelmingly sweet and with nothing like a fresh salad to cut through (I couldn’t see one on the menu), my tastebuds found it a lot to handle.

I couldn’t have ordered a salad at that stage anyway because of timing. It took ages for my order to be taken and another hefty amount of time for my food to arrive.

I had to enquire as to its whereabouts and, by then, I was bored waiting and running out of time to make it to my upcoming appointment. I was told it would be another eight-minute wait which would have had me sitting there for well over 40 minutes twiddling my thumbs. I said this wasn’t acceptable so the dish miraculously arrived quickly, but wasn’t heated through. I had a few mouthfuls and called it a day.

I was baffled by the slow service. I knew I wasn’t in a fast take-away but it was the end of the lunch period and only a few tables were occupied. In all fairness, staff knew there was a problem and I was given a sweet treat on my way out the door.

Elemental is near the Ori Building. I say give it a go since it’s busy and so must be doing something right. I hope you find the service efficient.

Elemental, 28 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Call 6248 7502.