Smashed avo with fetta at Little Garran café, photo by Andrew Finch

WHEN you live near a dynamite local café you’ve got it made. Exploring these hidden gems is always a joy for a food reviewer – it’s fun to get off the main drag to taste test Canberra’s darling little locals.

Garran has two locals at the shops – an Asian restaurant and Little Garran, a café that has a relatively new owner who has completed some major refurbishments that work a treat.

The coffee was exceptional and took the edge off the weather during our frosty Saturday lunch. We’d return just for a caffeine hit and perhaps indulge in a yum, house-made muffin.

Breakfast is served all days on weekends and we were both attracted to the Mexican eggs. It sounded delicious, with two fried eggs served on top of a smoky bean and tomato stew, sour cream and a toasted tortilla ($17).

I decided to give it a go, but luck wasn’t on my side. Little Garran had run out. However, the staff handled it well, bringing us a mini pastry each to enjoy with our coffees.

I switched gears and ordered the pasta from the specials board. Served with Napoli sauce, it was loaded with prawns, chorizo (mild), olives and rocket ($17). It was decent dish, but not a memorable one.

My friend didn’t have much success with her smashed avo and feta dish. The menu said the dish came with toasted sourdough, dukkah spice, rocket and a bruschetta mix drizzled with a balsamic glaze ($13). She added a side of bacon back for an extra $3, specifying she wanted it crispy.

The sourdough wasn’t toasted, the smashed avo was a mere smear (embarrassingly so) and the bacon had to be returned to make it crispy. At least the bruschetta mix was fresh and inviting and the balsamic glaze a nice touch.

Other lunch options include gourmet sandwiches, a roast pumpkin salad, a burger and soup. A couple of days after my first visit I happened to be at the café again and ordered a cauliflower soup for lunch (on the recommendation of another customer I had exchanged greetings with). It was the best cauliflower soup I’ve ever had and the person I was with wished she had ordered it, too. It was piping hot and just $10.

Little Garran has a small dining area inside but a massive one outside that is now enclosed with clear plastic. New heaters and greenery have been installed and the area is cosy. It was a smart move to make the changes and maximise the use of the space.

But I do wish the staff wouldn’t start packing up around customers close to closing time. It’s not a nice way to end a visit.

Little Garran, Garran Shops. Open seven days, breakfast and lunch. Not licensed. Call 6282 4600.