Despite eating seven courses plus dessert at The Chairman and Yip the night before, we woke up the next morning hungry and ready to eat again. We walked from our hotel back to Civic and headed to Dobinson’s Bakery Cafe for breakfast. We spent what seemed like an eternity of tummy growling trying to decide what to order. In the end, we decided to skip the usual breakfast fare and get bakery pies instead. Eating local bakery pies is a holiday tradition for Jac and me. We often remember the Australian towns we’ve visited by the pies we ate there. :)

While I agonised over my choice, Jac immediately selected the Mexican beef pie (AU$3.70). I was hoping to take a photo of the pie menu – but it was busy in the cafe when we ordered and I couldn’t get a clear shot.

The spicy Mexican beef filling was delicious, with a delicious surprise: a blob of sour cream baked in the centre of the pie.

I chose the chicken and mushroom pie (AU$3.70) and also ordered one of Dobinson’s gigantic sausage rolls for us to share. Jac insisted we needed lots of tomato sauce to go with the pies and sausage roll – hence the three sachets of tomato sauce on the side.

My pie was tasty, loaded with chicken chunks and mushrooms.

The sausage roll (AU$2.70) was enormous, but size isn’t everything in this case! We thought the sausage roll’s pastry was a little too thick. The sausage mince filling could’ve been more flavoursome – I found I really needed the tomato sauce with it, more so than with the pies. I love pies, even the frozen kind you buy at the supermarket, but there’s a wonderful homemade feel to bakery pies. I’d happily try another Dobinson’s pie, but I probably wouldn’t be compelled to have another sausage roll.

Jac had a very refreshing banana smoothie while I had a pot of tea.

The smoothie was huge and only cost AU$5.50 (they do strawberry, mango or raspberry too).

A steady flow of customers dropped by, buying pies, sandwiches, sweet pastries and enjoying bacon and eggs for breakfast. There are a couple of tables inside the cafe itself, but we sat at one of the tables outside. Next to us, a man dug into a plate piled high with bacon, eggs and toast.