Having just jumped off the ferry we were ravenous and came here for breakfast and it was perfect! The coffee was good and the meals were generous and well cooked. The waffles were huge and sweet with the luxury of bacon as well, and the eggs benedict had a really nice hollandaise. Will head back if in the area again.
Approximate cost: $10
My partner and 18 month old daughter and I had been enjoying a day out spoiling ourselves because Christmas was over, when we found our selves hungry and at the opposite end of the shopping district to where the food was. We had seen the Café before but had never known anyone who had ever been in. We entered and were immediately welcomed and offered a seat and to our surprise the place was pretty well filled with other customers who obviously used the place as there 'water hole' if you know what I mean. The I ordered the Spanish bean's and the berry waffles for may partner and a banana milk shake for our daughter. The value only got marked down cause we had no Idea what the pricing was, we guessed it was the numbers by the side of the food items but without the $ or 0.00 or a column dedicated to the price we just took it on faith.
Whilst we awaited our meal we were drawn into an easy conversation about the building and the decoration of the café it's self, I wont explain it cause I truly feel you have to experience it for your self. The meal arrived and we engulfed it with glee as ever mouth full was satisfaction personified. May partner ended up eating half of mine and our daughter ate half of his and we all had to order more banana milk shake because it was the best we had ever had, strongly recommend it. It coast us just over $50 but that's mostly due to all the banana milk shakes we bought. when we left my partner and I agreed that it felt like Devonport's little secret and that we were so lucky to have been apart of it, even if it was just as a customer.
Approximate cost: $30
Access to the café is very easy with a major car park next door (pay parking - $1.80/hr - but worth it to access Laneway), literally 10-20 paces.
Upon entering, the café has a very welcoming, arty, feel and is always buzzing with life. The owners and staff are very welcoming and provide superb, genuinely friendly, professional service. My wife, kids and I go their regularly and the staff make us feel like we are part of an exclusive club. There are activities for the kids (colouring in books and crayons, toys and books).
The menu is dynamic, fresh and full of variety including tasty vegetarian dishes. The coffee is great and there is an excellent selection of teas and local wines/beers/ciders as well as other quality alcoholic options. Laneway offers all day breakfast as well as daytime/breaks/lunch options. Where possible all produce/meats/beverages are sourced locally. Laneway also promotes and sells local smallgoods/delicacies.
Every meal/snack we have had at Laneway has been excellent quality, full of flavour and presented like it came out of a 5 star restaurant. I always walk away feeling satisfied by the portions served.
If you go there for breakfast I highly recommend the eggs benedict with salmon and hash browns on the side. The hash browns are made fresh and are the best I have tasted anywhere in the world.
Final note. These guys have special catered theme nights, so far there has been jazz and 80s. My wife and I went an 80s night and it was a blast. Good food, live 80s music and dance.
If you are local or coming from the mainland/overseas I highly recommend this café as a first port of call as it will set you up for an excellent experience in Devonport and greater Tasmania.
Approximate cost: $14-$18
Make a great coffee - one of the best in Devonport. Found this place completely by accident and if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't actually realise that it existed. It was only because I wanted a coffee from the cafe on the raod, which happened to be closed this day, and then I saw people entering, and then saw the sign, that I discovered this place.
A little gem in Devonport! We we went on a Sunday morning when there didn't seem to be anywhere else open.
The poached eggs were perfect, toast was delicious and probably home made. It has a cozy but contemporary atmosphere, and the staff are lovely and very welcoming.
My only (tiny) complaint would be the food presentation. I ordered poached eggs on toast with avocado. It was served on a massive plate and looked very bare, no garnish. I asked the waitress for some relish and she promptly delivered. Easy! Will definitely be back next time I'm in the area.
Approximate cost: $12
I came off the ferry on a cold, wet Devonport morning (is there any other type??) lol. Despite being given a voucher for the buffet breakfast at the Edgewater Hotel, past experience told me to give it a miss. Sure places can improve but didn't feel like buffet anyway. Funny enough there is a small cafe just on the road as you exit the ferry terminal too which also does an unlimited buffet but after a quick look at their offerings decided to stick to my original plan of heading to Laneway. This was based on it's highly positive reviews from Trip Advisor reviewers. Glad they got it right this time.
Now, don't make the same mistake I made first up. Turn into Steele Street, see a cafe at number 38, name very different (some French name), closed, and think ahh bugger it must have closed. Laneway is so named because it is down the Lane next to this building. Well i'm summising that's why it's named that. Note here too, there is no parking down the lane or in the car park. Park on the street, before 9am is free. After that Devonport's greedy council will charge you something like $1.80 an hour for the privilege.
On walking in I was offered a friendly greeting by one of the staff. The immediate impression of the place is positive. Ambience good, beautiful woman sitting at table reading paper (sure she was strategically placed), rustic decor (it is a building added onto an old two-storey bakery), temperature quite pleasant given the weather outside, some Tasmanian produce on sale at the front counter (nothing wrong with beer at 7am is there??) - the little touches that make it so much nicer than those sterile modern cafes with their plastic seating etc that we so oft encounter these days.
Coffee was rapidly offered, equally as rapidly accepted and again on being invited to seat myself where I would like and having selected the table closest to enable me to hug the heater, the coffee was equally as rapidly delivered. Now this is where half a star was lost this particular morning. Whilst very nice coffee, I thought it was made a little too cool in temperature. In all other respects it was a great coffee with a good head, and you can't beat a good head especially first thing in the morning or last thing at night (like you get with Kilkenny Irish Ale ;).
After browsing the menu I selected the popular "big breakfast". Now in all honesty i've had bigger (that's what she said!!;) hehe sorry couldn't resist, but i've not had better (also what she said HAHA). Sourdough toast perfectly cooked (crunchy on outside) and dressed, 2 poached eggs done exactly how I asked for them, some nicely cooked rashers of bacon, the absolutely best sauteed spinach ive ever had, the best hash brown i've ever had (actually has flavour unlike a certain fast food chains ones), a very tasty tomato relish and a half chorizo sausage. Quarter star loss here, a whole one would be good, it was very nice but just a tease at a half. Mind you my waist could probably have done with just the half anyway.
The last quarter of a star was lost because I personally think that they could have a bit more variety in their breakfast menu. Something like a nice hot porridge or bircher muesli for the cold winter months (and though it isn't spring or summer yet so they may have) a nice fruit and yoghurt platter in the warmer weather. Especially with the Tamar Valley so close by. Nevertheless they do have a reasonable selection that most people should be able to select something from. Pricing is pretty good as well, my big breakfast was $18 and normally comes with mushrooms too but I opted out of those.
Final word, glad I ignored all the buffets and made the trip here. Wont eat breakfast anywhere else when im in Devonport now and I recommend you do the same. Have since found out too that it's the favourite among quite a few work colleagues as well. And you must be good if you can satisfy a nurse (i'm sure there's a joke there somewhere ;)
Approximate cost: $15
Great review! I found the place on Urbanspoon because nothing else looked any good. And yeah, I had to use my phone gps to find it :-P
Well written ...... couldn't have said it any better, and your directions are spot on. In fact if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't actually realise that it existed. It was only because I saw people entering, and then saw the sign, that I discovered this place.