Just 3 weeks old, Juniper and Pine is the latest cafe and restaurant to open it’s doors in the seaside suburb of Brighton. Like most new places these days, the focus is on using fresh locally sourced ingredients. With the breakfast menu on hand, I counted 15 items on offer, most of them fairly standard. They also have a separate lunch and dinner menu as well as a selection of wines, coffees and other beverages.

Located in a small complex on Brighton Road, Juniper and Pine is more spacious than your typical eatery. With nice clean lines and earthy colour tones, this place could easily fit over 60 people. The frontage is nice and wide which allows plenty of natural light to flow through.

For breakfast, I ordered the Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon and Maple Syrup. The dish arrived after a 15 minute wait and was nicely presented. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the sweetness of the maple syrup was well balanced by the lovely smokey flavours of the bacon. Such a simple dish but very well executed.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere was relaxed with a handful of locals inside the store having their morning feed. The cost of the pancakes was $12.50 which wasn’t too bad considering the quality of the ingredients and the execution of the dish.

If the pancakes I had today were anything to go by, I look forward to checking out some of their other menu items.

WHERE: 450 Brighton Rd, Brighton