The Bloom Room is prettily decked out with chandeliers and faux flower arrangements. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Bloom Room is a new restaurant opening on Northbourne Avenue in the Sydney building. Defying the trend of closures, this venue aims to be at the forefront of reinvigoration in the city, using a delicious secret weapon: pancakes.
Owner Sharmain Fernando has previously worked at the front desk at hotels and spent many years as a flight attendant, so she understands the importance of ensuring the customer is happy. And how could you not be happy with a menu made up (almost) entirely of pancakes?
The extensive menu offers plenty of options for sweet pancake toppings – or customise your own – as well as savoury offerings. There’s a handful of salads and side dishes on there, but most dishes are centred around – you guessed it – pancakes! Savoury potato, herb and onion pancakes form the base of a crumbed chicken dish; eggs Benedict is served on pancakes, and pancakes are topped with cheese and whipped butter for an oozy cheese melt.
So I had to ask owner Sharmain Fernando: what’s with all the pancakes?
“I felt like pancakes were something missing from Canberra,” she told Region.
“People really miss the Pancake Parlour, and I felt like it was something different I could bring here.”
Sharmain Fernando of Bloom Room is bringing pancakes back to Civic. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Sharmain wants Bloom Room to be the kind of place where people can come and hang out any time of day, with the space open for brunch, lunch and dinner. Apparently, she’s been busy with late-night revellers ordering pancakes into the wee hours: a perk of being next-door neighbours to The Embassy nightclub!
The space is decked out with faux flower arrangements, hanging chandeliers, mirrors designed to resemble Parisian balconies, and there’s even a zhuzhed-up swing set for Instagram photos. The overall impact is impressive (and oh-so-Instagrammable).
Take a picture on the Bloom Room swing. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
I tasted the banana maple glow: caramelised banana on two pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream. It’s a nostalgic plate that is simple but tasty. I was also keen to try the Chocolate Rhapsody or Tiramisu Bliss pancakes (served with a homemade chocolate coffee Kahlua sauce).
I also couldn’t resist trying one of the savoury pancake dishes.
The River Catch dish features crumbed Barramundi on an onion, potato and herb pancake served with salad and chunky potato wedges. Tartare sauce pairs well with the dish, and Sharmain also recommended adding her special sweet chilli sauce for some spice (all sauces are made in-house).
Fish on a pancake? Bloom Room has it! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Sharmain has lots of ideas on how to draw people into the space, like school holiday programs for children to make and decorate their own pancakes, and a monthly continuation of live music event ‘Stacks and Sounds’, which she held in Odger’s Lane garden for the grand opening.
There’s a tuck shop window facing onto seating in Odger’s Lane, where you can order drinks and a limited menu until late into the night.
The space is new, and opening hours and offerings are still evolving, so stay tuned for updates.
But for now, pop in for a pancake fix.
Bloom Room is located in the Sydney Building at 34 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
