5th Battery

Sometimes you strike gold in the most unexpected places and I had heard whispers that there was a rather decent slab of it on Warry Street in Fortitude Valley. 5th Battery's industrial roller door is nestled amongst residential apartments but once you step inside you are greeted with light, colour, modern stained glass doorways and an atrium.

5th Battery is a unique establishment as they roast their own coffee. They offer two blends: Brother Espresso House Blend (the beans are sourced from Indonesia, India, Ethiopia and Nicaragua and blends fruity flavours with the aroma of spices and toffee) and Fifth Battery Seasonal Blend (this bend uses beans from Brazil, Ethiopia and Nicaragua and combines fruity notes with chocolate sweetness). Here is a photograph of my mocha, served in a cheerful red cup with a sensible handle (I have issues with handles that cannot fit my lady fingers through them as it makes me feel fat).

On this particular morning I was joined by the most awesome-tastic Carmen and Tania. The girls both decided to order a Breakie Burger as they had heard rumours that it was the must have item on the menu. The Breakie Burger features fresh avocado, prosciutto crudo, vintage cheddar, a sunny side up egg and aioli on two slices of organic sourdough. Tania is gluten free so to make up for the lack of bread the kitchen provided an additional egg and strangely neglected to add the cheddar. But our theory was it might not present well and perhaps the cheese was melted directly onto the bread. Either way, the team were pretty with their burger.

Here is a photograph of my second breakfast which was a delightful Almond Croissant. This particular morning I had managed to ruin my appetite my making myself a soft poached egg with ham on toast. So while I wanted to consume something more robust, I'm sort of glad as I would have a hard time choosing between the Smoked Salmon, beetroot relish, creme fraiche and baby rocket served on rye vienna or the Grilled marinated mushrooms with a side of organic sourdough served with fresh buffalo ricotta.

Does this breakfast sound awesome to you? Well the price will make you even happier as breakfast ranges from $3 to $10. What a steal! But if you can't make it into 5th Battery then I am sure a Brother Espresso could assist. They are all a part of the same chain but Brother Espresso tends to be more accessible with two stores in the central business district and another in Bulimba. So breakfast ... make it happen.

Edit [10 January 2012]: Since I wrote this article I've also managed to have lunch at 5th Battery and give my stamp of approval. Behold my beautifully tender Sirlion steak sandwich served on organic sourdough with spanish onion, roma tomatoes, vintage cheddar, baby rocket, mustard sauce and a petite salad. Sounds amazing yes, but don't get too fixated on the online menu as it isn't current. There isn't any soup or Sand crab lasagne with abalone cream. This made me sad ... well that was until my lunch arrived and all was forgiven.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Address: 23 Warry Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4005.
Open: Monday - Friday: 7am 4pm. Saturday: 8am - 2pm.
Phone: (07) 3852 5396.
Price: Breakfast: $3 - $10. Lunch: $11 - $17. Coffee: $3.20 - $3.70.