Review - Hutch Bistro, New Farm

Hutch Bistro (previously known as Bacchus) - 2/ 75 Welsby Street New Farm, Brisbane, 4005

Phone (07) 3254 4522 Open Tues - Sun, Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner.

We've lived in New Farm for five years and never ventured down to the place now known as Hutch, until we heard they had a kids play area.....

Situated on a prominent corner 'on the way' to the Powerhouse and New Farm Park, Hutch always seems abuzz with people enjoying a cool beverage indoors, or recharging with a coffee in the sunshine.

We visited on a Sunday lunchtime, and finding the kids play area too hot, settled on a table outside (a weak trickle of air-con coming through the one vent, plus windows which don't open don't make for a good combo on a steamy Brisbane day). The kids play area was little more than a playpen containing books and a few toys, but being a new addition, at least all the equipment was in great condition and everything that required batteries was working well! The staff we happy enough for us to bring some books out to our table as well, which meant we could at least all sit together for moments, before the tot would get bored and demand a new book!

The food was great. (The Chef used to work at Harveys, another fine New Farm establishment, so what would we expect?!) There were 6 of us, and being family we all chose the same things....either salmon and snapper fish cakes or coconut chicken salad. Both meals were perfect with a glass of white and though not too large, were just the right size for lunch. Coffees followed and were well made, though I didn't catch the name of the blend. Sunday's feature live music, which during our visit, was a guitar/vocals duo who played Jazz/down-tempo tunes for about an hour, at just the right volume.

I've heard they now have a kids menu, which I must go back and try. When we visited, the kid was happy enough with a bowl of chips and a milkshake (which the staff made especially for her as it wasn't on the menu). I think a kids play area requires a kids menu so it is good to hear this has now been incorporated.

Overall, Hutch was a safe bet for a good family lunch, when little kids are involved. It's possibly going to be even better in winter, when the heat is not a problem. Older kids (4+) probably won't enjoy the play area as much, but I have also heard there is a Plasma and plenty of DVDs to keep them entertained.

Food: 9/10 Ambience: 7/10 (on a hot day!) Service: 9/10 Value: 8/10

Me too - Product Review

An update to our previous post – after 12 months of use, I can confirm that this highchair was a good investment!

Let me list some of the features that work for us:

Aesthetics:

The highchair is only available in black. It clips nicely onto our black granite bench top and doesn’t get in the way. My idea of a perfect chair really! No frame to trip over, no bold colours or vinyl and no trays to accidentally pinch bub’s chubby thighs.

Sizing:

You can realistically only use this once bub is sitting up unaided. The harness is effective but I found the back of the chair quite hard and used to slip a cushion in to protect bub’s back before she grew big enough to fill the chair out.

Portability:

We’ve taken this chair to restaurants, Grandma’s house, dinner parties etc and we’ve never had a problem with it. Admittedly, you need to clip it onto a sturdy table, which some little coffee shops don’t have, but usually high chairs are available at those places.

Cleaning:

About once a month, I unclip the chair and give it a good soaking in hot water and detergent, followed by a thorough scrub. This works really well, so I only need to wipe it over after every meal to keep it looking decent.

Price:

The chair retails for less than $70 making it one of the most affordable high chairs on the market!

I hope to incorporate more reviews in this blog, so please let me know what you think!