Blue Olive Café

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Posted 2017-02-03 by Sue W ⇒ follow

is located in the historic Melbourne building, in the heart of Canberra's CBD. The Melbourne building takes up a block of the city and has shaded walkways and arches that reflect the period it was built, over 70 years ago. It is easy to get confused however, as the Melbourne building looks exactly the same as the Sydney Building on the next block. Although I must of walked through these two buildings many times, I hadn't really noticed in particular, as it was just one café along a long line of eateries which had office workers spilling out onto the street - which is a common sight in the city during the week. It was only after a recommendation from friends, however, when I was talking about where to find the best gourmet sandwiches in Canberra , that the was mentioned numerous times. On a hot 35 degree day in the middle of Summer, I decided to check it out - but only if it had air conditioning! Thankfully it did and after witnessing staff members whizzing by with huge sandwiches, burgers and cold freshly squeezed juices, I was more than happy to sit down and experience for myself.

is a welcoming café to walk into, with plenty of inside tables and just as many outside under umbrella's. Despite the hot day of my visit, both areas were kept surprisingly cool and comfortable. I was welcomed in and shown to a table at the back of the café, which was a good vantage point to watch the comings and goings of this busy café. As this café is only open between Monday to Friday, most of the clientele are local workers, however there were also groups of friends of all ages, enjoying this simple and attractive café. I could easily see why this café was recommended as the place to go for sandwiches, with over 20 choices on the menu and a continuous line of people walking in and out.

After much consideration, I ordered the Cezanne gourmet sandwich, with pesto, capsicum, eggplant, mushroom and tasty cheese on wholemeal bread from Canberra's Flute Bakery. All gourmet sandwiches, which are named after famous artists, are $12.50 ($10.50 takeaway). This is on the pricier end of most cafes, however the bread was soft to bite into and the filling was just the perfect flavour combination. The pesto in particular was delicious and held the whole flavoursome sandwich together. The flavours are just perfectly matched with each other, making me wonder about the other 19 tasty flavour combinations on the menu. Matched with a freshly squeezed juice, it hit the spot on a hot Summers' day.

In Summer in particular, we often crave a lunch that is light and refreshing, compared to food that is hot and filling in Winter. is an ideal lunch spot to try this Summer and all year around - especially if you want to keep up the vitamins with fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the cold season. If you are in the city during the week studying or working, why don't you try it out for yourself and go where the locals go. Just as this café was recommended to me, I will also be recommending it to others for its exceptional range of delicious-tasting sandwiches. On every table around me, each sandwich looked just as flavoursome as the next.

In 35 degree heat, you just can't beat sandwiches and juices - the perfect Summertime combo.