Tayrona Cafe - Brisbane

Unsuspecting in Post Office Square, Tayrona proves that quality Latin food does not have to be costly, and that to be different - even in the bohemian West End... read more Unsuspecting in Post Office Square, Tayrona proves that quality Latin food does not have to be costly, and that to be different - even in the bohemian West End - you neither have to go all out. Just be yourself and present another kind of food, and they will eventually arrive. As was the story with my dining buddy and I here. This weekend, it was my turn to call the shots. Also, the Saturday was not going to work out for my dining buddy/house mate since he had work to do, so the usual date was rearranged to the day after. This worked for me quite well having church on the Saturday, but all the free time in the world on Sunday. Since that meant the usual limitations were off the table, I went and did a bit of brainstorming. What that lead to was considering going into what was my old stomping ground some years back - the West End. One reason, aside from it being a rich stomping ground, is that from a recent check out of the area so many new places had opened up and had made it even more interesting than before. I had whittled it down to about four or five options and went through with my house mate what looked the best. Well, it ended up being this one. Tayrona had been year for what has felt like years, and how that has managed to evade either one of us for so long is a mystery. One, because I did work here long ago and almost dissected the stretch of road for the cheap eats in a quick amount of time, and two, my dining buddy/house mate is a huge fan of Colombian food. It had been here as an option for South American cuisine all this time up until this day. For the longest time, it was going to be a matter of time and it paid off well. This is on Russell Street, which thus far is right in the middle of two busy areas and is often the road less traveled in comparison. Tayrona is right the corner of a shopping complex, which is complete with its own parking area. As for the restaurants decor and design, it does keep it simple though it is far from being another boring place. It is quite slight, definitely in comparison to how much ethnic cuisines would do so, in presenting the aesthetics. They have a continuous Colombian flag on the back wall, a soccer jersey among a couple of other accessories put together, and on the far wall are some pot plants around its name. The seating is quite basic, and outside is under umbrellas. And what ties it all together is that it feels relaxing, and is away from the busy traffic. Going onto the service, this is good service. It is relaxed, and they are a bit on the coy side. Even if it is relaxed, the food is served fresh and it is quick on the go. There is nothing really wrong at all with the service, and they do all that they can. The owners manage to keep in the background a lot, but what is even apparent from that is how hard they work. With how it is done, the counter service route is the way to go. For any time of the day, there is something to have for a meal here - bridging the gap with both Colombian and Australian options on the table. It starts off with a small selection of breakfasts, which are all simple and have both Australian classics and some Colombian-style meals plus the light meals which are available throughout the day. Other than that, there are a bunch of street snacks such as arepas and paticones, bigger meals which include staples from over there, and several kinds of sweets. When it comes to drinks, there are several ones exclusively from South America including a beer or two, some wines, the usual suspects for coffee, juices, panel frappes, and the milkshakes and alike. Down to the bone, it is nothing too different to most little cafes - this one just has a taste for some Latin delights. First things first, and that is the coffee. One of the best parts about a Colombian place is how their coffee. I am not sure what it is about the beans that they use, or if it is something in the process, but what is for certain is that it is close to the best coffee on this planet. That is doubly so when it is done right. It is really strong, and one sip of it and the jolt of energy feels right like a kick to the head. For their coffee here, that is the only thing that needs to be said. Have it black like I do, and you might well get the pinnacle of an energy rush. This was good enough to go a second round, and the Lord knows I could have gone for a third just as easily. From their breakfast menu, the item that I ordered was a classic in their country. They called it "El Calentao". This was a mixture of beans and rice, plus some diced chorizo with a fried egg on top. It would not be Colombian, or Latin by any means, without having an arepa or two on the side. Call it simple as it is, but by all means was this a delicious breakfast. If you want a break from the normal kind of stuff, than this is a good contender to try. It was robust and filling. Throughout it, the rice had a great spice mixture, and the beans were soft and moreish, plus chorizo adds to anything so no need to elaborate from there. The fried egg was a great touch, rounding it off and the arepa was hot, soft and tender in flavour. All up, this was simplicity at its finest. I can't remember what the Spanish name for my dining buddy's meal was, but what I definitely remember is it being a version of scrambled eggs (complete with some diced chorizo), and that the arepa on the side had some cheese on it. The cheese arepa was also good, with a kind of cheese that certainly had a bite to it. As for the scrambled eggs, they were smooth and creamy and very well mixed. Now for sweets at the end, it was early in the morning so the pickings might have been a bit slim at the time. My dining buddy went in first and came back with a chocolate muffin. Cutting it in half to share, from what I had it was good. Nothing too out of the ordinary, the muffin was moist, had a soft body plus the bits of chocolate were a bonus. As for me, it is tenuous how much they are counted as sweets to finish off the deal, but nevertheless they were still the cherry on top of the sundae here. Looking into the cabinet, there was a pile of what looked like some sort of cookie; turns out these were none other than "Almojabanas" or simply cheese bread. I was not the only one who thought it looked good. Within less than five to ten minutes of them being presented, the cabinet was empty. And this was not a busy and buzzing store either, maybe about a dozen people at most. They had ordered them by the lot, and were sharing them on the tables. There is one good reason for this, and that is because they are mighty tasty. They had a good bite, were piping hot upon presentation, there was a slight bit of sweetness to them, plus the creamy texture and bite of feta was present. These suckers are definitely addictive. If anything is to be taken away from this review, it is that this is an absolute must try from any angle taken. Tayrona definitely is far from the most fancy of places, and is a hidden nugget that probably is over-shadowed by much of the competition just down on Boundary Street. Well, Tayrona has enough of a charm and provides good enough food that it is worthy of being alongside the best of them. It provides a relaxed atmosphere, and a unique cuisine in town that doesn't make too much of an ostentatious presence about it. Everything about it is good and honest, and I will say again that I can't believe it took until now to finally get here. TL;DR: This is simply Latin street food presented without anything else but the food to eat. It is laid back, focuses on offering something that is not present within any of the nearby competition, and is good value. Everything here is cooked either fresh to order, or throughout the day from the moment the doors are open. Even if it is great to have a quick meal here, both the service and atmosphere are pretty inviting to take your time while you enjoy the surrounds, and both the coffee and cheese bread are certainly recommended as a must while you have your visit here. All-round though, it is highly recommended.

Unsuspecting in Post Office Square, Tayrona proves that quality Latin food does not have to be costly, and that to be different - even in the bohemian West End... read more Unsuspecting in Post Office Square, Tayrona proves that quality Latin food does not have to be costly, and that to be different - even in the bohemian West End - you neither have to go all out. Just be yourself and present another kind of food, and they will eventually arrive. As was the story with my dining buddy and I here. This weekend, it was my turn to call the shots. Also, the Saturday was not going to work out for my dining buddy/house mate since he had work to do, so the usual date was rearranged to the day after. This worked for me quite well having church on the Saturday, but all the free time in the world on Sunday. Since that meant the usual limitations were off the table, I went and did a bit of brainstorming. What that lead to was considering going into what was my old stomping ground some years back - the West End. One reason, aside from it being a rich stomping ground, is that from a recent check out of the area so many new places had opened... read more

A nice simple cafe right next to the post office They serve great coffee and you can buy 1 kg bags of beans The draw card is their Colombian menu. read more A nice simple cafe right next to the post office They serve great coffee and you can buy 1 kg bags of beans The draw card is their Colombian menu.

By far the worst gastronomic range I've ever had. eating was terrible and the personal didn't understand what skinny was latte. they simply could not communicat... read more By far the worst gastronomic range I've ever had. eating was terrible and the personal didn't understand what skinny was latte. they simply could not communicate properly or show signs of understanding customer service and professionalism. the menu says there's vegan friendly but there wasn't even a vegan option and the labels for vegetarian and vegan made no sense. they said their food preparation lasts 10 minutes, but they took over 20 minutes to finally bring us disgusting cold breakfast. the mushrooms were cold and the eggs my partner had ordered were old and stale. the brot was the cheap 0.85 of food stores. please avoid all costs.

My partner and I went when the coffee spot we wanted was closed. the ambiente was simple vanille, nothing special. the eating was cold (egg and mushrooms) which... read more My partner and I went when the coffee spot we wanted was closed. the ambiente was simple vanille, nothing special. the eating was cold (egg and mushrooms) which was surprising, as we mentioned, that we are in a hurry and that eats well for at least 10 minutes. the service was terrible and unfriendly. overall this place wins the price 2017 for bad experiences