The Flavour Report with Derek Goforth: Pancakes with a twist a winning addition at Cafe Fleur

You could be forgiven for daydreaming about being in a cafe district of Melbourne or Fremantle when you are walking down a particular section of our very own Marine Terrace.

With high quality cafes bursting at the seams on both sides of the high street, it’s easy to see why this area is so popular with tourists and locals alike.

This Flavour Report report took me to Cafeé Fleur, one of the more established eateries and caffeine havens in the Mid West.

Everything about the cafe is fresh and bright, from the decor, to the attitude of the staff, who are either serving or busy behind the scenes. Cafe Fleur goes out of its way to welcome.

With seating options aplenty, both inside and out, the cafe appeals to a wide range of customers. From young hipsters (well, Geraldton’s version of them) to little old ladies with their lap dogs, the cafe is popular across the board.

We chose maple and bacon pancakes with a strawberry milkshake, coming in at $24. It was a little on the pricey side compared with Fleur’s main competition. But the portion sizes are generous, and the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

Sadly, my little niggle with the cafe happened once more, with the food and drink arriving 15 minutes apart. We didn’t start eating until 25 minutes after ordering, but it was peak time, and the staff did seem under the pump. Still, this is an issue many people encounter judging by feedback from other patrons I spoke to.

The wait was well worth it though, with the chefs putting their own twist on classic pancakes — using a jaffle maker to cook their delicious product. Not only does It look pleasing but it has a taste to match.

The pancakes themselves were light and fluffy with just enough syrup and ice cream to keep them moist. The bacon, all be it a little stringy was an interesting addition. It could have been crispier but there was plenty of it.

The milkshake was average, a little thin for a shake and the strawberry flavour seemed an afterthought. I would love Fleur or Jaffle Shack to put as much effort into their shakes and sweet drinks as they do their delicious coffee.

I would prefer streaky bacon as it would add a nice crispy element to the dish, but the star of the dish were the quirky pancakes that simply melted in the mouth. This may even replace our favourite waffle dish as our go to selection in future.

Cafe Fleur and the Shack have been around a while and really know what they are doing. If you haven’t tried their brekkies or lunches, I would highly recommend you get down there.

My advice would be to go ‘off-peak’ unless you are quite happy taking it slow and watching the world go by. Either way you will experience some terrific atmosphere and delectable food and drink.