Calibre Café has become a favourite feature of Woden’s Bradley Street dining strip. Set on the edge of Westfield shopping centre, the café is the perfect place to stop off for a breather, or to enjoy a meal with friends and family.
The menu has plenty of traditional café favourites, along with a distinctly Italian flair. The presence of pizzas and pastas on the front page of the lunch and dinner menu may be more than a slight give-away, but the Roman influence creeps through in other areas.
The Antipasto – off the Starters menu – is a fantastic spread. Served with Kalamata olives, roast capsicum, fetta cheese, prosciutto, and grilled chorizo, Calibre steps it up a level through the introduction of lemon salt and pepper squid and some lightly battered prawns. It’s another interesting twist on a traditional favourite that separates Calibre from its competitors.
Highlights across the plate include the crispy, salty prosciutto, which crackles and crunches, while the generous serving of salmon is a great way to lift the palate.
Prawns Aglio e Olio is a great way to fill yourself with a delicious bowl filled with pasta. It’s a classic fettuccine, with prawns Spanish onions, shallots and fresh tomato, drizzled with chilli, garlic and olive oil. Grab your fork and swirl the al dente pasta around your fork, making sure you capture all the flavours through the pasta. For those that are shy of chilli, be careful – there’s a bit of a kick!
The Italian feel continues with the Chicken (say, Pollo?) Saltimbocca. One of the prettier dishes you’re likely to encounter in any café, with warming winter tones – think dark green and deep reds – the aromas coming off the plate are amazing. This is probably due to the prosciutto within the chicken breast is wrapped. The white wine and garlic butter sauce adds to the mix, combining to provide with the meats to provide complex and rich range of flavours.
The crunchy sliced shallots and steamed greens provide a textural contrast, while the baked slices of potato are just perfect for mopping up the remaining sauce.
Still, it’s hard to go past a delicious steak. Calibre dishes up a 350g sirloin which – when cooked medium rare, is delivered just the way you want it. Dark and crispy on the outside, and oh-so-pink within, it delivers that wonderful contrast between crisp caramelised flesh and the succulent flesh. Served with Diane, pepper or mushroom sauce, its steak the way it should be.
To finish, there is a strong range of desserts, as well as a wide selection of cakes within the counter’s glass display. These are perfect for any time of the day – making Calibre Café not just a great place for a meal, but a handy spot to drop in and revive during the day.
