Portrait Cafe - Parkes, Australian Capital Territory

Jen

Exhausted when we got here and so looking forward to some comfort food. Right next to the gallery shop, it was quite popular with visitors and locals. Our orders came very quickly. The knife for the steak sandwich dropped on the way to the table but the waiting staff didn’t bring a new one. The steak sandwich and portrait burger are of average cafe standard. The earl grey tea was good. The service was quick but lacked friendliness. The older gentleman behind the counter hardly smiled. Loving the location though.

Lucy B.

Nice to sit outside in the sun with a beer or coffee. Came before the lunch rush and enjoyed the pie and soup of the day, good quality cafe food. Friendly staff, good food and not too long to wait. At busy times you'll have to wait for a table and can be a bit chaotic.

Blossom C.

The cafe is in a lovely space with a good outdoor, shaded area.
Staff were friendly and helpful.
However the food was substandard. My root vegetable soup was lukewarm and my roll was miniature.
My fellow diner’s spinach and ricotta triangle was a real disappointment. She couldn’t eat the filling.
The most concerning thing was that the staff kept bringing us other people’s orders. I don’t think they’re recording the table numbers correctly. Plus there appears to be 2 sets of tables with the same number.
It’s potentially a nice cafe.

Diane M.

UPDATED 2025: Much improved. We had visited in 2024, but things were the same as of previous visits: poor. But, today brunch was actually very good! Fresh scones with jam and cream, and Avocado with poached egg on toast. Even the coffee was good. New management, maybe? Whatever it is, the food and coffee was vastly better!

2023: Very disappointing.
Having been several times to the Portrait Gallery Cafe and always enjoying good food, great coffee and service, I was extremely disappointed that my experience today was anything but that! The slice of frittata – microwaved within an inch of its life– was very small and tasteless, with a side salad of coleslaw and a singular lettuce leaf, but no dressing! And, the coffee water weak and only delivered after several promptings. Something has changed, and it's not for the better.

Tuan P.

Lovely place. But for lack of alternative option, they don’t bother improving their standard. The croissant is so dry it’s at least 3 days old. Coffee tasted like the kind of mud you pour out of those satchel to mix with hot water - you know what I’m saying. It’s a lovely location thought. Can’t fault that bit.

Jennifer K.

Lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. It is an order and pay at the counter affair and the queue can be quite long. There were some delicious looking pies, quiches and pastries with vegan/vegetarian options. The coffee is ok - not great but the staff seem friendly and helpful. My fruit salad and vegan yogurt was very tasty.

I’ve been back with a bigger appetite recently after a lake walk and my pumpkin and goats cheese tart was delicious. The lentil and carrot soup was also good according to a fellow walker. I love that the Portrait Gallery gift shop is so close though could be dangerous if you don’t want to spend. I did come away with a few gifts. 💕🌸💕

S L. C.

We had brunch here and the staff were very friendly. They have indoor and outdoor dining areas. The coffee was good and we enjoyed the rice bowl.

Thomas B.

Unfortunately missed out on the mains, the kitchen closes around 2:30pm although it doesn’t state it anywhere, so only what’s on display in the windows is available to eat, we had a lamb sausage roll and the scones. The sausage roll was quite large with a good amount of filling. The staff were friendly but it would be good if when people arrived after 2:30 they advised the kitchen was closed as we saw multiple people taking a while to decide on their mains then go to order and find out they’re no longer serving. Otherwise, it’s clean and good food and there are plenty of seating options both inside and outside, would recommend it for a pit stop whilst browsing the gallery or if nearby.