Bumbles, on Budd’s Beach, is only a short walk from Surfers, but it could be miles away. There’s a relaxed sleepy feel to this riverside suburb. Even the cars drive slower on the flip side to the surf beach. It was a top spot for Kate Madison to open a café in 2000, following her other successful ventures: Café Mocha in Surfers, Madison’s and 3 Beans in Broadbeach.
We’ve dined at Bumbles a number of times since it opened, or stopped in for coffee and cake. It’s a gorgeous place to dine alfresco with the right company. Shaded by umbrellas you look across a grassy verge and towering palms to the meandering river, the unhurried pace personifying the best of Gold Coast living.
So with much anticipation we looked forward to breakfast in the restaurant, which had been renovated during the previous year. It’s a beautiful reno. Inside, the restaurant is made up of several discreet area, cascading over a few levels, adding interest and giving a feel of intimacy to diners. There’s a very feminine and homely cottage feel to the decoration, so much so that you could be forgiven for thinking that you’d entered a private beach house.
There’s a lived in, comfortable and chic vibe, with fresh flowers on every table, separate rooms for groups, even a library room for book swapping – the perfect place to hold a book club lunch for 12! No wonder it’s a popular haunt for ‘ladies who lunch’. For Millenials, of course there’s wifi.
We have had mixed experiences at Bumbles, particularly with service, however the cake selection looks far too good to miss. Maybe a trip there with the girls for coffee and cake overlooking the view might be the best bet.
NOTE: We’ve heard of many good experiences since our review and hope to go back to this gorgeous venue sometime soon to update our review.