Note: Cornucopia Museum Cafe has changed hands since this review.

With the dry season weather kicking in, what better way to enjoy the cool breezes on offer than with a big hearty meal and a warm cup of coffee from Cornucopia Museum Café. The mixture of families and tourist visiting the adjacent museum along with couples enjoying some quality time with each other lend to a typically Darwin style laid back and relaxed atmosphere. It certainly is a great place to start the day, or to unwind after a tour of the amazing museum! There's a fishing exhibition on right now which was pretty cool and worth a look if you're interested in the history of fishing in the Top End.

The ocean and park views from the outdoor seating area are marvelous and the friendly all smiles service from the staff is just as great. I believe they are under new ownership now and the staff behind the counter were very enthusiastic and were thorough in spruiking what was on offer.

The home style slow cooked beef mushroom and bacon pie on the lunch menu is a real ripper. I was going to get my usual steak sandwich but I couldn't resist the thought of a big arse pie. 'Twas a good choice because the big chunks of meat are ridiculously moist and tender, every bite is absolute bliss. I don't recall the last time I had slow cooked beef that wasn't tough and dry so this was a real nice change! Topping it all off is a big piece of puff pastry that you can use to dunk into the rich gravy.

The prices are a a bit more than the usual for a Darwin Café, I was a little put off to be honest with most menu items between $16 - $25. Thankfully however the serving sizes here are generous, we saw one pair of diners opting to share a meal and the only way you'll be able to get through the chicken ceasar burger is by using the big steak knife that comes with it.

My only disappointment? Not giving in to temptation and trying the intriguingly named red velvet cheese cake - maybe next time.