The Basement

There's nothing like a midweek lunch to break up a week...or a Monday lunch to start the week off!

This Monday I took lunch at The Basement, which is conveniently located across the road from my work, at Circular Quay (next door to Customs House)

Apparently this place goes off at night with jazz and much entertainment downstairs...in the basement! Today, we were just there for a quick lunch to squeeze into my one hour break.

The menu is extensive enough with a mixture of wraps, salads, burgers and asian inspired hot dishes ($11-$18). Both in a salad mood, my guest and I and chose the Thai Beef Salad and Smoked Salmon Salad, which was served with avocado and tiny pieces of fetta.

The Thai Beef was on the spicy side but must have been good as my friend devoured it in next to no time after she ooh-ed and aah-ed over how good it looked.

The smoked salmon salad was fantastic - light but filling enough for a good lunch with a generous amount of salmon and a faint drizzle of zingy dressing over a variety of different lettuce leaves.

The atmosphere was cool and laid back but somewhat quiet in the people department (though it was 2pm on a Monday!). The music pumped through the speakers made up for this though and actually became quite loud at certain points.

The service was friendly and polite, the waiter putting up with me as I asked 20 questions before deciding what to order (I was also contemplating the Caesar Salad).

Good food and an affordable place in Circular Quay to grab a cafe style lunch without the huge price tag.

Lunch@The Basement
Monday-Friday 12-2:30pm

7 Macquarie Place
Circular Quay