The Monster nature of Monster Kitchen and Bar makes it a perfect choice for a Canberra brunch any day and any weather.

Elegant in both decor and dishes – this interesting and stylish restaurant morphs throughout the ground floor of Hotel Hotel in New Acton taking on new personalities as it fills different spaces.

And while the ambiance is fine dining, prices are unexpectedly, very reasonable.

My favourite is the Salon, filled with eclectic furnishing and luxurious fabrics that hark back to an era when everyone dressed well to dine.

On a cool or rainy day the large open fire that forms an engaging centrepiece is greatly welcome. The underground parking means there’s not need to brave the elements. Thoughtfully, Monster guests can validate their parking tickets to receive half price parking rates.

Monster’s cheeky nature also means it’s open early serving breakfast from 6:30am right up until 12 Noon.

The understated menu underplays the deliciousness of the dishes.

It is easy to miss those moreish, comforting House made crumpets with Hotel Hotel honey, a large serve at the great value price of $11. It’s a must have to share for the table!

My table agreed that our favourite dish was actually the Braised lentils with sauteed bitter greens (actually not bitter), oft egg and zaatar $18.

Next was the Poached eggs with avocado, whipped chevre and (great) dukkah $18. It was also generously garnished with wonderful fresh herbs that completed this excellent dish.

The Spelt and Maple Granola with roasted rhubarb, berries and whipped ricotta is very beautiful and an absolute steal at $13. Full of crunchy nuts and with just the right amount of sweetness, it’s a well put together dish.

The Confit ocean trout with poached eggs, turnip, radish, spinach and lemon $19 was done well but was not quite as interesting as the other dishes.

The Baked eggs with kale, sheep milk feta, chilli and lemon $18 looked a good choice at another table and the Porridge has some wonderful toppings – spiced pear, halva, pistachio and rose $14. I’ve added them to my wishlist for next time.

An unexpected added bonus is that Monster also provides breakfast for Hotel Hotel guests, one of Canberra’s most popular places to stay and clearly the choice of TV celebrities and famous chefs. We shared our brunching with four national identities also enjoying the hospitality of Monster.