Ruex Cafe and Bar is a stunning new brunch spot bringing authentic Australian brunch to the heart of Surrey. It is just minutes away from King George Skytrain station. Ruex Cafe and Bar is inspired by iconic Melbourne brunch culture – from the decor, coffee and food. I was kindly invited to preview their brunch menu, but the taste I got has definitely got me wanting to come back ASAP. Check out my review of Ruex Cafe and Bar below.
Ruex Cafe and Bar – Cocktails
The cocktail menu at Ruex was curated by Grant Sceney. He is an award winning bartender with experience at restaurants like Botanist – so you know you’re in for a good drink. On my visit we tried:
- Royal Botanic Garden ($15.00) – vodka, elderflower, violet, egg white, edible flower
- Espresso Martini ($12.00) – vanilla vodka, kahlua, espresso
- Swanston (Spirit free) ($10.00) – chai, pinapple, lemon, ginger beer
- Home Among The Gumtrees ($15.00) – vodka, eucalyptus, apple lemon, soda, mint
The cocktails are all stunning. I had the Espresso Martini and it packs such a strong punch. This drink is made with fresh espresso and you can really taste it. It was a fantastic start to brunch.
Ruex Cafe and Bar – Brunch Menu
For the media event we had a 3 course brunch menu. The portions are smaller than what you would receive on a regular day.
We started with Sweet Corn Fritters ($19.00) which feature sweet corn and vegetable fritters, poached egg and house made beetroot raita. This was a nice start to brunch. The fritters nice and crispy and the egg yolk and beetroot raita were a nice refreshing component to the dish.
Following the starter, we had a Pork Belly Eggs Benedict ($23.00). This benedict features tender pork belly, grilled tomatoes, poached egg and house made roasted red pepper hollandaise. It is served with pave potato. I want to preface by saying I am generally not a fan of hollandaise, however this benny has me converted! This was a solid eggs benedict, and I really enjoy all the different flavours in this dish. The star however (for me) was the pave potato. So many delicate layers of potato – it is seriously the world’s best hashbrown.
To finish our meal we had their signature Biscoff French Toast ($21.00). This dish features cornflake crusted brioche french toast stuffed with warm Biscoff. It is served with cinnamon mascarpone and brulee bananas. This dish reminds me of the cereal milk donut at Mello! If you combine their Biscoff donut with their cereal milk donut this is exactly that! It was so crispy and yummy on the outside and the liquid Biscoff center just oozes out.
Worth a Try?
Yes! The food, drinks and aesthetic were all on point. This is one of the most beautiful brunch spots I have seen in the Lower Mainland/Vancouver. It is quite far, being in Surrey, for me – however it is very transit friendly so I will definitely be back to check it out on a regular day.
Ruex Cafe and Bar
Address: 13615 Fraser Hwy Unit #120, Surrey, BC
Telephone: 604-649-7839
Website: www.dineatruex.com
