New Shakespearean Cafe ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ Opens In Westlake

William Shakespeare’s words have lent themselves to quite a number of things in the world today. Sometimes, you’ll encounter them in the most unexpected places. To Be or Not To Be, the words uttered by Prince Hamlet in the eponymous Shakespeare play, is the name of a new cafe in Westlake.


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To Be or Not to Be is the second act of Method to Madness in Kenmore, a Shakespearean cafe serving an all-day breakfast menu, coffee, and boozy brunch. Since opening in 2018, the cafe has been delighting locals with its leisurely brunch with almost fine-dining breakfast options. In 2020, the cafe even took home AGFG’s reader’s choice award.

Photo credit: To Be or Not to Be/Google Maps

Following the success of Method to Madness, owners Urvik Bhalani and Reagan Nongkhlaw, along with their new partner Sean Donnelly, opened To Be or Not to Be in June 2021 as “a place for family and friends to come together and share a good time.” 

“Unlike Hamlet, we don’t ponder whether it is better to live or die. We are loving life and are dedicated to serve you the best coffee you can possibly find in all of Brisbane,” quipped the owners.

Photo credit: To Be or Not to Be/Facebook

Like the first restaurant, the food items pay homage to The Bard, but in a lighthearted way with options like ‘Untam’d Mushrumps,’ ‘To Toast or Not to Toast’ and the witty ‘Shakespeare Dislikes COVID-19,’ which is quinoa toast with beetroot hummus, textured avocado, mixed seeds, goats cheese, poached eggs, mixed herbs, and pickles.

Pastries, which come courtesy of Brasserie Bread, are best paired with their batch brews and cold brews, though they have juices, smoothies, milkshakes for those who don’t like coffee. For a boozy brunch, To Be or Not to Be also offers Aperol spritzes and mimosas.

Photo credit: To Be or Not to Be/Facebook

For lunch, they offer fermented chilli and blue swimmer crab laksa, cheeseburger and lamb shank massaman curry. Then for those who prefer takeaway, they have ‘The Bard’s Breakfast Box,’ which is good for four.

If you prefer something more Instagrammable, try their Hong Kong peanut butter waffle, caramelised bubble waffle served spilling out of a paper cup, with berry coulis, citrus curd and rich chocolate.

The restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast and brunch. For trading hours and more updates about the restaurant, check out the website or follow them on social media. 

To Be or Not to Be

Phone: 3161 7346

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tobeornottobecafe 

Instagram: @tobeornottobecafe