Before we went, I’d seen Idle’s Google rating, 3.9. When we pulled up, the tables outside were full of people, and it was a weekday.
I picked up a blueberry Danish without thinking much about it, and it stopped me. It was astonishing. By the time I finished it I was annoyed at myself for not buying more.
The pastry shell is crisp, and the blueberries are enormous
The pastry is very crisp. The filling is blueberry with pistachio. The last time I was back in Brisbane I’d eaten at Agnes, and this time I came back to Idle. It crumbles all over you, the creamy filling is rich and full of flavour, and it wraps around blueberry jam. I still don’t know why the blueberries are so big. I planned to eat half and keep the rest for later, and it didn’t happen, because I was eating it one bite after another and then it was gone.
We got there at nine, and it was already packed
We arrived at nine in the morning and the place was already very busy. There’s plenty to choose from, sweet and savoury, so everyone can find something. The service was decent too.
Four pastries and a coffee came to $56
That’s an average of a bit over $12 each, I think. We tried four.
The harissa egg Danish was a favourite. It was the first time I’d tried this chilli sauce, and it’s sweet and spicy.
The blueberry pistachio Danish has big blueberries coated in sauce, with a pistachio cake-like layer in the middle. For me the pistachio flavour wasn’t strong, and there’s a lot of cream. If you don’t like cream, or you worry about things turning cloying, be careful with this one.
The cinnamon loaf is a cinnamon roll that isn’t sweet. If you want a cinnamon roll but fear cloying, this is a good choice, and the texture is soft and fluffy.
The hot dog croissant was fine, nothing special, with onion and cheese inside.
Overall the fillings are generous and the pastry is crisp.
Next time I’ll try breakfast, and I miss Agnes’s potato Danish
Next time I want to eat breakfast there. I do miss Agnes’s potato Danish, though. My plan was to only eat half, and the plan lasted until the first few bites.
I’d take it to New Farm Park and eat it there. Sunshine and grass give food a bonus, and it tastes twice as good.
Idle is at 84 Merthyr Road, New Farm, and there’s street parking.
What else is worth knowing
Idle is the successor to Agnes Bakery, which came from Brisbane’s Anyday group. It officially opened in New Farm on Saturday, 21 June 2025. Agnes Bakery closed in June of that year, and the team opened Idle a week later, with 36 seats and Single O coffee.
That fits what you saw: Idle adds a dine-in brunch menu that Agnes didn’t have, plus charcoal-roasted chicken and salads in the afternoon, which are meant for taking to New Farm Park. The venue’s own page lists opening hours of 6am to 2pm every day, with the kitchen running 7am to 1:30pm on weekdays and 7am to 2pm on weekends.
Would we go back?
Yes, for breakfast next time, and I’d get two blueberry Danishes. If you like a Brisbane bakery run, Shibusawa Bakery is a Japanese bakery with lower-sugar croissants, Bella & Tortie in Stafford only opens on Friday and Saturday mornings, and Nos. Bakehouse & Cafe in Dutton Park is another bakery worth a queue. There are more in our dessert café reviews.