First look at the brand new Milk Crate Cafe in Canberra's Civic

There are gleaming white tiled walls, hanging pots filled with greenery and bright blue ceramics at Civic's latest eatery, Milk Crate Cafe.

It's in a semi-circular spot with huge foldaway glass doors tucked away in a sunny courtyard at the back of 12 Moore Street in the city - you can also enter around the corner just off Rudd Street.

On the menu are house-made New York bagels with flavoured cream cheeses, turkey bacon and egg rolls, and a distinct Mediterranean flavour with dishes such as Cypriot scrolls filled with tahini and pekmez ("like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich"). It's simple, fresh stuff - coffee, sandwiches, rolls in an urban rustic look.

Coffee is from Sydney's Drumroll roasters and teas are from T Totaler.

Owner Hakan Demir came to Canberra for love - moving to the capital with his wife in February. But he's also an experienced restaurateur - he says he's set up and sold at least five cafes in his hometown of Sydney, including cafes at TV news stations.

So he took a look at a couple of Canberra sites and settled on the Moore Street spot to start with. "I just figure there's a lot of potential in Canberra," he says. "I did about three months research on the site and got onto it straight away."

Chef Aaron Fain also came to the capital for love - the Tennessee native jumped at the chance to move halfway across the world when his wife took a job at the Australian National University. He's been in Canberra just six weeks. You'll find Fain in the kitchen turning out those fresh New York style bagels with plenty of cream cheese flavoured with Nutella, pesto and more (but no Vegemite, he jokes).

"Everything is fresh," Demir says. "If you want a pre-made sandwich go somewhere else. If it runs out, it runs out."

He has plans to turn the Milk Crate Cafe idea into a franchise and will be opening more outlets around the city.

The cafe serves up from 6.30am-4pm currently, doing breakfast and lunches. But stay tuned for more - Demir says he's getting a liquor license with a view to eventually staying open on Friday evenings serve casual post-work drinks and snacks.

"There's a lot more to come," he promises.