Breakfast at Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe

Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe

Address: 1627 Burwood Highway, Belgrave

Phone: (03) 9754 7899

T and I just spent a lovely weekend in Belgrave so we had the opportunity to try out a few of the local cafes and restaurants.
For dinner on Saturday night we went to Honey Thai. This is a basic Thai restaurant with standard food. The staff were friendly and accommodating but there seemed to be too few of them to cater for the number of customers. (I didn't take any photos.)

On Sunday morning we headed out for a late breakfast at Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe. The cafe is a bit of a hidden sanctuary that is lovely inside and out.
There were many tasty options on the menu as well as on the daily specials board but we ordered quickly and headed out to the only table soaked in mid morning sun.
We started with coffees which were very nice.

I ordered porridge with seasonal poached fruit and sweet hazelnut dukkah ($10.50). The small amount of fruit was delicious and the sesame seeds were something a bit different. I found the porridge itself could have been a little more flavorsome, maybe it wasn't as milky as I've come to expect. When the topping was all mixed through it was nice but not amazing.

T ordered scrambled eggs on sourdough with brie, spring onions and spinach ($14.50). He loved every mouthful! I had a bite and found the inclusion of the spring onion complemented the scrambled eggs perfectly.

Our waiter was super friendly, he wore a huge smile on his face and it made our experience all the nicer.

The view from our table.

As soon as we left our table, another group of people moved there; prime real estate!The location and feel of the place is just beautiful. I would love to return here for lunch or dinner.

Devonshire Tea at Kalista Tea Rooms

Kalista Tea Rooms

Address: 103 Monbulk Rd, Kallista
Phone: (03) 9755 2659

Kalist Tea Rooms have been a favourite haunt of ours for a long time. The tea rooms have changed management a number of times in the last few years and we noticed yet another 'Under New Management' sign today when pulling up. There is always the fear that with a change of management will come a change in quality and experience.

T had been hanging out for scones, jam and cream (~$7.50) as he loves this as a treat. Unfortunately the new management has brought with it smaller servings of jam and cream. Devonshire tea is supposed to be indulgent and if you feel like you're scrimping on condiments, what's the point?

Once the scones were 'prepared' T also realised there wasn't enough jam or cream so he asked for some more.

To enjoy with his scones T ordered a latte and I enjoyed a cappuccino.

Lunch at San Sebastian

San Sebastian

Address: 303 Hampton Street, Hampton

Phone: 03 9533 4755

For lunch today we headed to a cafe in Hampton. The menu had many tempting options and it took us longer to decide what we wanted than it did for the dishes to come out once we'd ordered them.

I ordered the Mediterranean Lamb Salad ($18.50). It consisted of plenty of lamb, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion (which always pick out), goats cheese, olives and crispy bread strips and was dressed with an Italian dressing. It was delicious! Especially the crispy pieces of bread. I think the menu said the salad also came with macadamia nuts, which mine didn't have. They would've been a nice addition but the salad was super tasty without them.

T ordered a simple Chicken and Avocado Focaccia ($12). As well as the avocado and chicken, the focaccia had cheese, lettuce, onion and mayonnaise. From the nibble I had, it seemed to be little more than an average sandwich. I think some extra avocado would have made it tastier. Also, I think it could have been improved if the lettuce was served on the side and the focaccia was toasted for longer.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my salad, we both had a nice coffee, and our waitress was friendly so lunch was an overall success. However, if we were to visit San Sebastian again I doubt we would be ordering a focaccia.

Brunch at Cafe Blah Blah, Mordialloc

Cafe Blah Blah
Address: 576 Main St , Mordialloc
Phone: 9580 4576

We ventured out for brunch this morning, battling the heat (with a forecast maximum of 40 degrees, it was going to be warm!) and headed to Mordialloc. A few weeks ago when we were brunching at Main Street, we read a review in the newspaper mentioning Cafe Blah Blah, which just happened to be directly over the road. So this morning we thought we would head there for our meal.
T studied the menu enthusiastically but he was split between Baked Three Eggs with tomato, tasty cheese, crispy bacon & soldiers or Spanish One Pan Omelette with diced potato, chorizo, tomato sauce, onions, roasted capsicum & tasty cheese, served with bread (both $16.50). He settled on the later. When his food came to the table he was impressed and dug straight in. He enjoyed it very much. I had a small taste, but it seemed a little too rich for me, then again, I am used to simple home cooked eggs with minimal butter.

I ordered Baked Bircher Muesli with coconut & almond crumble, apple & pear with low fat yoghurt ($12.50). I wasn't particularly impressed. I don't know what I was expecting but this wasn't really it. I think the bircher lacked flavour, maybe some more cinnamon or chunkier pieces of almond would have enhanced it. It wasn't really moist enough for my liking either. Oh well.

Cafe Blah Blah's smoothies were specifically mentioned in the newspaper's '5 of the Best' review so we decided to try a Tropical smoothie with mango, banana and berries ($6.50). T enjoyed it, I thought it just tasted like a regular smoothie, nothing exciting.

I realise my review doesn't sound very positive today, but by no means is this a bad place to eat. The staff were friendly, service was prompt enough and the quality of food was good, I guess it just wasn't to my taste.

Brunch at Main Street, Mordialloc

Main Street

Address: 505 Main Street, Mordialloc Vic

Phone: 03 9580 8150

We arrived here for Sunday brunch to see a busy and bustling café. Due to the huge number of customers, we gave our names and waited to be summoned when a table was free. We didin’t have to wait too long to be seated and considering the popularity of the café we didn’t really wait too long for our meal to arrive once we ordered it.

The food and drinks did not disappoint!

Our drinks arrived first. I had a freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice $4.20. It was my first time trying fresh grapefruit juice and it hit the spot perfectly.

T had a ‘Sunday latte’ (a double shot latte) $4. He said it’s the best coffee he has had in ages.

I wasn’t feeling 100% so I ordered Fruit & Nut Toast $6.50. Two very thick slices of toast arrived, with two pieces of butter. Each of the slices was nicely toasted, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Smeared with a little butter, the toast was very tasty, though it may have been even better with a little bit of honey as well.

T ordered the Vegie Patch - 2 eggs (which he had scrambled) served on sourdough spread with avocado, oven baked tomato, mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers & feta $16.50

His meal was scrumptious! The avocado added a delightful flavour to the eggs, the mushrooms were beautifully cooked and the wilted spinach was mouthfuls of goodness. 

As well as the food I really appreciated the whole atmosphere of the café. Patrons and staff seemed relaxed and the service was super friendly, even though it was really busy. The interior is also really well designed and organised.

It was our first visit to Main Street but will definitely not be our last!