This place was beautiful and a wonderful experience. From presentation to taste, everything was…read moreamazing. Was able to visit with my mother and aunt and we had a lovely brunch.

The food was incredible and the desserts were amazing. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend. I am visiting my…read morehusband's family from the US, and this restaurant is a must do if visiting Melbourne especially over the holidays. They are decked out in Christmas decorations, and the prices are reasonable. I will definitely encourage my friends and family to eat here if they are in the area

Really enjoyed the atmosphere, coffee and food. Served super fast once we ordered. Trio of dips was…read moreonly a duo which should have been advised when ordering, rather than us having to ask after being served and already eating. Other than that disappointment, perfect. Definitely worth a try.

Nestled amongst the tea shops and clothing stores in Sassafras is a converted old wooden building…read moretrading as "Ripe". We used to come to ripe under the old owners, who departed a couple of years back. Since then my affair with Ripe has dwindled a bit, however I decided to head there for breakfast on my birthday this year. We grabbed a chair at the large share table by the fire, which in a Melbourne June was a very good place in the world to be. Although the menu reads like a bit of an exercise in uppity wordsmithery, the food is what keeps me coming back. As a vegetarian, my choice here is limited, which is a little surprising. However I ordered the Vegetarian platter, and was treated to portions of quiche, a small bowl of soup and other tasty morsels to warm me up. The coffee is always fantastic here, and it's become a tradition of mine to order a boutique beer to have after breakfast, of which they have a small but consistant selection. New owners don't mean a lot of change in terms of the feel and service at Ripe. Both are fantastic, and although our relationship isn't what it used to be, I'm still a fan.

Fabulous cafe in the outer east of Melbourne…read more The food was amazing, and definitely the major draw card here. A variety of offerings from various cultures all cooked and presented beautifully. The staff were very friendly, accommodating and cheerful. Their dedication to the cafe was obvious. The coffee was good - they buy from a local roaster. Not as spectacular as some coffee places closer to the city, but still drinkable. The cafe had a good atmosphere with expressive art on the walls and different seating options. The prices were extremely reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food that we received. This is definitely a cafe to visit if you're in the area.

Great service and great food. Probably one of the best…read moreplaces in the general area to have brunch at

This is a restaurant that has recieved many accolades for its wine list and wonderful fine dining…read moreexperience. My own personal experience here has only extended to dessert and coffee,but that experience alone left me very impressed with both the service and the decadent dessert that literally melted in my mouth. I sat in the outdoor dining area, and even though I was not there for the full dining experience, the wait staff were professional, attentive, and had a thorough knowledge of the menu and wine pairings- including for dessert. Based off that experience alone I will definitely come back for dinner some time soon. The menu looked great!

Amazing veg food and chocolate mousse. Did not expect to find so good vegetarian food. Overall…read moregreat experience

Where do I start. This place was so disappointing on so many levels…read more Firstly, let me just say what a great location, on the edge of the botanical gardens. A thrive of activity with families, couples, young - old, local and visitors occupying and making the best use of a beautiful spring day. BUT that's where the dream ends, once you enter the world of Jardin Tan the clouds grow over and very quickly turn black. Jardin Tan looks like it has three sections. The main restaurant, the cafe out the front and a very stylish ice cream cart. We opted for the cafe, for the reason that we thought it would be quicker, how utterly wrong I was. The line was long, not massive just long. So we join the queue. This gave us an opportunity to look over the menu. Pretty basic but still looked inviting. Rice paper rolls, poached chicken coleslaw, Asian salad, pho just to name a few. We waited and waited and waited and waited. The line was moving at a snail pace and I couldn't understand why. It wasn't until we got to near the front the picture was starting to develop and the story it was telling was one of complete mismanagement and lack of any type of team work. Two staff working, sorry I should clarify that, one staff working and one staff member cleaning the coffee machine, wiping down a small section of the bench, then back to the coffee machine giving it another clean, not once doing any sort of customer service. The other staff member taking orders, getting drinks, getting food and taking payment. If they had both worked as a team, with one taking the orders and the other getting the food (which is pre-packed) and drinks, then maybe the service would have been far quicker and they would have less disgruntled customers. Service indeed, is a big part of any business but so is the product. We ordered the pork rice paper rolls to be told they had ran out so we order the tofu, the poached chicken coleslaw, the beef pho with a baguette and three Moo Brew pilsners (the pale ale also out). The poached chicken coleslaw came in three seperate containers. The salad, the chicken and the dressing, which was a great idea if the ratios are correct. I would say there was a quarter of a small chicken thigh which was over cooked and a very small container of dressing and when you put it all together became a dry bowl of Chinese cabbage and a spring of coriander. The beef pho lacked flavour. The beef looked like it had been processed at Coles and had little to no vegetables in it, it also was missing the baguette, but to be honest didn't want to join the queue and wait another 45mins to get my baguette. On the upside the rice paper rolls did look and taste great. The beers, one word, FLAT The third part to Jardin Tan is the ice cream cart. The ice cream looked great and people seemed to be happy with the taste so we thought let's save this lunch with a really good ice cream. I'd really like to say the ice cream was creamy and full of flavour, but I can't and the reason being, unlike the cafe, had no one working it. Was it closed, had the staff member taken a toilet break, not sure and either was the group of people waiting to buy an ice cream. Who, like us, gave up and walked away. Its a real pity because this place has so much potential.

Great food, fried chicken is very flavourful. Open and spadeful eating area…read more Friendly waiters who were very helpful and always easy to get their attention. Food was quick to come out. Small selection of beers though

What could easily be an overpriced and underwhelming cafe designed as a tourist trap is actually a…read morerespectable restaurant in the quaint town of Olinda. Stopping here on a cool spring day and we were warmly greeted, explained how to order and given our choice seating by the window. The standout dish was the haloumi and zucchini fritters, very filling and flavourful with yoghurt and a side salad. The least favoured was the chicken and mushroom pie, just average in taste. Other dishes were on the better side and service was top notch. There is a decent drink menu featuring milkshakes, smoothies and spiders along with the usual coffee and soft drinks. With ample space for families and outdoor seating, I can see why it was consistently busy and would easily venture back the next time I'm in the area.

What a lovely spot to stop. We decided upon the Olinda Cafe by the menu - reasonably priced and…read moreplenty of choice on the lunch menu. They have both an inside and outside eating area. The inside is cosy and has plenty of seating. The inside area can get a bit noisy with all the wood, but you can still have a quite conversation and enjoy your own space. The staff are friendly and helpful and very accommodating. There certainly was a mixture of ages and the cafe is open to small children. We enjoyed our meals and would certainly go back again.

What a place! Well worth the drive and what a picturesque drive it is. The first thing you notice…read moreis the magnificent looking silos. On a wet summers day the mist was rolling in so it made it all the more pretty. Everything about the cafe is thought thru, from the bakery to finishing touches of the decor. Our waiter was efficient and had a great sense of humour. He certainly made it all the more memorable. The drinks came quickly followed by our delicious meals. We were there for breakfast but there is everything from buying a loaf of bread and toasting it yourself, pastries to the purchase of three different sized picnic baskets. And if the salads on display are anything to go by I'll certainly be back to order one and stroll through their gardens. They are currently expanding the gardens. But there is plenty to do! From lawn bowls, children's play areas, picnic area and meet bubble and squeak the residents of the pig sty. I couldn't recommend the Piggery Cafe enough. I will certainly be back. I could imagine that it will get busy on the weekends if during the week was anything to go by - so be prepared. Happy eating.

Really enjoyed it. We had the cheeseburger, a whole grilled trout with a side of rosemary fries,…read moreand a smoked sausage hot and pink from the smoker, a little spicy and served with pickled cucumber and carrot. One of the few places in Melbourne that cooks burgers to order, but unfortunately we ordered medium rare and it arrived well done. Still tasty though! The trout, however, was genuinely AMAZING. Succulent and cooked to perfection on a hot grill. Chips were golden and crispy with a rosemary salt, really good. The sausage and pickles were delicious. There's no phone signal (for us anyway) so it's a rare chance to fully focus without the temptation of peeking at the phone. The meals took a fair stint to arrive, but we weren't there for fast food and the location is incredibly beautiful so it was a nice chance to stop and breathe. Speaking of breathing - we were seated outside, and every time the wind gusted our way there was a waft of .... I don't know what. Sewage? Pigs? Something on the septic side of the scent spectrum (I know, pure poetry). It wasn't pleasant so I removed a star for that.

So, I was surprised to find that this outlet wasn't listed on Yelp, as I couldn't wait to write a…read morereview. Was very keen not to do the usual TGIF visit and The Groove Train at Southland did not disappoint. With the usual menu, at very decent prices, the specials were certainly offering something different. My friend had the mixed grill which was presented in a unique and and appealing way. The service however was the thing that impressed me the most. Very friendly, accommodating and without giving the feeling of being constantly 'helicoptered' the waitress we had was exceptional and would be enough to make me visit this restaurant again. Without hesitation, I'd give The Groove Train at Southland a review of 5stars.

Quality hearty and good portioned food at reasonable prices... pretty much sums up what we had…read more Ordered the egg plant chips and calamari as entree .. for mains Fish of the Day and Rib eye steak.. the egg plant chips was enough to get you full. Think a whole eggplant was served.