Alleycat Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

Not sure where to start? I know, the coffee! I love coffee as much as the next person, and my go-to coffee is either a long black or a double espresso. As much as Melbournian coffee has been hyped up, I believe (as someone who has worked as a barista for years) that nowadays it's rare finding cafes that really care about their coffee quality (taste), as it's easier to go for the quantity and to lean on the milk to hide the over/under extracted espresso shot flavour. Apart from a few cafes in/around the city, I end up pulling a face after the first sip from a black coffee elsewhere. HOWEVER, at Alleycat cafe, earlier this week, I truly enjoyed the long black I ordered, it was sweet and tasty, and the latte my partner ordered was the same, the milk was silky smooth and again, the coffee was beautiful. This alone needs to be appreciated. When a cafe is serving good & tasty coffee, it means that they care about what they do, since it's a time consuming task to dial-in shots after shots every morning just to perfect the recipe for when the doors open.

Since it was a late breakfast/early lunch, we stayed with lighter food/dessert options, muesli and a couple of gluten free muffins (coeliac friendly dishes) and they were tasty as well. When it comes to gluten free food, there's usually a sacrifice, however, everything was really really good, from the taste to the texture. I have actually attached a photo of the Muesli here, I did not expect that! Very cool presentation!

And last but certainly not the least, the staff and the atmosphere. The staff were absolutely lovely (I mean what do you expect at this point?), helpful and very friendly. They took the time to answer our questions regarding the dietary requirements and checked in on us a few times since we were sitting out in the park area at the front of the cafe. The cafe itself is small but very cozy and welcoming, clean and tidy, warm and relaxing, the type of place perfect to sit in on a rainy day a read a book. And then there's the outdoor area that stretches out into the little park, which is another great option if you want some fresh air to unwind. You cannot go wrong with either.

Definitely recommend! And definitely will be back!

P.S. Their Portuguese tarts...

This used to be one of my favourite places to go with my daughter, friends, and puppy. However, today I had the worst experience ever. It was a busy day, and I completely understand that the food I ordered might take longer to arrive. I placed my lunch order at 1:10 pm and patiently waited, but after half an hour, my food still hadn’t arrived. I asked one of the staff members, and he told me my food was coming without even checking. After another 10 minutes, I asked another staff member, and she also said it was coming. After another 10 minutes, I went into the shop and asked where my food was, explaining that I had been waiting for 50 minutes for a crepe and a chicken wrap. They then told me they were just starting to make my food. I was so upset—why didn’t anyone tell me they had missed my order until I went to check? I asked for a refund as I had to leave, but they insisted they were making it and asked me to wait. Finally, I got my food at 2:05 pm in a takeaway container, with no...

This place is nicely tucked away and makes good use of the outdoor dining area. While I was waiting for my partner who was ordering the food inside, one of the staff approached and asked "Is this seat taken?" as they started to partially lift it. Though I didn't find it to be rude as such, and appreciate that they were full house and were trying to find a spare chair, a leading "Excuse me" would have been a bonus. I had the house special 'Croissant with chicken & dill' myself, and the flavour of the croissant was amazing. The Chicken + Dill filling was a very pleasant surprise as it was very enjoyable, but some parts were warm while other parts were not. I'll definitely be back as the overall experience...