Blencowes Kitchen — Restaurant in Melbourne

We were really hoping for a solid brunch experience—the space itself has a great vibe and looks the part. Unfortunately, that’s about where the positives stopped.

I ordered an iced soy latte and the salmon eggs Benny, while my partner went with eggs on sourdough toast with bacon and halloumi. The coffee was disappointing—burnt-tasting espresso that made the whole drink bitter and unpleasant.

The eggs Benny looked decent, and the salmon itself was fine—seemed like a decent-quality store-bought product. But the rest of the dish just didn’t come together. The flavors were flat, and the texture reminded me of baby food—soft, bland, and one-dimensional. The rosti was completely unseasoned, the hollandaise sauce was greasy and flavorless (no tang, no salt), and they put bit too much of balsamic glaze over the dish that it ended up oddly too sweet. Just… confused and underwhelming.

My partner’s plate didn’t fare much better. The sourdough was dry and tough like cardboard, and the bacon was dry and leathery—tasted like it had been pre-cooked a long time ago and reheated. Worst of all, both meals came out barely warm.

To top it off, the service was just as cold as the food. The blonde-haired server had a noticeably standoffish attitude—no smile, no warmth, almost like we were bothering her just by being there. Not exactly the welcoming experience you hope for in a brunch spot.

All in all, it felt like a place that banks on its look but doesn’t put much heart into the food or the service. Won’t be...

Fantastic coffee. which I am going to call my current favourite/ the best in Melbourne. Lofty praise, I know. Excellently brewed cold brew (instructions for home brewing offered when I asked), and great flat whites and iced lattes as well.

The halloumi & avocado bagel is delicious - stacked with rocket and thinly sliced, beautifully fried halloumi. The bacon you can add is also great - properly cooked and a tasty addition.

Nice indoor space with cool parrot/bird logo for their branding. Amazingly friendly and attentive staff.

My only regrets are not discovering this spot sooner - 100% not a milk bar despite retro signage out the front, and that Blencowes are only open until 2 pm contributing to the Melbourne-wide problem of being unable to get a (good) coffee at 3-4 pm e.g. the...

4.2

This place is a fantastic discovery on Twosheds’ morning walk. The coffee is out of this world. Strong, rich, creamy and with huge length and hints of dark chocolate. The lovely staff - I think they must own it - were telling me that a renovation is happening soon to reinstate this old milk bar to its former glory by knocking out a wall between the lovely front area - great ambience and warm feel - to connect it with the huge back area which used to comprise the old milk bar. There’s apparently a new kitchen and outside area coming too. Their excitement was infectious. So much so, we are coming back to eat as the menu looks fantastic. This place goes off on a weekend with hipster crowd. It’s literally almost under the train line.

Great...