Cafe Zen Den — Restaurant in Melbourne

Cafe Zen Den has a lot to offer: really delicious food; great coffee and lovely staff. That said, my dining companion was a tad thrown by a request for drinks from the waiter immediately after seating us and providing menus. We both ended up ordering orange juice - do that, it's freshly squeezed and generously served - but it would have been nice to have a more intuitive waiter. By contrast we had plenty of time, quite some time, to peruse the menu and make our choices for lunch. We ate the 'hulk smash' avocado and feta variation and the 'too corny' corn fritters with avocado and spicy beetroot relish. Both were generously and artistically arranged and were really delicious. It would have been nice to select a low alcohol beer from the menu as it was a really hot day, but there were no options. Situated in a former bike shop with a concrete floor, the acoustics are terrible if you want to have a conversation without raising your voice, so perhaps sitting outside could be the way to go. There are quick pre-prepared bites to be had from a glassed counter at the front of the shop. The cafe caters for dogs as well, with entry from a side gate into the outdoor section. It's a hip-hop-happening place that takes itself very seriously. Not a bad thing, but there's a little room for development in terms of dining in. For example, providing a bill to the table so one doesn't have to guess (correctly, phew!) that payment is accepted at the front counter. On that note, prepare to empty your wallet - our meals and drinks came to over $60:00. Also, the lag time between being seated, ordering and receiving our food was... lengthy... so leave plenty of time to dine in. As mentioned, the coffee is great, so as an afternoon tea venue or a place to grab one to go, Cafe Zen Den is a place to keep in mind...

We had an amazing time having a leisurely Sunday brunch at Zen Den cafe in Eltham! The café boasts ample indoor and outdoor seating options, but we opted for the outdoor courtyard and basked in the lovely Autumn weather.

We were thrilled with the wide selection of both light and filling dishes, as well as freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, and adult beverages available on the menu. Our Proud Mary coffees were top-notch and impeccably prepared.

The staff were warm and accommodating, our dishes arrived promptly and were presented beautifully, generously sized, and full of fresh, high-quality ingredients.

The playlist was a fun mix of retro pop and funk hits that contributed to the rustic and laid-back ambience of the cafe.

It's easy to see why locals love Zen Den. When we were there, there was a massive crowd of customers eagerly waiting for Proud Mary coffees and takeaway treats from the display cabinets brimming with sweet and savory goodies and ciabatta rolls.

In addition to the delicious food, they also offer a variety of homemade pantry items and meal options that you can take home. We couldn't resist getting a tray of vegetarian lasagne to-go.

Overall, we had a truly delightful experience and can't wait to come back...

Disappointed with my first visit to Zen. Ordered the Hash Benedict, which was tasteless and oily. 2 dense slabs of bland grated potato deep fried and topped with eggs and flavourless. hollandaise. Left my mouth with the same oily coating you get from a bucket of poorly cooked hot chips. Side of mushrooms didn't improve it, they were also bland, no gsrlic, no herbs, not even butter. At $25 it was overpriced, I could have done a better job of this dish in my own kitchen. It left me feeling a bit unwell. Mentioned my disappointment on the way out and was told 'there are plenty of other options ', like it was somehow my fault i chose the one the one ordinary, sun standard dish on thr menu. Didn't get the sense the staff member cared i didnt enjoy the meal they served me. Dont think my feedback likely to be passed on to the kitchen either. With all the cafe options available, I don’t think cafes can afford to ignore customer feedback about their food. I'm sure other dishes are good, but I won't be going back to test them. If you can't make potato, eggs, mushrooms and hollandaise taste good, I'm not willing to try...