Carter Lovett — Restaurant in Melbourne

Decided to give Carter & Lovett a crack after travelling past many times and seeing how popular a cafe it is. As I entered I was greeted nicely by the waitress and got a table outside. I ordered a magic which was superb, lovely art on top. Coffee wasn't bitter and the mouth feel was velvety. Now to the food, Zucchini and corn fritters with poached eggs and a side of Berkshire bacon and 'Smoked' Brisket. Zucchini fritter was crispy on the outside but the middle was underdone, poached eggs were runny but the whites unset coddled at best. The Brisket was moist but lacked any smoked flavour it tasted more like corned beef 15$ for 2 slices I expected much better. Berkshire is supposed to be premium quality what I got was far from quality. Dry and cardboard like lukewarm like it had been sitting in a bainmarie since the breakfast rush. The most delicious thing on the plate was the herb and pea shoot salad garnish. Now to the service initially it was lovely until after receiving my ☕️. I chose to wear tracksuit pants and was dressed quite relaxed and comfortable, the young male waiter kept looking at me like I was going to do a runner without paying. This not only made me uncomfortable but also offended. This type of profiling is disgusting to say the least. If you want my background it's 22 years as a chef, 13 of those in Elsternwick at Arabesque Middle Eastern Grill which was located in Carre St. I also worked 5-6 years at Tommy Ruff fish bar after leaving Arabesque. So thank you for ruining an otherwise beautiful day. I'd come back for the coffee but not after the reception given. Wish you good luck cause you're...

We had breakfast there and ordered 3 dishes, all were flavourless and ovrr priced, very disappointing experience overall.

1. Asian style seafood omelette- waiter said it had prawns and salmon in it, but it only contained tiny pieces of prawn. I think it was topped with sugar (to make it sweet and spicy , also contained chili and fried shallots) or else the coriander that was on top was unwashed but I had a very uncomfortable feeling when eating it, something was grinding between my teeth!! Not pleasant! The slice of ciabatta bread that came with it was not buttered just toasted and tasted stale. Overall the flavour balance of the dish was unbalanced tasted overly sweet, very overpriced and underwhelming!

2. The eggs Benedict had a flavourless hollandaise and the potatoe hash brown tasted like oil no flavour, not tasty at all!

3. The pancakes with berries and cream had a big blop of custard on top and no cream!!, and a few pieces of berries, overall very bland tasting as well.

The coffee was good and the outside area nice to sit on, with a nice design throughout, the service was good and fast, nice vibe.

I would however not recommend the food at this place, not tasty...

I was treated to a lovely birthday lunch here with my work colleague, and it was such a wholesome experience from start to finish. We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised by how seamless everything was—even though the place was buzzing, our food and drinks arrived quickly and with a smile.

We ordered a Bloody Mary, a glass of wine, the beef burger, and the ancient grain salad. Everything was fresh, delicious, and well-presented. The burger was juicy and satisfying, and the salad was vibrant and full of flavour—perfectly balanced for a light lunch.

The interiors are what really stood out to me. The space feels soft, airy, and thoughtfully designed, with a calm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s clean, bright, and comfortable—ideal for catching up with friends, a casual meeting, or just taking a moment to yourself.

All in all, Carter Lovett is a beautiful dining space with great energy and quality food. I’d love to come back soon and try their breakfast menu—it...