daydreamers Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

We ordered a toasted sandwich marked “VG” (vegan) because we needed a dairy-free option due to an allergy. After eating, we saw staff spreading butter on the sandwiches before grilling — including the vegan ones. When we asked, we were told butter is used by default unless you say otherwise - the excuse was that “a lot of people who are not vegan still order vegan menu items” and that we should have mentioned an allergy. While we understand the importance of mentioning allergies we did not believe we needed to mention the dairy allergy as this menu item was labelled as vegan. We get that cross-contamination can happen, but this was intentional use of a dairy product on something labeled as vegan. That’s really misleading and could be dangerous for people with allergies and upsetting for people who choose to be vegan. The menu should either reflect how the food is actually prepared or the kitchen should change how they make these sandwiches.

The staff were friendly and the place was nice, but the lack of concern for not following dietary labelling on the menu was a big issue for us. Just a heads-up if you rely on dietary labelling. We did send through an email to address this but have not heard back from management.

Edited to add response to owner: We don’t believe it’s appropriate to talk about sacking staff — especially in a public response to a Google review. The staff member we spoke with was polite and seemed genuinely helpful. We don’t believe she would intentionally mislead us; she was simply explaining what she understood to be standard practice based on what she observed happening during service. If there’s a misunderstanding or mistake, retraining staff would be a more constructive and appropriate response.

We sent an email and haven’t heard back, so we raised this in a review to help others who rely on dietary labelling for health or ethical reasons. We hope this feedback is taken seriously, and that it leads to clearer communication and consistency...

My partner and I visited Daydreamers on Saturday morning for breakfast. We were in the area and I had heard lots of great things about the cafe. We were quite excited to try it out.

When we walked in, we were quite impressed with the atmosphere of the cafe and loved that it seemed cosy and clean. The customer service and the atmosphere were really the only positive things about the cafe.

To start the experience off, one of our drink orders was incorrect, however this was quickly rectified by staff. Upon receiving the correct drink, it was noticeable that the coffee and chai were very average despite paying $6 and upwards a cup. The cappuccino lacked in foam and was honestly just closer to having a flat white. The chai tasted stale and flavourless (generally what happens when prana chai is kept in the fridge for days on end and then isn't brewed correctly).

We ordered the beef burger which first came out with cold chips. They were taken back to the kitchen and replaced with fresh ones, however the serving size was mediocre. It was what I would assume is a half serve of chips. The burger itself was bland and the cheese was really the only flavour that could be tasted.

We also ordered the super greens with chicken. I was appalled to see that the chicken was simply pan seared diced chicken breast added next to a piece of toast with broccolini on it. No seasoning, no harmony with the rest of the dish, which mind you, was also bland. This is not the kind of food I'd expect to pay for an eating out occasion.

On top of all of this, the cost of breakfast was truly exorbitant. I left the cafe feeling unsatisfied and defeated. How on earth did we just pay $72 for utterly disappointing food?!

I wished we went elsewhere or just ate at home. What a waste of time and money. I hope the kitchen improves soon because it seems the cafe has potential.

I hope to rectify this experience with...

Booked for 11:30 brunch on a Saturday for 2 people via their online system. Super easy process.

When I arrived it was pretty busy, but it wasn’t chaotic - the rush wasn’t the type to unsettle you. They have their sandwiches and pastries displayed when you enter, then to the left they have a coffee bar so you can just order a coffee and go.

Aesthetically, it was bright - lots of natural light coming through, really clean looking, and tables were spaced out nicely (not too cramped). It’s also a lot bigger than expected! They had a back outdoor area with and without cover, and in the covered area was a bar area with drinks on tap.

Music was not too loud - I could hear my friend clearly. Even with others seated next to us it was easy to converse. Staff were really friendly and attentive, asking if they can clear empty dishes on our table throughout the seating. Staff at the registers / out front were also really nice.

The menu had a really nice range of sweet and savoury to choose from. I ordered the mushroom madness with smoked salmon, and my friend ordered the capsicum and chorizo baked egg (both pictured). They took a while to come out but both were so fresh, and decently portioned/sized it didn’t bother me at the end of the day. Both were perfectly seasoned and flavourful. Of their drinks, I had an oat cap and my friend had a pink super smoothie. Can confirm their cap was amazing.

By 1:45 when we had finished up, there were a lot of free tables around us. So if you’re looking to walk-in this might be a good time. I recommend booking for the earlier times/the brunch and lunch rush.

Overall, I would absolutely return and try one of their sweet dishes. The combination of food, staff, and atmosphere was a definite 5/5...