District Brewer - Cafe Bentleigh — Restaurant in Melbourne

Googled “best cafe Bentleigh” spontaneously and we found ourselves transported to District Brewer … and it lived up to the hype from the google reviews! We tried the:

▪️THE MUSHROOM BENEDICT ($22.50) poached eggs, house hash, dashi, mushroom medley, spinach, fried enoki and tarragon hollandaise ▪️SUPERSALAD ($22.50) with edamame, spinach. brocollini, halloumi, ancient grains, soft herbs, pomegranate, almonds with extra chicken ($6.00) ▪️KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN ($23.00) gochujang & honey fried chicken, pickled veg, butter lettuce, chilli Mayo, American cheddar, coriander milk bun ▪️Vietnamese iced coffee ($6.00)

Overall such a tasty brunch feast! The mushroom benedict was tasty, all the different individual elements was perfectly cooked, and loved the different textures on the plate. Hollandaise poached eggs, mushrooms and hash brown is a combo you can’t go wrong — Overall admittedly it is quite a heavy, oily dish - but so yum 🥲

The Korean Fried chicken was really juicy, great flavours and such a yummy burger. The supersalad was quite filling - loved the different ingredients and the flavour profiles and textural combinations that they brought to the salad, but we did find the dressing quite underwhelming as it tasted like just plain vinegar and oil.

I was a bit skeptic seeing the Vietnamese iced coffee on the menu, but it was surprisingly so good. You can really taste the coffee and the condensed milk and it was a really enjoyable drink. It’s a little small for the price and the coffee isn’t insanely strong but I’d happily order it again next time I’m back.

We were seated in the outdoor courtyard which was perfect for a sunny day like today - with the Sun rays pouring in but sheltered so it’s not too hot! There was also an abundance of toys outside for the little ones to play with whilst you...

Serious wait for food every time! Came on a sunday morning (the cafe wasn’t full) and we sat outside. Ordered coffee and food and coffee came very promptly just a couple of minutes after and then the wait began! It was a solid 30-35 minutes after coffee before we even saw a sign of food. Not a lot of cafes in Melbourne are that slow, big or small.

And if the food was great then fine, it’s worth the wait. The mushroom Benedict’s potato rosti was the saltiest thing I’ve ever had and it was almost a health hazard to eat. The egg white was also still runny which I guess depends on the customer but I take that as undercooked. The chorizo scramble was on the saltier side but still okay to eat. Both dishes were only just meh at best. We left wanting for a lot more.

The only great thing was the batch brew, which was delicious and at the right drinking temperature.

Mentioned the saltiness when paying and I’m not sure if it was taken super seriously either.

Will...

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my reviews have dwindled exponentially, forcing me to take takeaways from my favorite restaurants or resort to Uber Eats every other night.

And places I’d never have considered before have surprised me with memorable meals that I just had to review this one.

District Brewer never disappoints. The super green salad with halloumi is always fresh, with chewy grains and vegetables, delivered at the exact, right temperature. The halloumi is perfectly grilled, and the salad has the perfect combination of delicate vegetables, healthy grains, and the crunch of pomegranate seeds.

For guilty pleasures, I have a burger now and then, and I must admit they have one of the best burgers anywhere - and they are grass-fed, too! Locals I dine with have confirmed that the District Brewer’s burgers are some of the best they’ve had. Now that’s saying something.

Now, whenever I need to order lunch, it’s...