Jamaica Blue Mornington Central — Restaurant in Melbourne

I really don’t like being negative about this café because I’m a regular and genuinely love coming here, but I’ve noticed the standards of the coffee and hot drinks have slipped lately. Too often the milk is burnt, the beans taste off, or the coffee isn’t hot enough. I’m not the only one feeling this way looking at the more recent reviews.

I completely understand that it’s been a challenge with so many new staff and Luke leaving, but I think the manager could spend more time teaching them and guiding them on the basics. For example, using a thermometer to consistently hit around 65°C makes all the difference—you get that silky texture without the tiny bubbles or burnt taste. I also think some of the girls that have been there a while need a refresher on how to make a good cup.

I used to work as a barista at Plantation in the city, which had a reputation for best coffee in Melbourne at one stage when I was at uni. Customers here in Mornington aren’t expecting that level of prestige, but they do hope for a consistently good cup from their favourite local spot.

From memory, a good approach with milk texturing is: raise the jug slightly, position the steam wand just near the side of the jug and below the surface, then angle the jug so the milk swirls in a whirlpool effect. That motion breaks down bubbles, creates smooth foam, and prevents burnt milk if you’re mindful of temperature.

The only other thing I’d mention is with the food. Compared to places like Jamaican Blue in Frankston, the bagels and sandwiches here feel a little plain on the plate. A simple side salad—tomato, red onion, lettuce, a little feta, and balsamic—would really lift it, and I’m sure you could still make a profit. Another small thing: in Europe, it’s common to ask whether the customer wants their cake warmed or not, since heating it can sometimes take away from the flavour. You could perhaps go have a lunch there and see how they present their food and coffee?

That said, this café is such a perfect spot in the centre of town. People love coming here not just for food and coffee, but for the community and the friendly chats. We adore the place—it’s just that the standards have definitely changed over the past few months, and I thought it was...

The serving staff were lovely, the coffee was good, smoothie was good and that’s where it ended. We both ordered a meal with bacon. Bacon was nowhere near crispy and in one of the meals the bacon didn’t seem to be fully cooked. I ordered the avo smash. I asked for my egg to be well done but it was still very gooey. Because the meal was $18.90 I thought it was worth bringing to their attention. The waitress offered an egg to be re done so I asked if it could be fried. I had to eat my meal very slowly while I waited for the egg, which took a while! The egg I was presented with was a small circle, no white around it! To give you an idea of how small the circle was, it took two small bites! Perhaps the chef didn’t appreciate me asking for the egg to be replaced?? Anyways there are a lot of very nice cafes in Mornington so if you want a meal for the same price I would suggest choosing somewhere else. But if you just want coffee and cake, Jamaica Blue should be sufficient and the nice girls who serve make it more pleasant. So all in all 10/10 for the serving staff, 2/10 for the...

Unfortunately, I have to agree with my friend that Jamaica Blue’s coffee and food have gone downhill. Managing a café is tough with so many competitors, so you need that “something” others don’t. For the Mornington store, it’s always been the community—people come to chat and often order a few things at once.

The problem now is the number of new (and some not-so-new) staff making burnt or cold coffee. Training should cover proper milk temperature and jug angle so the steam creates that whirlpool effect, producing froth without burning. I understand it gets busy, but someone really needs to supervise until new staff have it down, as even those there for months are still making mistakes.

I also agree about the food. Unlike other franchises, meals here come “as is”—bagels or toasties just placed on a plate with nothing extra. A small side, like a salad, would make the meal feel worth it and help stop customers drifting to other cafés. That would be a shame, because you really are such...