Kanteen — Restaurant in Melbourne

EDIT: I have got a lazy response from the owner, saying ‘As I explained’. He didn’t explain ANYTHING. He claims an award, but can’t see that the milk cannot hold their coffee? To the point it tastes rancid. My review was also about the eggs, no response there? You may have an award, but I have travelled the world, and I can safely say the customer service leaves much to be desired. Terrible food and coffee aside, terrible attitude.

Original review

The location and views of this place is amazing. The service was friendly and courteous but didn’t work towards recovery.

Unfortunately the food and coffee were not good at all. It was by far the most vile coffee I have tasted in Melbourne. When asked if the milk was off, they said it wasn’t. I ordered an almond latte and the milk started to separate and settle as soon as the glass was set down on the table. When I confirmed the brand of milk, they said it was milk lab. In my experience of milk lab, using it at home and having coffees in all cafés that serve it, the milk NEVER settles. The server tried to explain the awful taste by saying the coffee we use is bitter, maybe that’s what changed the taste. I am convinced that was not the case. The coffee was sour to the point we thought the milk was off. When a customer complains of that, some service recovery should be taken, but it wasn’t.

We were offered the specials which sounded good. What arrived was a soggy mess which shows that the chef has no sense of layering or complimenting ingredients with the food on the plate.

A soggy French toast, which is layered with runny scrambled eggs, which is topped with olives and other watery veggies. There was no mix of texture to the food, the flavour was lost to the soggy structure and we walked out of the restaurant having paid $100 for 3 people, majorly disappointed with our dining experience and an awful taste in our mouths.

We headed to another venue to change our taste buds and have a decent cup of coffee. Won’t be returning or recommending this...

We used to love and support Kanteen during COVID and always had good memories of it, but after today’s utterly disgraceful experience, I will never return, and I strongly urge anyone who values my opinion / decent service to avoid this place at all costs.

The service was nothing short of appalling. My husband simply went inside to look at the menu, and the rudest, most aggressive waiter (or an owner?) told us we couldn’t order to dine in because one of our dogs had barked a couple of times—insisting we could only get takeaway. His tone was disgustingly rude, but what followed was even more outrageous. When my husband went back inside to order takeaway, this same staff member came outside and made the most bizarre, offensive comment that our dog only barked when my husband was around, insinuating he had done something to mistreat her. I was utterly stunned and shocked. After that he started aggressively saying that I have to go and wait in the takeaway area and I can’t sit at the table to wait for my husband to be back (mind you, more than half of the tables were empty).

As a food blogger, I’ve been to countless places, and I have never encountered such shocking disrespect and unprofessionalism. Based on other reviews, I’m convinced this person may be the owner, and if that’s true, they should be ashamed of themselves. You have no business being in customer service.

I will make it my mission to ensure everyone hears about this disgraceful behavior. As you can see by their response to other reviews the owner lacks any self-awareness, hides behind snarky passive aggressive remarks and just doesn’t get how to treat customers. Kanteen South Yarra has lost us for life, and I will be encouraging everyone else to AVOID...

This is the worst cafe experience in Melbourne by far. Shocking service.

Asking for a table for the two of us, we were greeted by aggressive staff and given seats stuck in-between two other tables in the shade. The place was quiet, not many people at the time and we kindly asked if we could sit at the tables facing the river only to be told with a patronising tone that we could seat there if we bring two more people and order some food.

While I understand it can be inconvenient for a cafe to have only two patrons occupying a table of four when the place is full, we highlighted the fact that it was a quiet time and staff ended up accepting. If a large group were to show up, we would have moved back willingly.

We initially came for a brunch. Feeling that something was off, we only ordered two coffees. Staff was pushy asking us to order food.

A guy who might have been the owner or manager then came to talk to us and shared a long piece of opinion about western men dating Asian women. On top of being unsolicited, this was borderline derogatory considering the company I was in and that was our cue to leave that place and never come back again.

To add insult to injury, we paid $12 for a long black and a cappuccino which were nothing special. The food menu was also overpriced. The place also charges 5% less for cash payments, or in other words 5% extra for cards, which is outrageously high on top of being illegal: businesses can't charge more than what it costs them to process a payment under consumer laws. Believe what you will as to why.

That beautiful bend of the Yarra deserves better...