Laneway Espresso — Restaurant in Melbourne

My partner and I have both worked extensively in hospitality and upon arrival were asked to sit outside as a table wasn't available. We sat outside the front of the cafe and as we hadn't been told that we'd need to order inside, we waited for approximately 15 minutes before I went inside to inquire about table service. I was told by the barrista that there wasn't table service outside. We needed to be made aware of this at the time we were told that a table inside wasn't available so we'd need to sit outside. Our lunch arrived, just as a table inside became available so I asked if we could move inside as it was extremely cold sitting outside. The waitresses said we could so they helped us move our dishes to the new table. As we sat down another waitress told us we couldn't sit there as the table had been reserved. There was no reserved sign on the table at all but we moved to a table of 6 as requested, carrying our own plates of food in the process. My soup had to be sent back to the kitchen as it was only just warm and the young male waiter apologised, which was gratefully appreciated. His customer service was excellent.

We were pleased to leave, having experienced some of the worst customer service possible. The cafe seemed disorganised and wasn't busy, and we didn't appreciate the rude attitude of the female staff member who told us "you'll have to move as the table was reserved" when there was no sign on the table confirming it was reserved. The staff seemed disinterested in their roles and experience was obviously lacking.

Laneway Espresso was a cafe I used to regularly visit while living locally and it was greatly disappointing to experience such poor hospitality today. Unfortunately I will not be returning as so much needs to improve. I hope for the cafe's sake that their standard of service improves 100 percent before the summer influx of patrons as this level of service simply isn't good enough in this competitive industry.

On a parting note...the coffee was great so thank you to...

Went to this place about 2 weeks ago for breakfast and upon placing my order was told that no amendments could be made to orders on a Sunday. That's fine, my only issue is the person ordering in front of me who I was dining with made changes to their order no questions asked so I can't understand the inconsistency in your policy. Also if this is the case it might be worth having a sign similar to that which you clearly display at the register which states that all orders on a Sunday incurr an additional service surcharge.

When the food arrived it was warm at best and as though the only thing that had been freshly cooked was the toast, the rest as though it had been batched cooked to get orders plated and out quicker. On another of our orders a side of bacon was ordered and was missed when the food came out. We had to ask the server where the missing item was so clearly the orders aren't double checked leaving the kitchen.

When the server was collecting our plates and asked us how everything was we gave her this exact feedback and she said sorry it's my first day today. This poor service had nothing to do with her as she was simply clearing our table and the last person in a line of numerous people we dealt with that day.

Also lastly your toilet facilities are poorly maintained and a general clean to ensure they're satisfactort would be appreciated...

I stumbled upon this gem of a café during a recent trip, and I can't stop raving about it! The avocado toast here is an absolute game-changer. Seriously, it's the best I've ever had, and I'm not exaggerating. I live in another state, but I will go out of my way just to come back here for that toast. Every bite was a heavenly experience - the avocado perfectly ripe, the toast perfectly crunchy, and the seasoning just right. I've tried avocado toast in countless cafes, but none even come close to this masterpiece. If there's such a thing as food perfection, they've achieved it with this toast. I'm seriously considering relocating just to be closer to it. Trust me, you haven't lived until you've tried their avocado toast. It's not just food; it's an experience. I could talk about it all day, but you'll just have to try it for yourself to understand. This café has set the bar so high; I don't think anything else will ever compare. I might as well be buried in that toast - that's how good it is! NO EXAGGERATION!!

All the other food is bomb too but I dream...