Maria Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

As I stood behind the ‘Please wait to be seated’ (which codes for: Wait to be assessed as to whether you are suitable for admission … that you are predicted to spend enough money and/or reckoned not to lower the tone of the place) sign and receiving no attention for a number of minutes I decided to leave. And I did so with adjectives such as; rude, unwelcoming, humiliating and pretentious, coming to mind.

Returning several months later, desperate for a coffee, I found that the staff were young, hired and seemingly emotionally noninvested in the business. I assessed the manner of the young female behind the counter to be misandric, furthermore. When I asked about the courtyard I met with extraordinary resistance and was directed to stand at the dreaded "Please wait to be seated' sign. I inquired about the courtyard only because it was a hot sunny day and the three large umbrellas placed near the pavement were so poorly placed in relation to the furniture that they afforded shade for only about ten percent of the seating. If this place is popular it must be because its patrons have a masochistic taste (a taste for abuse), for this cafe seems to be a variation on the theme of...

Stopped here for a coffee, I ordered a takeaway coffee with a pistachio amaretti biscuit to have sitting outside in the sun, the girl (black glasses) gave me the biscuit & told me she’d “bring the coffee out to me” - 10 minutes later, still no coffee, I could see they were chatting amongst themselves so I went in & asked how much longer my coffee would be, only for the girls to point to the takeaway cup that was sitting on the counter - I said “oh, I didn’t realise I had to come get it myself” they said “ohhhh” ….. that’s it! They were rude & not apologetic or sincere at all.

Not only was the customer service appalling, the cappuccino (I asked for 2 sugars) had no taste of sugar & very bitter / burnt tasting, was either not stirred or not added (barista - bright auburn hair) regardless, any good barista will stir sugar in the shot.

Terrible first experience in a cafe that gets great reviews (don’t understand how with such service?!?)

Can’t rate the food & I guess I won’t get the opportunity as first impressions count & I...

Having eaten at Lorna in Ferntree Gully, we thought we’d try the sister cafe, Maria in Upwey to see how it compared.

We dined in for lunch on Sunday at 1pm. The cafe was busy, but adequately staffed. The venue was well presented, light and offered plenty of indoor and outdoor dining options.

The Industry Beans coffee was great and the table staff were friendly and accommodating.

With a Mexican inspired menu, we both opted for nachos (one vegan & the other was a beef breakfast version).

Meal service was slow and unfortunately our dishes missed the mark, lacking in execution and presentation. The nachos were generous-sized, but were served in deep bowls, resulting in lots of soggy layers underneath.

Personally I prefer nachos with crunchy corn chips that hold their shape, so you can use the corn chips to scoop up the toppings. Perhaps the chef could consider using less layers spread over a larger surface area (plate or platter) as this would result in a much nicer eating experience for...