Mary Eats Cake - Brunswick — Restaurant in Melbourne

Visited Mary Eats Cake on Sunday afternoon for my sister's bridal shower. 20+ of us crammed into a tiny corner in the venue where we were sitting on top of each other. Staff could not even get down between tables to serve us. It was a warm afternoon and we were sitting in direct sunlight with no offer for curtains to be drawn, and being at the front of the store, the one air conditioner at the back of the venue did nothing to cool us (unsure if it was even on).

Champagne offered promptly as each guest entered which was nice, and food brought out just as attentively when the last guests arrived. But sadly that's all the compliments I can offer. One tier between three people with some people receiving individual stands, but as the tables were so crammed and everyone so packed in, it was very difficult to share between three people. A shared tier was placed directly in front of me with no room for my little plate or cup of tea, and I had to stand up and move each time I wanted to pour a drink or reach cream/sugar/jam. One menu on the table listing what was on each tier was a bit of a struggle between 12+ people who wanted to see what they were eating. Shortly after the stand was placed, a staff member came over and took 2 macaroons off our tier and gave it to another guest in our party on the opposite table. Leaving 1 macaroon to be shared between 3 people with no explanation or replacement?

Food was below average sandwiches soggy, mushroom bruschetta untouched by everyone on my table, chewy ravioli, incredibly tasteless scones, and an awful raspberry and chocolate mousse slice. The only thing our table agreed on being lovely was the apple chai cake square. So I guess one item out of 8 ain't bad for $118.

We had no idea what tea we received and we were not offered any others the entire time we were at the venue.

Towards the end of the hens event cocktails and mocktails were ordered and I will say again actually that the turn around of ordering and receiving was quite fast. However some members of the party were given cocktails instead of their ordered mocktails, and as they were driving.......well.

Staff pretty much ignored our group which meant we had dirty plates, tiers, cups and glasses in our faces the whole afternoon.

Definitely not worth what we paid. For a group paying more than $2300 to be there, the attention we received and food that was served was absolutely pitiful.

There is no way I will go to another Mary Eats Cake venue, and I will make sure my friends and family also do not visit. There are a thousand venues offering high tea these days for a much more reasonable price, and I HIGHLY recommend people visit those...

I submitted this feedback to Mary Eats Cake a few years ago but remembered that I never submitted this review. Have decided to leave it now as I’m looking for a similar dining experience for my partner now and won’t be choosing Mary Eats Cake again. I’m posting because I hope this review - and constructive feedback to Mary Eats Cake - might help.

Regrettably, my group of seven had a very disappointing experience at your Brunswick location. We were left waiting for over an hour before any food was served—no cheese platters, scones, or even basic hospitality like refills of water. During that time, we only received one glass of champagne, despite our booking including unlimited champagne. We had to ask multiple times for service, and when food finally arrived, it was rushed, with everything brought out at once.

To make matters worse, at 4 PM, we were informed that our sitting was over, and the remainder of the food was boxed up to go. It’s disappointing that although the team wasn’t prepared when we arrived, they were quick to rush us out when time was up. We specifically chose Mary Eats Cake for the premium experience and unlimited champagne that is typically part of high tea. Unfortunately, due to the inattentive service, we received just a couple of glasses per person, and much of our time was wasted waiting.

Given the high expectations for the premium package we paid for, it was surprising to find that the staff appeared overwhelmed and unprepared, despite bookings being made in advance. We didn’t receive the cheese platters, avocado toast, or even scones upfront, and when food finally came, it all arrived together which is a lot to consume all at once.

It was also concerning that when asked about champagne refills, your staff initially said the group was only entitled to one glass, which wasn’t what we booked. If there is a limit to drinks based on your RSA policy, it should be clearly advertised, as promising bottomless champagne without delivering can be misleading.

I understand that staffing can be difficult, but I hope you’ll consider my feedback. Small changes, like ensuring food is served promptly and addressing RSA concerns, could make a huge difference to the customer experience.

When I sent this feedback through to the owner, not expecting anything other than an apology, I received quite a dismissive response. For me, that’s a huge turnoff. So based on this experience and the owner’s reluctance to take on feedback, we won’t return and wouldn’t recommend to anyone...

Update: We went again today with my SIL and Mum and had Charlotte serve us! Charlotte was absolutely incredible! I don't think I have ever experience better service in my life. She went above and beyond all morning and made us feel so special! There wasn't a moment we were waiting for any drinks, food or scones. She was so charismatic and genuine. She truly made our experience what it was!! I hope we end up with her everytime we go!! Thank you Charlotte!

We had the most beautiful experience at Mary Eats Cake! We went for an early Mother's Day catch up and did the Bottomless brunch on a Saturday morning. From the moment we walked in it felt special and elegant. Our package included the bottomless Pimms, mimosas, scone and tea as well as some delicious savoury breakfast items and some other sweet treats. All of which tasted increidble! Honestly some of the best food I've tasted and the scones were truly something from a storybook. They were fluffy, warm and sweet. It was a good thing they were bottomless because we couldn't stop eating them. The setup it's self was smart and stunning. The glasses and tea cups were really beautiful and the trays were one of a kind. However the shining stars of the morning were the staff. We had Johnathon serving us and two other lovely ladies (I'm sorry I didn't catch their names). They were always doing rounds bringing more drinks and scones with pots of jam and cream. They had recommendations for what teas went best with what and the minute our glasses were emptying they were back filling them with our alcoholic drink of choice, or bringing a new pot of tea to the table. I've been to bottomless brunches before were you feel like you have to wait and try and gets someone attention to get your next item or drink. This was not like that at all. They were so efficient and incredible with their service. Honestly top tier customer service. We are a little too many bottomless scones and couldn't finish a few of our cakes and next round of scones but they put them in a box for us to take home. The minute we sat down we were already brainstorming the next time we could come and who else we could bring. It was amazing. Thank you to Mary Eats Cake Brunswick for your amazing customer service and beautiful experience. We will...