My Little Kitchen Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in Melbourne

Asked for a table out the back for good reason. Was told they have them but not for one. After working in the industry for years myself, I would never treat a customer like that. The person I spoke to had attitude; I was seated on a 3 seater inside… I looked out the back and there was plenty of seating. I left. I came from quite a distance to try your food too but this was unacceptable and rude. It came across to me as unwelcoming and discriminatory.

Response: Thank you for your apology Ben. I would like to note that it wasn’t a busy time. It was well after lunch, closer to 2pm. I’m going to roughly estimate 1.45ish and as mentioned there were plenty of tables out the back so it wouldn’t hurt to accomodate people’s requests when you aren’t packed to the brim. Going by some earlier reviews, I can see that they are reflective of the table issue and the rude attitude I experienced today. Perhaps reviewing your table policies and checking in with your manager and seeing if she is ok might be a good approach (assuming the girl in the pinkish t-shirt was the manager). Maybe she just needs a break?

Response: You're correct that I requested to sit out the back for a good reason, but I never stated that I shared that reason with your team. As someone with a (blanked out for privacy reasons), I'm not legally required to disclose my reasons for requesting accommodations.

Additionally, I was at no point told you only had 2 tables available. In fact, I could see multiple tables available, so the claim that there were only 2 tables available is simply not true. What happened today was not okay, and I hope you'll take my feedback seriously to improve your services.

Comparing your cafe to Cutler and Co, a high-end restaurant, isn't a fair analogy.

I understand that you're trying to acknowledge my experience, but saying "being told NO is not fun" comes across as somewhat aggressive and dismissive.

It's about the attitude and treatment of customers. It’s important to treat customers with respect and going by some of your responses to previous reviews, I feel it is evident why I received...

I wish there were half stars to give because I’m torn between a 3 and a 4. The atmosphere is lovely, the wait staff and kitchen staff (visible through a window and a serving area) are friendly and welcoming.

My biggest quibble was my first of two coffees, which although better than many others in town still came with a hint too much of a bitter aftertaste ... not like the roast, but maybe a grind size issue? Run on too long? (Not sure). The soy milk was quality (I’d say Bonsoy or Milk Lab - no fear of So Good here!) and the temperature was just right.

My second coffee was a long time before ordering - they had a few groups come in (around 9am) and with one barista and one server seemed a little busy. However, I didn’t have to got up to the counter (they just beat me to it!) and the second cup did redeem itself in quality, far exceeding the first.

The food is beautifully plated and quite diverse. Maybe I set myself up for post brekky rumbles by choosing a lighter option (the poached eggs, avo whip and dukkah) rather than one of their heartier sounding meat options, but I could’ve done with two slices of sourdough at that price point. A little thing, and inexpensive as a proprietor too, but it can make the difference between feeling you’ve got your money’s (and your tummy’s) worth :)

All in all, I’ll be back to try more of their interesting sounding menu, and to give them an opportunity to shine a bit brighter. I’m seeking a competently busy local place to come and sip a coffee and read the news over brunch ... let’s hope...

Edit. And yes, I doubled checked. This is the place. The pulled pork was some sort of shredded meat on toast, 2 eggs, greens, a small shredded fenel and the brown dust. Meat was over cooked so maybe it wasn't pork. Sorry. Edit 2: my wife tells me it was brisket.

Friendly staff, a nice covered area where they allow dogs, and very gluten free friendly cafe let down by extremely overwrort food.

The type of menu that promises essence of mountain dandelion plucked on a full moon by a sect of extinct monks, which when it arrives (after a long 30 minute wait) looks like a standard garden weed salad. All of our dishes could lost half their overly verbose ingredients and still tasted the same.

Indeed the pulled pork included a sprinkling of brown dust that when tasted alone, seemed to be flavourless brown dust with no possibly culinary use other than description padding.

When the ingredients were in abundance they were added with gusto. I've now eaten enough capers in one dish to satisfy my grandchildrens descendants.

Simply, the dishes were a real mess of mismatched ingredients with no idea on how any of them could go together. Add the fact that things that should be in large quantities were in small and those in moderation were added in excess. The eggs...