Palette. & Palette.atnight — Restaurant in Melbourne

I’ve been a loyal customer here for a while, usually coming a few times a month. Tonight I ordered the Croffle with Brown Cheese (Vanilla) again. It’s $21.80, which isn’t cheap, but I had it once before and loved it, so I was excited to have it again. But halfway through, it felt off. The taste was flat, like something was missing. I checked a photo from the last time and realized they had forgotten the sauce — which was exactly what made the dessert so fragrant and flavorful before.

I showed the old photo to the staff and asked about it. All three looked surprised. One of them, whom I’ve seen working here many times, said something like, “This dish never has sauce. If you got sauce last time, maybe the staff made it wrong.” Honestly, I found that hard to believe. A staff member who’s worked here long enough should know what’s in the dish — especially something as essential as the sauce. They gave us a small cup of caramel sauce to try, and after we tasted it, they came back and confirmed we were right. Another chef told them the dish is supposed to include sauce.

Although the staff were polite and respectful throughout, the way they handled the situation was disappointing. We had come a long way just to enjoy this dessert again, and it didn’t live up to expectations. As a pastry chef, I immediately noticed the difference. And as someone who works in hospitality, I believe forgetting such a key part of a dish - especially at this price - should be taken seriously. A simple apology isn’t enough. In places I’ve worked or eaten at, they would have at least remade the dish or offered something to make up for the mistake. What’s even more frustrating is that the menu photo clearly shows the sauce, so there should have been no confusion.

Also, I had ordered both a coffee and matcha and specifically asked for them extra hot. But they were served barely warm.

I left feeling really let down. The staff were kind, yes, but kindness alone doesn’t fix a poorly handled situation. I hope they take this feedback seriously and improve their consistency, because when done right, this dessert is...

ANZAC Day morning we stopped in for breakfast. THere were no other costumers and we ordered two ham and cheese toasties with two coffees. I asked for my toastie to be extra grilled, and a side shot of hot water for my long black—nothing complicated.

A few minutes later, they brought out the coffees with a large mug of hot water not the usual shot. Odd but ok. Then i had a sip of coffee. My long black was barely warm. Disappointing, but I figured I’d just add a bit of the hot water from the mug and move on. It made no difference—still lukewarm. Tested water from the mug and it wasnt hot. I decided not to drink it.

I changed my mind and went inside for another shot of hot water. The barista proceeded to fill a kettle with tap water. What? Who does that? I suggested he used the espresso machine instead—thinking surely the water from there would be piping hot and no need for me to wait for a kettle to boil. It came out warm - again. I was done. I returned the coffee and the mug, both untouched. Decided to just have the toastie and keep my cool.

Then came the toasties. Two slices of dry sourdough, no butter, barely toasted. The only grilled part was a small patch of cheese on the outside. Inside—no butter either, the tiniest scraping of melted cheese, and two sad slices of ham. I tried a bite and could not eat it. I ate the ham and left the bread.

What infuriates me is that It takes effort to get something this simple so thoroughly wrong. You gotta be determine to ruin it. Between the cold coffee and the sad excuse for a toastie, the whole experience was horrendous. Never going back. It takes a lot of effort to upset me but I left fuming.

We thought that maybe it's a Korean style thing, but if that's the case dont' give the place a French name and name your toastie something else (Korean toastie?). Hint clients that what they will get is not what they are thinking.

Kudos for the young people working on a long weekend but no excuse for not knowing how to cook or make coffee. Take a course, ask others, aim for quality food. There are plenty of good...

Save this for a post-dinner dessert time @palette.atnight that serves the most decadent and irresistible hot and cold combo desserts which are very comforting to eat on a cold winter night or a sultry summer evening.

Their signature croffle and French toast with Asian flavour combinations are mind blowing, and will make you fall in love with this place. From serving Korean brunch delicacies in the morning @palette_melbourne to turning into a night dessert cafe @palette.atnight this place truly a must visit cafe in Melbourne.

The vibe of this place is super aesthetically pleasing with moody lighting and charming ambiance. The staff here are all very welcoming, helpful, polite, and kind. The service is fast even though queues are long and it always remain pretty packed every night.

Let’s talk about the desserts here:

We tried the Honey mascarpone brioche French toast, served warm, tastes absolutely divine, mouthwatering and the aroma of it, will make you drool. Best part, it’s not too sweet but enough to make you enjoy the satisfying flavours. Highly recommended

Also tried the croffle with pistachio and raspberry jam, but too sweet for my liking, croffle was slightly soggy, maybe we took long enough to take the photos, but nevertheless it’s good.

The iced matcha latte is super refreshing and I’m definitely coming back for it, since the matcha taste is so perfectly balanced and I loved it a lot. Highly recommended

Also we had the Rooibos tea which was too very fresh, light and beautiful in taste. Must try.

Can’t wait to visit them again. The prices are very reasonable and the portion sizes are generous and perfect to share between two people. The quality of their desserts are very fresh and great.

Guys do check ‘em out tonight after your dinner scene...