Platter Pantry — Restaurant in Melbourne

Platter Pantry – A Complete Disaster from Start to Finish

I had high hopes for Platter Pantry based on its appealing name and online pictures, but my experience was nothing short of an absolute nightmare. From the moment I walked in, it was clear that this place is all about false advertising, terrible service, and complete disregard for customer satisfaction. If I could give it zero stars, I would.

Customer Service – 0/10

Upon entering, I was met with complete indifference from the staff. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment—just blank stares from employees who seemed more interested in their phones than serving customers. After waiting at the counter for several minutes while they finished their personal conversation, I finally placed my order.

The cashier was rude, barely spoke, and made no effort to provide recommendations or even confirm my order properly. I asked a simple question about their pastries, and instead of a polite response, I got an annoyed sigh and an eye-roll. I should have left right then and there.

It only got worse from there. My order took over 30 minutes to arrive, even though the café wasn’t busy. When I politely inquired about the delay, the staff gave me an attitude and brushed me off, saying, "It’ll be out when it’s out." Absolutely unacceptable.

Food & Drink – 1/10

When my food finally arrived, I was appalled. It looked NOTHING like the pictures on their website and Instagram. The portions were laughably small for the high prices, and the quality was abysmal.

Coffee: Ordered a cappuccino, received a watery, burnt mess with barely any foam. It tasted like it had been sitting on a burner for hours.

Pastry: Stale, hard as a rock, and had a weird, artificial aftertaste—almost like it had been sitting in the display case for weeks.

Breakfast Plate: The eggs were overcooked and rubbery, the toast was cold and dry, and the avocado was brown and mushy. It looked like someone had scraped leftovers from another plate and served it to me.

To top it off, there was a long hair in my food. When I showed the staff, they barely reacted. No apology, no offer to replace it—just a half-hearted, "That’s weird." Excuse me? That’s disgusting.

Cleanliness & Atmosphere – 2/10

The entire café was filthy. The floors were sticky, the tables were covered in crumbs and spilled drinks, and the chairs had stains that made me question whether they had ever been cleaned. The bathroom was even worse—dirty sinks, no soap, and a foul smell that lingered into the dining area.

The atmosphere was chaotic. Loud, obnoxious music played at an unbearable volume, making it impossible to have a conversation. The entire place felt more like a neglected college dorm than a cozy café.

Final Verdict – AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE

Platter Pantry is a total scam. They charge premium prices for garbage food, treat customers like a burden, and can’t even be bothered to keep their café clean. This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had, and I wouldn’t return even if they offered me a free meal.

Save yourself the frustration and take your money elsewhere—this place does...

Horrible Experience – Stay Away!

I had the absolute worst experience at Platter Pantry. From start to finish, everything about this place was a disaster. I genuinely cannot understand how they are still in business with such awful service, terrible quality, and complete disregard for their customers.

Customer Service – 0/10

When I first walked in, I was completely ignored by the staff for nearly 15 minutes, despite multiple employees standing around chatting. When I finally got someone’s attention, they acted as if I was inconveniencing them. The employee taking my order was rude, dismissive, and completely uninterested in helping. When I asked a simple question about the menu, they sighed loudly as if answering was a massive burden. No smile, no greeting, just attitude.

To make matters worse, after waiting an excessive amount of time for my order, I realized they had gotten it completely wrong. When I politely pointed this out, the employee rolled their eyes and acted like it was my fault. Instead of apologizing, they huffed, took the incorrect item back, and made me wait another 20 minutes for a replacement. No urgency, no priority, just sheer incompetence.

Food/Quality – 1/10

When I finally received my food, I immediately regretted even ordering. It looked NOTHING like the pictures on their website or menu. The portions were ridiculously small for the high prices, and the food itself was a complete disaster.

My dish was served lukewarm, as if it had been sitting out for too long.

The presentation was awful—sloppy, unappetizing, and thrown together carelessly.

The taste was even worse—bland, dry, and clearly not fresh. It felt like they had microwaved leftovers instead of preparing a fresh meal.

I even found a hair in my food, which was the final straw.

When I brought this issue to the staff’s attention, they barely acknowledged it. Instead of apologizing or offering a refund, they rudely said, "Well, it happens." Excuse me? A hair in my food is unacceptable under ANY circumstances.

Cleanliness & Ambience – 2/10

The entire establishment was filthy. The floors were sticky, the tables were covered in crumbs and spills from previous customers, and the walls had visible stains. The bathroom was even worse—dirty sinks, no soap, and a foul odor. It’s clear that cleanliness and hygiene are NOT priorities here.

To top it all off, the place was unbearably loud. Not from happy customers, but from obnoxiously loud music that made it impossible to have a conversation. The atmosphere was more chaotic than enjoyable.

Final Verdict – AVOID AT ALL COSTS

I would give this place zero stars if I could. Between the rude staff, disgusting food, long wait times, and filthy environment, this was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at a business. Save yourself the headache and take your money elsewhere. This place does not deserve your...

Sadly so underwhelming. Made a reservation based on recommendation and reviews. Arrived 5 mins earlier than our booking time and were the first customers of the day. Asked if we could move to a nicer table than the one we got assigned next to the entrance stairs. That wasn't possible, so we obliged. Ordered coffees then got told we could actually move to the couch area. But from there we were either forgotten or got ignored-orders for food were taken once people who arrived after us already had their meals. After we asked if we're meant to place our order at the till someone finally came over. Again, waited for way too long for our food. All in all a good hour since we arrived until our food got to the table. Two families who arrived after us had already eaten, paid and left by then. With little kids having to be that patient is really not great. And given we've come for breakfast and not getting breakfast makes for a grumpy start of the day. Not what you want for a special day like Father's Day. It's clear that it will be a busy morning. We felt the staff were inexperienced and underqualified to run a front of house. Meals were underwhelming too unfortunately. Reuben sandwich came with cold chips and no sauce. Kids bacon and eggs were lifeless and bland. The P.P. plate was missing something to tie it together. Coffees were too hot and weak. Disappointed about this experience that we were all looking forward to and has left a sour taste. $120 for 4 was a bit on the high for what we received.

Edit: Thanks for your response Sam. It shows there is a lesson to be learnt and perhaps a more experienced front of house will do the trick, so that the energy from the venue won't filter through to the kitchen and the plates. You have a great place and concept and how lucky for Croydon to have this sort of cafe. You can do better in customer service. Both in house and how you reply to Google reviews. I will delete my review in a few days for good karma and hope you will take away something to improve going forward. Maybe something magical can happen where people leave happier than how they arrived because of the food and how they were welcomed and served. Wouldn't...