Populus Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

Soon it’ll be me, you and us.

If you’ve ever been to the outer suburban area of Melbourne, you’d be forgiven for packing a picnic. It’s quite a hike for some, but for many its home. Melbourne’s growing population has meant more folks are moving further out along the fringes, and so are café owners. Rob Salha and Nick Panagopoulos are a perfect example of this, having opened three successful venues in the outer east.

This year saw the pair move south, and last week they opened Populus, in Berwick. I know what you’re thinking- they’ve made a typo in their name! It’s an intentional play on words, and also a nod to the area’s history. As seen at their previous café, Hutch & Co, Nick prides himself in paying homage to the location in which their venues reside. As you would have it, the street on which Populus sits, is lined with poplar trees, and known as the Avenue of Honour, a tribute to fallen soldiers… and definitely a fitting tribute for a café aiming to attract the local ‘populous’.

Formerly known as Nomadic Café, Populus brings to Berwick a touch of class; or as Rob calls it, ‘Affordable Lux’. Designed by Biasol, what the venue lacks in terms of natural light, it makes up for in spades with its curated fit out. Think fine dining in the inner city, with moody lighting, that’s staffed by a team with their sights set on creating an experience rather than just selling cups of coffee. Speaking of coffee, the Slayer Espresso machine pumps out one heck of a rich espresso with a smoothness matching the curvature of the venues furnishings. The menu is both playful and enticing, with a middle-eastern slant. For those with a sweet tooth there’s the French Kiss Brioche, aka. French toast coated in corn flakes, with crème brule; and the Belly Dancer Turkish delight hotcakes with rose water meringue, fairy floss, and pistachio mascarpone. Meat lovers will enjoy the Sir Benedict with smoked beef brisket, seeded mustard hash brown; while those of us with a gluten free and vegan inclination can tuck into the Magic mushrooms with cashew miso puree, on fired polenta with truffle vinaigrette. Rob and Nick have taken their passion for hospitality, and created a gathering place to escape to and find comfort in, while enjoy the simple pleasures. Find them at 74 High...

Great vibe, staff, food, and overall service.

Booked via phone call for a Saturday morning (10:30) for a brunch - 4 people. It was getting pretty busy when I arrived even as early as 10:30 so I recommend booking. They were able to seat people walking in but definitely better to book.

I ordered an oat cap and a smashed avo with extras (poached egg, smoked salmon and halloumi. Everything was really fresh and tasted good. Bread wasn’t too tough like I usually get at some places so that was nice. Noting the serve was one slice of bread cut in half when I am used to seeing two whole slices. The serving was already huge as is, so it was fine. For sides, the serving of salmon and halloumi was also very generous! Definitely loved the halloumi - not rubbery, not thick - perfect texture. My friends ordered the corn fritters, and 2 big breakfasts. The restaurant were able to assist with requests as one of my friends was pregnant - so eggs and bacon were cooked well for her dish. From their feedback, everything tasted good and their servings were also huge. The big breakfasts served on the wooden boards was a bit unnecessary- very large on the table, but I understand it’s part of the appeal. Otherwise, everything was great! Staff were also great - attentive and asked how things were going throughout.

In total we paid less than $45 each which isn’t too bad for a decent sized serving.

I will be back to try smoothies and...

This was not a great experience regarding being charged $6 for one extra slice of toast as i was sharing a meal with a friend to make it cheaper. The total of our joint meal and 2 drinks was $45. That's just simply too expensive for one meal geez. They've tried to spice things up by making meals sounds fancy but really its detracted from what the meals should be and made them taste worse. And the hollandaise sauce wasn't even hollandaise sauce... im pretty sure and am in agreeance with my friend that it was a version of dijonnaise sauce which tasted not so good. Furthermore, my friend specifically asked for the poached eggs not to be too runny please, yet one exploded when we simply tried to move it over to her plate. Do you believe this was worth our time and money? Im sorry to be harsh but it's true. Im usually one to compliment, so im not trying to just amp things up here. I hope this builds on their business and doesn't tear it down as the staff were lovely and polite but the food let them down which is sad. The cafe itself looked lovely with plenty of seating and nicely presented with quick service. I hope they can take my feedback on board as positive criticism. Everyone has to get feedback and hopefully it assists them to grow and prosper not deteriorate. All the...