Prologue Cafe Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

Had mixed feelings about this place. If youre looking for good food, this place definitely has that, though with limited options. It was a bit pricey and my first thought was I could get something better for the same price. But i was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good.

My only complaint was the number of gnats (flies) in the restaurant. I managed to kill some (attached is a picture of that dead gnat) but they kept coming back, and one even landed on my partner's plate feasting on the delish gochujang paste. When my partner told the employees about this, they came to us saying that because it's "a bit hot today" and that the "doors were open", there were more flies on that day and that "it's nothing to do with the place". That last sentence probably just landed a bit wrong. I'm no expert but I'm sure that gnats indicate a problem with the space and they dont just come from outside. Plus it was 15 degrees outside and there were no bigger flies like those you would associate with summer outside and even then, i don't think there would be "that" many. I just think gnats is a sign of infestation somewhere somehow, and the need to explain that there's "nothing wrong with the space" kind of indicate that there may be, although i might be wrong.

They did offer us to move to a different table though, which was a nice gesture. I would probably go back for the food, but would still weigh my other options which is...

Came here for breakfast and had the croissant French toast, a flat white and an earl grey flavoured canelé. Ordering can be done at the counter or via QR code on the table. The croissant French toast was quite thick but soft with some crispy edges, inside was some melty chocolate and almond slices. It was sweet and tasty; the richness of the French toast was balanced with a generous amount of fresh fruits which paired well with the mild creamy mascarpone chantilly and cold vanilla ice cream. There was also some berry compote to change up the flavour and some basil oil which was subtle but pleasantly fragrant. The canelé has a crispy exterior and inside was soft and slightly spongy; the earl grey flavour was quite strong but doesn't have much of a caramelised sweetness. The canelé was served with a complimentary small madeleine which was a nice. As for the flat white, it was mildly strong and smooth, perfect for the sweet croissant French toast. Service was good; the staffs were friendly and the coffee and food did not take...

I work in an office a block away and was excited to go and try their drinks and food and bring some back to the office to share with other colleagues and potential new customers.

Only I could not enjoy my drink and pastry, and share breakfast with other potential customers, because I was rejected when I mentioned I intended to pay with cash. Disappointingly I was told that they don't accept certain cash notes, in this case a $100. I only had cash and no access to digital payment options.

Honestly this is very underwhelming for a business that just opened, I think paying with cash is a widely accepted form of payment and a basic expectation for a business. Feels like this business is lacking consideration for people who still rely on cash and has no interest in catering to all customers, which is not a great impression.

Wish them all the best, but they won't get any business from a potential of...