Puffing Billy Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in Melbourne

To the new owners: We have visit puffing Billy cafe EVERY weekend for the last few years. PBC had a reputation and a family feeling to it. It the cafe you bring your date to for brunch or meet up with the family and kids at.

Very disappointed in the menu changes, now it's trying to be as hipster and "trendy" as every other cafe in Belgrave. This is not PBC, it's the iconic and classic cafe of Belgrave - well, now the formerly.

The menu has halved in selection and doubled in price, without kid-friendly options. Do I want cauliflower for my 9am breakfast? No. Can I get the cliche smashed avo anywhere else? Yes. What happened to the classic cafe favorites like bacon and eggs? Big breakfast?

The service was slow to take our orders and receive the drinks we ordered when we were seated, the cafe was not busy at this point and our drinks were simple, a 25 minute wait for Apple juice? This was never an issue with the previous owners.

We paid for the one drink we received and told them not to bother making our order, we used to order, and eat within half an hour. Half hour today we got one glass of juice, that we had to ask twice for. We didn't like the menu so cut our losses and will not return. Ever. We saw other couple's leaving too.

I ran cafes for years and this cafe is not what Belgrave wants or needs. To ruin an iconic Belgrave favourite is heartbreaking.

You will never have the loyal clientele the previous owners had. The ratings for PBC is them, and you've not only lost us, but our friends...

Having been here a couple years ago and having a bad experience, we were reluctant to come back. Given the lack of options on the strip, we decided to give it another chance. Unfortunately nothing has changed. On a positive note, the food is quite good. If it weren't for that, I'd give 0 stars. Secondly, the waitress was friendly enough. She didn't clear the table as our food was coming so we had to move it to another table to make room, then she didn't clear that quickly either. Unfortunately, it's the service that lets this place down. I should clarify that it was not busy. There was a table of about 10 I saw get their food and drinks in dribs and drabs, then us and a couple of tables with drinks. The service was so terrible though. I'm not sure if the staff were new, whether they were understaffed or just not that capable, but it was incredibly slow, drinks came out slowly, then only one by one and not together, then the same happened with the food. It's honestly a shame they're using the name of such an iconic tourist attraction to attract customers when they provide such inept service. Would not recommend. Not worth the money.

In response to the owner who is unable to accept constructive feedback. 2e didn't sit at a table with plates. Where did I say that? I mean they didn't clear our drink glasses. So we had to move them to another table to make room for the food. My feedback is similar to others yet you refuse to acknowledge your...

Best dinner @puffingbillycafe @visitbelgrave serving a delicious dinner over amazing cocktails.

We had:

Old fashion cocktail, Tequila sunrise, Both cocktails were super tasty and perfect to grab it before going on the train ride. Also we had a glass of sauv blanc and Pinot both were of good quality.

Ham croquette, it was perfectly crispy and yummy, and perfectly cheesy enough, also that apple slaw stole the show. Must try.

Pork belly, the sauce was divine and super tender and delish pork belly, also that mashed potatoes were perfect. Highly recommended

Lamb salad, this was our favourite dish and was super fresh and mouthwatering, the lamb was so so good. Must try.

Signature beef burger, with chips, that patty was fantastic so juicy and meaty and very packed with great quality ingredients. They served this with a brioche bun. And only $22.90 can you imagine that price?!! Highly recommended

Also we had the churros with icecream, so irresistible it was.

The service is good and the old school charm is very lovely, perfect for a date night as well. Or a sumptuous dinner scene with your family after or before the puffing Billy train ride. The prices are surprisingly very cheap and they serve good quality and quality food here. Truly a great...