Rubia Coffee — Restaurant in Melbourne

When you decide to go to a café for the very first time, it is not exactly unusual these days to read a few recent reviews and work out from what people are saying whether it's a goer or not. Well, l read the reviews but not enough of them it would seem when it came to this place. Rubia Cafe is very nicely decked out - there is no question there. Very pleasant on the eye. All that was strangely missing was some background music which took away from the vibe of the place - very strange for a café like this one not to have super-cool music pumping away in the background. We ordered via the ipad/tablet (a bit different, a little impersonal, but it's at least novel and practical), and two of the three coffees came out (that's poor form). My flat white with two sugars tasted a little unusual, a little "nutty" if anything. Funnily enough, when the third coffee "eventually" appeared many minutes later it tasted to the lucky recipient more like a flat white even though it was supposed to be an Almond Latte. So l grabbed her flat white and eventually, twenty minutes later, the real genuine Almond Latte without sugar finally arrived in the hands of the rightful owner. It was clear by then that "Houston we have a problem". The coffees were average, nothing special, and certainly not as hot as had been requested. We then witnessed mayhem as a number of patrons started complaining about the significant service delays and departed unhappy. On one hand we thought that this could work out well for us as there were less patrons to serve but on the other hand it may simply not matter, and simply not matter it was unfortunately. We waited for close to an hour for our meals to arrive which is not acceptable in anyone's language. Meanwhile we witnessed mayhem in the kitchen which looked understaffed and in a state of despair. I couldn't help but wonder as to whether it was somewhat odd for plated meals to sit on the kitchen counter for around ten or so minutes waiting to be picked up by floor staff and served. They sat there for what seemed an eternity. When we eventually did get our meals, one was missing one of the ordered sides, and another was actually missing one of the key ingredients which left it tasteless and dry. My toast was barely toasted, and for an additional cost of $4-$5 l received a side of two smallish field mushrooms. Personally l have to say that the eggs, mushrooms, and hash brown(especially the latter) were quite tasty. In fairness to the manageress in charge, she was alert enough to realise and appreciate how bad our overall experience had been, and she kindly offered us complimentary drinks which was a nice touch and very good of her. She did well to maintain her composure throughout her shift which one could easily tell was not proving to be her finest hour. In summary, great décor, below average atmosphere, quite average food for the price, and horrific service considering you order via an ipad/tablet which really should free-up the waiting staff... you would think. I truly hope they can improve their game as this cafe...

Ate here on a quiet evening with my fiance.

Beautiful ambience, if not a little cold. The lighting was blinding so we shifted tables.

Very friendly Brazilian waitress. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine and perused the menu. I went for the seafood linguine/pasta, my fiance opted for the deconstructed chicken shawarma with flat bread and chips salad etc.

I received what was approximately 70% salad and sundry ingredients and the rest comprised of over boiled spaghetti that had been snapped in half which was not easy to eat. I thought this a terrible way to cook pasta. I wanted a nice plate of pasta but I received a mass of cold sundried tomatoes, rocket salad, some prawns and large almost offensive lumps of feta on top. Absolutely mediocre at the very best . I told the waitress that I was expecting a pasta dish, not a salad dish with a small amount of pasta as a garnish. She took my plate and got the Indian chef to cook me a new one . This time with my requested amount of pasta. Thanks.

That rigmarole was bad enough. My fiance's plate of dry, brittle, yesterday's-overcooked-then-reheated -today chicken, however, was laughable. Totally inedible. No spices or seasonings, nothing to accompany the hideous chicken save a portion of chips and a flat bread that was as stale and dry as the chicken. What on earth was going on in the kitchen?

Compared to some exemplary food that other local restaurants serve, on the same style as this restaurant purports to serve, this place is laughable. Go to Oakleigh for real Mediterranean food.

We sent that plate back, too. Awful. This was becoming stressful and our dining was now staggered and separate.

My fiancee opted, now, for a 'Boat Pizza'. - Pitiful. A mountain of ingredients piled up into a crudely shaped 'boat' of dough. It was obviously rushed out so we could eat in more or less the same time frame. What resulted was undercooked dough with the largest amount of feta cheese and sundried tomatoes on one meal I've ever witnessed. When my fiance cut into the pile of slop, watery liquid oozed out and flooded her plate. Completely disgusting. Soggy, sloppy dough with sour tomatoes and hard lumps of feta sitting, now, in a watery discharge.

We called the waitress, expressed our dissatisfaction. She totally agreed with our complaints, and actually photographed each plate and sent them to the manager for inspection.

She was lovely and agreeable. We got a bottle of wine for free and a $4 dollar discount.

We were in awe of the beautiful ambience of this place when we walked in. We left in awe of the terribleness of the inedible food.

I don't think Rubia was in the kitchen that night.

If I never set foot inside there again for a meal it would be too soon.

The waitress got the 1* - without her it would've been...

We had been following along for some time now waiting for their dinner service to commence and we were not disappointed in anyway. We attended for an early weekend dinner. On our arrival, we noticed immediately how much of a standout the architecture and design of the building and surroundings really set the tone of what to expect inside. We were blown away by every little detail.

We entered and were immediately met and welcomed. The members of staff were all dressed in white shirts with black bow ties, which we absolutely loved. The dining area is large in size and we were seated in the rear of the dining room near the play area. The view into the coffee roasting facilities and beautiful ceiling of flowers was a welcomed view from our table too.

The kids were very excited by the play area and while it was small, it was adequate to suit our needs. Our suggestion would be, that if it was too busy; to grab a puzzle, small toy or book from there to bring back to the table for your child to play with.

Rubia Cafe have a tablet on most tables, where guests are able to place their own orders directly through their app. It didn’t replace the exemplary serviced that we received, as staff are still there to assist you with any questions and ensure that your needs are being met. The tablet included photos of most food items and also a button to notify you need assistance. We feel that the tablet does not lower the standard of service, but adds to the great service they offer.

We ordered the spaghetti bolognese (slow cooked veal and pork tossed with red sauce and cheese) and chicken, vegetables and rice for the kids. We also ordered their garlic bread bruschetta (with garlic sourdough, tomato onion salsa, feta & rocket), pink pepper calamari (with seaweed, miso and orange mayo), sticky pork belly (with jack of spades chilli caramel) and chorizo and black tiger prawn linguine (with cherry tomatoes, roasted zucchini, tossed in a lemon olive oil, garlic and onion finished with chilli and rocket).

The food was very prompt and beautifully presented. The flavours and textures were fantastic. The food was a definite highlight of our visit, as was the service. The kids enjoyed most of the food we served them too. We also ordered the donut pancake for my son, who seems to have a second stomach for sweets. There’s no surprised that he finished the entire dish.

Staff constantly checked in and were an absolute pleasure to deal with. It’s obvious that their staff are well trained and that it’s a great working environment for them. We can’t fault anything about our visit at all and look forward to returning soon.

We hope that they'll bring back dinner services again next summer, but until then, we are happy to...