South of Johnston — Restaurant in Melbourne

Staying at the hotel next door it was welcome sight seeing a buzzing cafe so close to our accommodation. Myself and my 4 year old entered to find the cafe busy and no free tables, no biggie, or so I thought. We made our way back outside to the street seating area when a lovely gentleman followed me out and asked if I were looking for a table. I said I was however it was for 4 people and not just for my daughter and I. He said he and his family were leaving so we were welcome to have their table. I thought it would be best if we didn’t hang over this family as they pack up and waited by the front door where we had entered to start with. It was then that we were met by another gentleman who unfortunately wasn’t as friendly as our first encounter of the establishment. I was asked if I was okay to which I said yes, just waiting on that family to pack up and he’s offered us his table. I was then asked had I spoken to staff yet, to which I said no. He then came back with “well you might want to do that first”. I was shocked at his rude tone, firstly, had I not just made his life easier by taking up the strangers kind offer of the table so he didn’t have to find us one? Secondly, there was no way of identifying staff and lastly, if this was a cafe in which you had to wait to be seated, maybe have a more pleasant and welcoming staff member or even sign at the door to greet new customers!! What made the whole thing even more comical was on the back of this “staff” members white t-shirt it said “welcome to hell”, the irony of those words and how he made myself and my 4 year old feel as customers was almost comical! After this encounter my 4 year old was asking to leave to get away from the “grumpy” man. To have someone who has zero customer service skills working front of house was disappointing so if you’re looking for a good customer experience maybe look else where because this encounter overshadowed the great food and coffee and the other lovely staff member who took our food order and cleared our table which was disappointing…it wasn’t the best first impression...

South of Johnston is a busy café in Collingwood. Along the sides of the café are tables for 4 and in the centre of the café are larger tables for bigger groups. The fireplace towards the rear of the café is surrounded by couches. This may be a good area to relax with a drink and besides serving coffees, teas and soft drinks, this place also serves wines, beers and cocktails.

South of Johnston serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. Breakfast items are typically $14-22 and brunch dishes are around $15. The lunch items are around $24. We ordered the slow roasted lamb shoulder salad and the risotto with peas and pancetta for our lunch and complemented it with a glass of mimosa. For dessert we ordered the pancakes with poached strawberries and pistachio mascarpone from the breakfast menu. We enjoyed all the dishes however I found the salad a little lacking in the lamb and the pancakes a little dry. I liked the presentation of the dishes and will return to try out some of the other menu items.

If you like the framed photos that are displayed throughout the café, you can purchase them. You’ll find the price under each picture.

We arrived early for lunch so were able to get a table but it wasn’t long before the café was full. So if you don’t want to wait, I would recommend you book a table...

I’ve been recommended Sojo Cafe for its warm ambiance and excellent service since moving to Melbourne. However, a recent incident has turned me off returning anytime soon.

During my visit, I found the staff friendly and welcoming at first. However, about 5 minutes before closing time one of the girls behind the bar started to crank up loud and abrasive heavy metal music, absolutely unaware of the effect the music would have on its patrons. They were probably enjoying themselves a little too much to realise the effect this would have on someone with ASD/autism and noise sensitivity.

Unfortunately, the confronting and abrupt change combined with the overwhelming noise in the bathroom (as speakers were in the walls and volume was also turned up inside), triggered a severe meltdown which left me visibly shaken for quite some time.

Regrettably I even vomited in the bathroom where the volume continued through the speakers.

I believe a more considerate approach to closing procedures, such as a simple warning or waiting until all patrons have left the premises would prevent such incidents.

This feedback is offered constructively, with the hope that Sojo can continue to be a welcoming space for all patrons as our email sent a couple of weeks ago with the feedback above was...