Stocksville — Restaurant in Melbourne

Their online booking system didn’t work/website domain is inactive so I had to book via phone. I called on the Monday, and booked for 2 people on the Sunday at 10:45am. The person on the phone was super accommodating and made it quick and easy to book through.

The drinks menu is by far the most impressive - lots of choice and experimental drinks. We ordered a lavender latte and a biscoff latte. Loved how it wasn’t too sweet - i recommend mixing well though as Biscoff syrup sticks to the bottom. Free biscoff bikkie too! Lavender latte feedback from my friend was it was a good drink - more floral/lavender than coffee tasting but she really liked it.

Prawn katsu was good - not hot in any way for my friend despite there being chilli in it. The smashed avocado was as you’d expect - generous serving with 2 full slices of toast. Other times I have had 2 mismatched pieces - 1 big, 1 small; or I’ve been given one slice only. I ordered a smoked salmon, spinach, and mushroom on the side and this came on a separate plate. Smoked salmon serving was smaller than expected but that’s fine. I was able to eat my brunch.

Order via QR, or if cash, order at register. Parking limited out front via diagonal street parking (Mon-Sat 0.5hour parking) but on the Sunday there is no time limit. It’s in street off a main road so you’d be able to locate parking a bit further down the road if needed. Walk ins were being accepted, but it was getting busy. Plenty of seating for pairs, or groups.

Staff were super accommodating and sweet. Very helpful and friendly....

The venue is absolutely stunning! They combine a gorgeous fit out with exceptional food and the menu itself is extremely reasonably priced. I kicked off with the smoothie special which was peanut butter and banana aka the taste of my childhood- yum. We decided to order the smashed avo as it’s a breakfast classic, the breakfast board for two in order to sample a bit of everything and then the hot cakes to finish. Out came the dishes onto the beautiful terrazzo top bench, the hot cakes were a sight to behold. The perfect fluffy texture, not overbearingly sweet and very generously portioned too. The board was simply a showstopper. It’s not just a collection of bits and pieces it’s literally small serves of several items on the menu which makes it perfect for the indecisive among us or those who have food fomo. My favourite from this was undoubtedly the French toast. It was some of the best I had ever eaten in my extensive eating journey! My fellow dinners loved the fritters which were also super tasty as well as the bircher. I thoroughly recommend this dish as an opportunity to sample a wide variety so you know what to order the next...

I’ve visited Stocksville Café a few times since last year, but sadly, the experience has gone significantly downhill. Either the chef has changed or the menu has been altered in a very disappointing way. My partner ordered the halloumi toastie, which was overloaded with caramelised onions and far too salty — definitely not a well-balanced dish. My own order was missing avocado, even though I had confirmed the ingredients at the counter. When I brought this up politely, the manager responded rudely, which made the experience even more frustrating.

We were also given a dirty water jug, and while it was replaced, there was no apology or acknowledgment from the staff. The overall service at this café felt indifferent and careless. There was also a strong foul smell coming from the washroom, which made the environment even more unpleasant. On top of that, there’s a weekend surcharge, which might be understandable if the quality matched the price — but it doesn’t. Even the coffee, which used to be a highlight, has become quite average.

This visit was incredibly disappointing and not even worth one star. I won’t be returning to...