The Espressonist — Restaurant in Melbourne

The espressionist is a gorgeous cafe serving a great variety of thoughtfully curated cafe dishes, enjoy your brunch whether it’s with the harbour view outside or inside in their beautiful dining setting. We tried the-

▪️Spicy Chorizo Benedict ($26) Grilled chorizo, poached eggs, house-made hash browns, snow pea tendrils, green apple, vinaigrette, Bearnaise sauce ▪️Soft Shell Crab Soft Shell Tacos ($19) Warm tortillas, guacamole, slaw, coriander, Thai basil, lime, tomato salsa, pickled chilli, Sriracha mayo ▪️Grilled Salmon with broad bean and pea smash ($30) pickled shallots, dill, chervil, salmon roe, beurre blanc ▪️Ruby Grapefruit Cold Pressed Juice ($7.50) ▪️Pomegranate Cold Pressed Juice ($9)

The standout is definitely the overall aesthetic of the cafe, the docklands harbour views were really nice, the decorations were fancy, and the seating area was spacious and comfortable. The staff were all super friendly and accommodating, and overall cafe had good vibes- the convenient location meant it was good place to have a relaxing nice stroll after brunch for some good views.

In terms of the food, I really liked the different juice options available on top of your standard apple and orange juice which was fantastic! The salmon skin was slightly too salty but beneath that the salmon was well cooked and had good flavours. The soft shell crab taco was your standard taco but do note the sriracha Mayo and the chilli bits inside the slaw do give this dish a bit of a kick! 😅 The benedict was tasty, the egg was perfectly poached but the portion size was a little small given the price, we would recommend this more for an entree. That being said, I think the prices and serving size are what you expect considering the location and environment.

All in all, a wonderful cafe and we had a very great experience. I think it would be a great place to host a function or any...

We recently had our staff Christmas party at The Espressonist, and honestly, I don’t even know where to start. I was so excited about this event—cocktails and oysters on arrival, live music, a fun night out—but what we got was a total shambles.

The “greeting with cocktails and oysters” turned into us having to ask for them. Not exactly the warm welcome we were promised. And the live music? Our host had organised it as part of our private event, but the owner decided to use it to attract her own guests into our space. Talk about crashing the party!

The seating arrangements were a joke. There was no table set up for us, so we were left to sort it out ourselves, pushing tables together just so we could sit as a group. At one point, some of us were at a table for two—it felt more like speed dating than a staff party.

Food? Oh, it was tasty—when it finally arrived. But waiting over two hours for a single plate and not eating dinner until three hours after arrival? By then, I wasn’t savouring the flavours; I was just trying not to pass out from hunger.

What really got me, though, was the owner’s attitude. Instead of apologising or taking responsibility, she blamed her staff, saying they “don’t understand English.” Not only was this unfair (the staff clearly understood us when we asked for food and water), but it was also incredibly disrespectful.

The cherry on top? Looking back at their other reviews, this is apparently a theme. Blaming staff, shifting the blame to anyone but themselves—it’s a pattern. If you’re running a hospitality business, take responsibility. Own your mistakes. Fix them.

To The Espressonist: You had a chance to make this a great night for us, but you dropped the ball—hard. The food was good, sure, but everything else? A disaster. Until you figure out how to manage events properly, I wouldn’t recommend this place to...

This is a fun cafe with a very friendly staff. It is a little off the beaten path which some may find annoying while other may enjoy as a little excursion. Personally I enjoyed the location as I didn't find the cafe over crowded or noisy.

As for the food and drink, I think it is good with some room for improvement. My coffee (long black) was good and my "big breakfast" was good but some aspects were better than others. The eggs and toast were perfect, but my beans and sausage were a little cool. I think this is simply a matter of timing and making sure everything comes out together. I have to say, while some parts of my breakfast were cool, they were not undercooked. The bacon, hash browns, and roast tomato were spot on! Even if you don't get the big breakfast, do yourself a favour and get the hash browns.

Overall I would definitely recommend them and would be more than happy to go back.

Final note, Kudos to the staff for letting my charge my electric skateboard while having breakfast. It would be a long, slow ride home...