The Heart of Carlton — Restaurant in Melbourne

Recently I returned to this place after an absence of about two years, this break not due my dissatisfaction with my first visit (far from it) but due to my want of reaching as many different cafes as reasonably possible – a quirky personal goal I set myself. My tally in the four and a half years of living in Melbourne having now reached more than 1000, I have begun engaging in repeat patronage. So, what did I discover – or rediscover? Well, on this very cold day I found warmth, not so much physical warmth as psychological warmth. Indeed I found, in this café, a gem – an undiscovered gem for all too many, I imagine, who never look beyond the nearby fashionable Lygon St, littered with relatively soulless, pretentious, overcharging cafes and restaurants. The appropriately named ‘Heart of Carlton’ is, however, obviously well known to a loyal band of locals for its homeliness and its variety of very reasonably priced food. As in my previous visit the proprietors (a husband-wife team) filled the place with themselves - with their generosity and hospitality, so much so that the establishment felt more as if it were engaging in community service than a profit yielding venture. The place had soul – an atmosphere I have seldom encountered in my extensive Melbourne-based patronage. My food request not being ‘off the shelf’, as it were, the hostess accommodatingly made it to order and delivered the same along with a smile and a complimentary chocolate biscuit of a type I had not had since I was a child. Letting my gaze wander as I ate it rested upon a stack of baguettes perched atop a piano on which the hostess had, as a demonstration of her multitude of talents, delivered a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ during my first visit. I have submitted a great many reviews but have seldom, if ever, awarded the 5 stars I do here. If I were living closer I’d not hesitate to make frequent use...

[Coffee and Cost of Living]

I was standing in front of a counter filled with fresh baguettes, coffee in hand, when I noticed something unusual.

Every item was $4. Baguettes, toasties, soups, pastas, milkshakes, smoothies — all $4.

Previously, only coffee and fresh orange juice were $4. Food items were $5 (already a very low price in today’s standard in Melbourne). But in a time when everyone else is putting prices up, Michael and Nadeen — the owners of The Heart of Carlton — decided to drop them.

I didn’t need to ask why. The board in the café already had the answer:

“Because the world is cruel.”

Michael and Nadeen have been Carlton residents for 16 years. For 7 of those, they’ve been serving and giving back to the community through their café.

It’s more than a price cut. It’s courage.

Courage to buck the trend. Courage to put community over margin. Courage to stand by people when they need it most.

Sometimes the bravest move isn’t charging more. It’s giving more.

Thank you, Michael and Nadeen, for your generous spirit and for looking after the community in ways that go far beyond coffee and food. The ripple effect of your kindness is bigger...

As eaters of everything, from cheap and cheerful to Hats (and Michelin elsewhere), either the quality has gone up or the poor reviews aren't true or they went on a bad day. Our experience has been really positive in every way, including super fresh ingredients, not-your-average-supermarket-cold-cuts, actual pine nuts in the pesto pasta, warm and friendly service, and an eclectic mix of patrons (there was maybe one table of uni-age customers when there this week).

Yet to try everything, but definitely worth the $5 and probably impossible to find a comparable meal for the same money nearby. And for $5, if you have such a huge appetite (which is sometimes us), buy another item and that should fix most while still being excellent value. Definitely worth trying! Oh, and it looks cozy...