The Merchants Guild — Restaurant in Melbourne

If you’ve lived in the Bentleigh area for a while, you’ve most likely have heard of Merchant’s Guild.

With the change of ownership comes a change in direction, but keeping faithful to what Merchant’s Guild is about – creating a positive local café experience.

The interior refresh is a work in progress, but there are definitely some improvements and it’s a lot more light filled. The communal table which uses an old basketball court is a nice touch. Service was friendly, and we got to meet the head chef and you could tell he was cooking with passion. These things count. There were quite a few people still in the café on a late Sunday afternoon which proves its ability to draw in a decent crowd.

Foodwise, we were treated to a selection of dishes that were visually pleasing and tasted pretty good too. The dish I would definitely have again are the Korean crispy chicken baos – whatever is in that sauce, I could eat that for days. The red velvet hotcakes were lots of fun also.

All in all, if you haven’t been to Merchant’s Guild for a while, it’s definitely...

Having previously enjoyed my visit to Merchant’s Guild, I did not hesitate to order from them when I was craving for some brunch meals at home. The Chilli Crab Scramble, and the Korean Crispy Chicken Bao both did not disappoint.

Both generous in serving sizes, and well-executed in terms of flavours. The fresh chillies lent a spicy kick to the crab scramble, and the buttery croissant provided a flaky mouthfeel and a richness to the dish. On the other hand, the fried chicken was well-seasoned, albeit a bit dry, and the combination of the lemon and paprika aioli with pickled Asian slaw was the epitome of fresh, zesty and bright flavours.

The Green Machine Smoothie was very enjoyable too – smooth, creamy and beautiful flavours. A great meal to be having at home when we can’t be brunching outside...

Delicious food and the best coffee in the area! Went for lunch yesterday with a few friends and it was extremely packed and busy. We were happy to wait for a table to become available and were promptly seated and served by the lovely Sophie.

Immediately provided us with water (tap AND sparkling - I love sparkling water 😍) and took coffee orders, which were served in super quick time given how swamped they were! (We heard a few disgruntled and impatient people around us complaining about how long they had to wait for a seat - but that's expected given how popular this place is!)

We ordered the Miso Salmon Salad and the Prawn Tacos and it did not disappoint. Presentation was on point and most importantly was finger-licking delicious! Will be back to try everything else...