Baby Black Espresso Bar — Restaurant in Victoria

I love the trendy cafes in Bacchus Marsh, and was looking forward to trying Baby Black, but the experience we had there was...odd.

We arrived as a group of 8, and having just attended a funeral we were looking to grab some coffee and reflect. Two members of our party ordered soup after being told it was broccoli and leek, but were brought pumpkin soup. When the waitress was asked what soup it was, she stared and smiled blankly, then giggled and shrugged. Normally I'm very forgiving of serving staff because I've been one, and I know it can be a hard job, but this was the first time I've seen a waitress behave like this. It took about three different staff to figure out what the soup was, and we were eventually told they had sold out of the broccoli and leek.

I was considering not leaving a review because a couple of people in our group were a little rude to the staff over the incident, but the more I thought about the experience, the more I realised the staff were at fault. There seemed to be zero communication between them. It was a situation that could have easily been resolved by one waitress telling my friends the kitchen had sold out of the soup before bringing it out to them.

I noticed the staff giving us looks for the rest of our time there, despite it being their mistake, and it gave off a really unwelcoming vibe. Considering there were 8 of us and we would have easily spent over $200, it didn't feel like a great deal of attention was given to ensure our large group was happy.

Don't think...

Great staff willing to jump in and back each other up when the counter taking orders gets busy. The place has ample room. It surprised me how big the place is out the back. The tables outside are situated in little nooks so you're not competing with conversations from other tables. I got a take away coffee and sweet French toast made with brioche. Both were delicious. The French toast included strawberries, raspberries and a delicious lemon curd. My taste buds were in heaven. I've been coming to Bacchus Marsh for years and have never tried Baby Black Espresso Bar before today. I'm lamenting the number of times I could have had a yummy coffee but settled for mainstream outlets instead. I'd happily make the trip from inner an Melbourne suburb for a brunch here. Pastries and prepared panini and sandwiches looked delicious. However, I'm a creature of habit and will only ever eat the French toast. Finally, the place was not surprisingly very busy. I didn't have to wait an inordinate amount of time...

Very disappointed with our experience here. Came all the way from Melbourne based on great reviews and found it to be a lovely setting with a charming and friendly atmosphere and very reasonable prices as well as an enticing menu. However, we were kept waiting over an hour for our breakfasts and when we inquired we were told they would be another 12 minutes. It was clear that our order had been forgotten because when they did finally come out at separate intervals over the next 15 minutes, my crispy bacon was soggy and oily and the egg Benedict had liquid eggs and soggy bread, covered with far too much sauce. All 3 plates looked messy and thrown together in a rush. We received no apology as the dishes were presented to us over an hour late and when we raised the issue at the register we were offered no discount and just told they were busy although no other table suffered from the same issues we experienced. How Australian to refuse to apologize for making a mistake. Scott morrison would...