Vibrante

The Overview…

Food: Corn and Zucchini Fritters, Pancakes

Ratings:
Food: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5

The details…

We visited Vibrante to sample their weekend-only brunch menu in their relaxing restaurant environment.

Vibrante is more well known in the area as being a dinner venue, however, they offer both brunch (on the weekends) and lunch. While the environment may initially appear  a little formal, the staff are down to earth, friendly and welcoming. There’s a few booth tables in one corner and a covered outdoor seating area too if you did want a slightly more casual vibe. Also if you look carefully, you’ll catch a few sneaky reminders of the buildings previous incarnation as a car repair shop.

Their breakfast menu is small, and while they don’t have one of those insta-wow dishes or a crazy out of the park breakfast-sushi-esque option, they are packing all the classics, from smashed avo to eggs benny. We tried the corn and zucchini fritters and the pancakes.

We loved the plating on the fritters, they were delicately piled and topped with the bright avo, tomatoes and relish. Accompanied by two poached eggs, it was a generous serve. The fritters had a good flavour. They were a little thick which made them slightly dense compared to some, but still enjoyable, especially when paired with the tangy relish. I really liked the chopped avo and cherry tomatoes which again balanced well with the fritters and gave the meal a healthier feel. The eggs were a little over, but 30 seconds less on these would have made all the difference.

The pancakes were a really classic dish that you don’t see a lot of in Melbourne anymore. A generous stack, accompanied by lemon curd, a berry coulis, icing sugar, strawberries and vanilla ice-cream, it’s a dish that will take you back to the pancakes of your childhood. We couldn’t really fault this dish – simple done well. This dish really highlights that there’s not always a need to jump on board with every passing trend to make a successful dish – sometimes those things that have been around for a while, stick around for a reason – they work!

Overall, we had a very enjoyable time at Vibrante and we’d be keen to go back and sample their other menus. I was surprised how quiet the restaurant was, as particularly for that local area, the food was good quality, portions are generous and the prices are very fair! I feel it’s still a bit of a hidden gem at the moment – and a lovely warm environment to sit and enjoy a winter’s brunch before the rest of Templestowe catch on that they are open in the mornings!

Everything else…

Website: https://www.vibranterestaurant.com.au/

Address: 133 James Street, Templestoew

Opening Times: 

Mon       10am to late
Tue        10am to late
Wed       10am to late
Thu        10am to late
Fri          10am to late
Sat          10am to late
Sun        10am to late

Parking: There’s a car park directly behind the restaurant as well as some street parking and bays on James Street.

Getting here on PT: Vibrante can be reached on the 282, 282 and 905 buses – alight at Templestowe Village,

Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Vibrante, Templestowe. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a cafe won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting