Monroe Cafe Richmond

The Overview…

Food: Ruby Scrambled, Smashed Avocado, Crispy Banana Roti

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

The details…

Monroe’s cool colours and comfy chairs make for a relaxed brunch experience. We were pleased to see it was less hectic than many of the other Bridge Road venues when we arrived. Being a long, narrow cafe gives it a more spacious feel as you are not surrounded by many other diners and it means you can really take your time to enjoy your brunch.

We were allowed to choose our own table and quickly served with some of their great, strong but sweet coffee. After this initial greeting, the service fell more in line with the laid back vibe of the cafe – very cheerful and friendly, but a little slow at times, though we were pleased with their attention to detail with things such as providing share plates and taking the time to check we were happy with our meal.

Food Fiend Melbourne and I went for the Ruby scrambled, smashed avo and the banana roti.  Although we couldn’t figure out the origin of the Ruby name, we liked this dish. The corn was a nice touch, something different, yet not overwhelming. The fresh chilli added a nice pop of colour and flavour too. The nam jim was on the spicy side, but this is served for you to add to the dish yourself.

The smashed avo was a little more of a safe dish. It tasted good, with creamy avo and light feta just nothing stand out about it. I liked the addition of chilli and beetroot, but it could have done with a bit more of one or both, as neither flavour was quite prominent enough in the dish. The accompanying bacon however, was thick, tasty and cooked to perfection. I was so pleased I added this to the dish.

We finished with the crispy banana roti, which is an absolute must try! This dish is the star at this cafe – it’s unique with nice textures and it’s just yummy! It’s not an overly sweet dish and the crispy roti and crunchy biscuits are great with the soft banana. It’s a bit of a banana overload with the banana on the side too, but this doesn’t stop it from being an absolutely sensational dish which I’d eat over and over again.

Everything else…

Website: http://monroerichmond.com/

Address:  189 Bridge Road, Richmond

Opening Times: 

Mon         7am to 4pm
Tue          7am to 4pm
Wed        7am to 4pm
Thu         7am to 4pm
Fri           7am to 4pm
Sat          8am to 4pm
Sun         8am to 4pm

Parking: There were plenty of street parks available nearby when we visited, you may have a short walk, but shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Getting here on PT: I walked from Richmond station, which is about 15 minutes, however, it’s also on the 48 and 75 tram routes which is the better option as alighting at Bosisto St is a 2 minute walk.

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