Melvin – The Overview…
Food: Bircher Muesli, Crumpet French Toast, Southern Fried Chicken Burger
Ratings:
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 5/5
The details…
I fell in love with the decor at Melvin Coffee and Kitchen as soon as we arrived. The pale pink walls and striking contrast with the black seating is just wow. It makes what could so easily have been a dull, narrow space, bright and intriguing. While it’s a little small inside, they’ve made good use of the space putting a communal table in front of the counter and window seats across the bay window as well as several tables. Out back it opens out into a large, bright covered courtyard, so don’t be afraid to head in if it looks busy inside.
The menu has a good range of breakfast options and a largely toastie based lunch menu. Both are available all day. If you work nearby it’s exactly the kind of lunch menu you need. It’s filling, quick and easy to eat food and you can always add a side of fries if you’re extra hungry. Breakfast wise there’s some good twists on classic dishes and portions are generous. We sampled the fried chicken burger, the crumpet French toast and the bircher muesli.
The muesli was lovely and soft. The oats had been well soaked and had a nice sweetness from the strawberry compote. The puffed rice added a nice bit of crunchy texture while the berries and syrup provided quite a sugary taste throughout it. The plating was nice and I enjoyed being able to balance the berries through out the dish rather than then being atop the muesli and gone in the first few bites. Make sure you eat some of the mint with it too!
The crumpet French toast is a great dish! It’s almost like having two separate dishes .The first crumpet is topped with the creamy vanilla bean mascarpone while the second gets a fruity flavour from the fresh berry salad and fruit compote. The white chocolate shards are just the perfect finish to this sweet breakfast. We really feel they’ve mastered this one.
The chicken burger has a beautiful crumb and comes in the most perfect looking bun with plenty of chips. We loved the details of the char lines on the bun. The chicken is a chunky piece and leaves you feeling full. It’s a fruity summery burger. The Apple slaw works really well and the chunky strips of apple add a real freshness to it. The pickled pineapple is genius – adding extra juiciness to the burger while also bringing a lovely sourness. While I was apprehensive about the lime mayo and the apple slaw they actually combined so well together and we loved this light, fresh burger.
Everything else…
Website: https://www.facebook.com/melvincoffeeandkitchen/posts/
Address: 134 Johnston Street, Collingwood
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: We easily found a 2 hour parking spot just off this part of Johnston Street (it’s actually not too permit zone heavy), just a couple of minutes walk from Melvin.
Getting here on PT: Your closest PT is either the 200 or 207 buses which run down Johnston Street. Although a larger number of buses run along nearby Hoddle Street, enroute to and from the CBD.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Melvin, Collingwood. 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.