Melbourne is famous for its coffee culture, so of course we had to check out one of its most renowned cafes which is located a short tram ride away from the CBD. Seven Seeds looks like a warehouse on a quiet street near the University of Melbourne, but you can’t miss the prominent Seven Seeds logo painting on the wall which is right next to its entrance.
There wasn’t anyone waiting outside the wooden door so we thought we were lucky on this Saturday morning and had somehow beaten the brunch crowd. But upon stepping inside we found quite a few people waiting in line for a table with a waiter calling out names he was taking down on a clipboard. The wait wasn’t as bad as we had expected and after about 15 minutes, we scored a table near the front.
We loved the relaxed vibe of the place and the wooden industrial style interior added to the chilled atmosphere. The service was friendly and quite efficient, although the spacious warehouse layout meant that it was sometimes quite hard to get the wait staff’s attention.
Affogato, $5
My affogato arrived first with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a strong espresso in a big black mug. My first sip confirmed that the coffee really is more impressive down in Melbourne, and for me the affogato only got better as the ice cream melted and turned the affogato into a creamy coffee milkshake in a mug. My friend also raved about her mocha, and we spotted people buying Seven Seeds coffee bean blends to take home so it looks like thumbs up all around from the masses.
Mocha, $4
We were already impressed by the quality of their coffee but their delicious gourmet interpretation of a big breakfast rounded off the perfect lazy Saturday morning brunch. This classic brunch dish was made a bit more fancy than usual with a béarnaise sauce drizzled over roast mushrooms and tomatoes, and a fried egg and bacon served on top of toasted sour dough. All the components of the dish were wonderfully executed, especially the roast mushrooms which soaked up the beautiful sauce of the dish and the crispy strips of bacon which were fantastic with the grilled bread. The portions on the plate were quite filling and even between the two of us, we only just managed to finish off the dish.
Roast mushrooms, bacon, fried egg, sour dough and roast tomatoes $16.50
We spied some more interesting dishes on the menu like beetroot cured salmon with wasabi mayonnaise, but unfortunately that will have to wait until next time we visit Melbourne! I’d say that Seven Seeds brilliantly epitomises what Melbourne’s vibrant café culture is all about and is well worth the trek from the city centre.
Seven Seeds
114 Berkeley St Map.0fb33f0
Carlton, VIC 3053
Phone: (03) 9347 8664
Mmm affogato – best invention ever! I still haven’t been to Melbourne and really want to visit all their epic cafes 🙂 Great writeup
Will be in Melbourne after Xmas and check this cafe out!