Chez Dré: Patisserie Boulangerie Café, South Melbourne (26 May 2012)

285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205

http://chezdre.com.au

Chez Dré and all things nice

Armed with the knowledge by a Melbourne friend that highly recommended Chez Dré I ventured on a long leisurely walk from Melbourne CBD to discover a hidden world of amazing treats. My intentions were only to pop by for a quick checkout before heading on to Andrews Hamburgers for lunch but I couldn't resist the temptation of the counter display. I opted for a delicious looking Rhubarb danish ($4.50 takeaway) which had nice light pasty as hoped and the rhubarb and custard wasn't too sweet making it a lovely morning tea snack. I'm glad I had a map with me otherwise I probably would have missed this place being located down a lane way — as so many good Melbourne eateries and bars tend to be. I definitely hope to revisit again when I'm in Melbourne armed with an empty stomach and ravenous appetite to try a selection of things on the menu. Until then I'll have to rely on places like Bacco and La Renaissance in Sydney for similar sugary treats.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Vast array of tempting cakes and pastries, Generous selection of samples on offer to try, Buzzing atmosphere, Fair amount of seating although very popular

CONS: It's in Melbourne and not Sydney, Hidden from street view so make sure you know where it is first, Overwhelming choice

MUST TRY: Anything that tickles your fancy

VERDICT: Definitely hope to revisit when in Melbourne again

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Rhubarb danish ($4.50) 

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Generous free tastings — yum!

Don't miss the signs to head down the laneway

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ST. ALi: Coffee Roasters, South Melbourne (26 April 2010)

12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne VIC 3205
http://www.stali.com.au

Coffee central

St. Ali is short for Ali ibn Umar al-Shadhili. Otherwise known as the patron saint of coffee.

There's nothing like having your great expectations met, but sadly this wasn't the case for me when I visited one of Melbourne's most popular and buzzing coffee houses. It's tucked away in the back streets of South Melbourne so can be a little hard to find if you haven't been their before — especially for an out-of-towner. There's plenty of seating inside but it's still hard to get a seat when it's busy. Milk crates are available across the road for those waiting for seat but even these are mostly all taken. I try their beautifully presented flat white ($4 I think) which was smooth enough and not too bitter but I found it lacked depth of flavour and is perhaps a little on the watery side — perhaps I'm missing something here. It wasn't bad but just nothing special or unique as well. It didn't help being seated outside on the small balcony in direct sunlight which made it particularly uncomfortable due to the heat and glare. The Sweet French Toast ($15.50) was a large serving of balsamic glazed strawberries, fresh mint, vanilla bean mascarpone and almond granola. This was quite tasty and the refreshing mint seemed to work well amongst the flavours. Trying to finish the whole thing was a little bit of a challenge but an enjoyable one.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Efficient and down-to-earth service, Interesting coffees and dishes available

CONS: Hard to get a seat due to it's popularity, Balcony seating can be hot due to direct sunlight, Hard to find for first timers

MUST TRY: Other dishes on the menu when I revisit Melbourne

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Flat white ($4?)

Sweet French Toast: Balsamic glazed strawberries, fresh mint, vanilla bean mascarpone and almond granola ($15.50)

Service counter and baristas

Inside seating

Menu

What — no grapefruit! ;-)

Coffee of the day

Makeshift milk crate seating across the road next to the awesome street art

Single-speed bicycle — oh how Melbourne.

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