Volume 2 Cafe

This is a great spot on the corner of Victoria and Lithgow Street.
The space is really homely and the staff from the moment you walk in, greet you with a smile and great service.
The kitchen puts out a good variety of ‘eye candy’ and the flavours compliment their creations.
Try the breakfast roll with chorizo salsa or the smoothie breakfast bowl will have you swimming with a mermaid (or a seahorse).
Will definitely be back for the skillet...

TURN UP THE VOLUME, PEEPS! 🎉

Okay okay, I don’t want to be screaming... but I am surely talking very loud! 😂

BECAUSE HELLO BLUE SMOOTHIE BOWL OF YOUR DREAMS 🧜‍♀️ (and not just smoothie bowl but hey, how pretty is that!)

Volume is the amount of space that a substance or object takes, or the whole area that is found within certain limits. And volume2cafe has taken a little space at the heart of Abbotsford under the eye of Andrew and his partner Frini as well as the magic of the talented chef Rachael Jones!
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And while we don’t really need to be causing any auditory damage, so shhhhh 🤭 I’ll say very gently that THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING SMOOTHIE BOWL I HAVE HAD IN A WHILE AND GOES RIGHT UP TO MY TOP FAVOURITES 😱 

I arrived in Abbotsford in the middle of the morning and found the place very easily. It’s located right in the main street and just across some of the main Asian supermarkets of the area. The entrance is actually quite distinctive and the whole cafe is enclosed in an old architectural building! It actually surprised me how much it has been preserved and how simple yet complex the arch of the entry is!

One you get inside you find a semi open room with an opening to the side room and the back (where there are so extra rooms with seats!) and the place is very welcoming straight away! Why? Because the barista station is ideally displayed and the props and items they have on the cafe just set up the mood for an incredible experience!

It surprised me how much art you can find inside this little gem of Abbotsford and you will be speechless by staring at the drawings and paintings. It’s not like a boring art gallery- not at all! It’s actually drawings of actually landscapes and divine scenes and it’s just INSPIRING to look at them! Beautiful, beautiful! 👌

I chose to sit at the table with high benches, in the room close to the entrance but if you find the height too much, they will be more than happy to accommodate you inside! In fact the whole team and service was OUTSTANDING 👏 and I can also see the locals know about it as the place was frenetic with people in and out and many enjoying their weekend brunch!

I can say straight away that if I lived near, I would certainly be a regular costumer. It’s a family business and you can tell straight away that everyone is welcomed with the upmost love and care and that they do everything to make sure you have a great experience here. I found it so comfortable to be inside that even though I visited alone, I didn’t feel lonely or out of place - people actually made conversation with me and I had a very enjoyable brunch!

Here’s what I tried from the menu:

- Smoothie Bowl - the new item on their menu that will be a star in Melbourne’s smoothie bowls! Seriously, this is not just about the looks (that are amazing as you can see from the pictures) but actually the combination of flavours, the ingredients used and the items in the Bowl are PERFECT! Being a blue bowl, doesn’t make it a guaranteed win, because what looks good and insta-worthy can be sometimes not good in taste but here WOW 👏 THEY NAIL IT! It is a blend of mango, banana and pineapple with some blue spirulina and a touch of lemon for the perfect final balance of sweetness and I have to stand up and applause for this one because it is PERFECTLY executed! Consistency on point and it is served in a shell bowl having a great serving, which will certainly satisfy you! And if the portion is good indeed, the whole she’ll smoothie comes pairing with not only the blue smoothie but the whole topping selection! Rachael has created herself some mermaid and sea inspired vegan coloured white chocolate toppings that take this to an ultimate level 👌👏 I had seen some versions with a blue mermaid tail and mine came with a pink mermaid tail and some blue shells! ADORABLE 😍 and more - the taste is incredible! The vegan while chocolate has a delicious taste of just a sweet delicate chocolate and the consistency of the whole mold is very malleable and not hard block chocolate! I personally loved the idea and will also try to recreate it on my own smoothies! The other toppings are also very well chosen and I have personally very high expectations for the granolas used in smoothie bowls as they can be the winner of a bowl or the ultimate fail - and here, again they nailed it! 👏 portion size is ideal and the granola is of ideal sweetness and ingredients! It is a maple granola with some citrus protein balls and fresh and freeze dried fruits and I cannot highlight how AMAZING again this was! It’s a 10/10. Wait, an 11/10! 15/10 even! 👏👏👏 you need this in your life if you’re a smoothie bowl lover.

- Falafel Bowl - I decided to go for a savoury meal to balance the sweet meal although it was a difficult choice between this one and the muesli bowl! Both sounded very promising but the falafel won me over because or the beetroot hummus 😂 this is actually SUCH a filling meal! The falafels are INCREDIBLE and size is bigger than your usual falafels and the density is impressive! Not in a bad way! It is actually packed with a blend of flavours that work surprisingly well and I absolutely loved it! Portion is just right, definitely! It also come with a mountain (yes, definitely a mountain!) of sautéed spring vegetables from asparagus to beans and cauliflower and they were all very enjoyable and nicely cooked with that slight roast touch - a bliss! The best part was definitely not the beetroot hummus, that I was already expecting to love - and I absolutely did! It’s such a great portion (also underneath the vegetables!) and the taste is luxurious- but it was actually the chickpeas and toasted almonds! Wow! I wasn’t expecting that combo with the other ingredients would pair so nicely! 👏 incredible work here again combining all the flavours and arranging just a mouth watering meal! It also comes with herbed avocado and an impeccable and drooling tahini dressing on top of the falafels that made me lick my fingers (figuratively😂 although I would do it too for this 😂)! If you’re a savoury lover, you will find this out of this world and if you’re a sweet person, you will undeniably love it as much!

- Cinnamon Almond Latte - I also asked for my usual cafe order of an almond latte with cinnamon on top and it was executed to perfection, with great amount of foam and impeccable taste 👏 like I said, I would definitely make this my daily cafe pick up it I lived in the area!

- Beetroot Almond Latte - out of curiosity I decided to see if they could do coloured lattes as well as they know how to work with the food. Plus, investing in a good chai, matcha, beetroot or turmeric powder says a lot about the cafe, especially the beetroot! Some powders are too earthy and ruin the pleasure of the drink and others are make with too much or too little powder, which again doesn’t create the best blend. Here?! Incredible! I have no words to describe how enjoyable and delicious the latte was, again with significant amount of foam and an impressive pink look too 👏

And while I think it’s pretty clear already that you need an increase of a type of volume other than auditory and I just want to reiterate that I absolutely loved everything about this place and it’s one of my top favourite cafes in Melbourne. I highly recommend it for the service, food and overall art experience!

So, yes, you want that (temporary) extra volume in your belly, you sure do! 😍😂

Volume 2 Cafe is a delightful eatery in Abbotsford serving top notch coffee and interesting brunch options. 

We loved both of the dishes we sampled. 

The falafel bowl was a perfectly assembled and nutrient dense dish comprising of sauteed spring vegetables, crispy falafels, luxurious beetroot hummus, chickpeas, goats cheese, toasted almonds, herbed avocado and tahini dressing.  

The cauliflower tacos were similarly delicious. Think taco skins topped with crispy fried cauliflower, pickled beetroot and onion slaw, guacamole, charred cauliflower puree, crispy shallots and chipotle mayo. This is a vegan dish on its own but there is the added option of adding tender pulled lamb (which we highly recommend!).

Volume 2 Cafe is considered a newly established brunch cafe situated in the heart of Abbotsford along side with many Asian restaurants and other Grocery shops. This neighborhood is lucky to have Volume 2 that offers fresh and creative brunch dishes and good coffee. We’re glad to be invited by Andrew Sholakis and Volume 2 Cafe’s team to have brunch experience.

Yay: Cappuccino, Fresh Juice, Fritter Me This, White Chocolate Daddy Waffles
Nay: Slaw in the The Purp & The Pork was slightly too sour and it overcame the overall taste.

Great new cafe. Much needed in this area! Burger and fritters excellent and the service was spot on.

Surrounded by Vietnamese restaurants and grocery stores, this cafe stands out with its innovative, eclectic menu. Can't decide what to eat? Scan the QR code to see the food pics - so smart. The Chorizo Baked Beans sure woke up my tastebuds! Perfectly smoky slices of chorizo, more chorizo mixed with baked beans, 2 fried eggs with yolks that burst in the mouth, kifler potatoes, green salad combined with toasted sourdough and garnished with flair using salsa verdi. So much flavour in this one bowl with a distinctive kick, I had to cleanse the palette before having the rest of the deliciously sweet and creamy beetroot latte. Friendly staff and fast service throughout the visit. The cafe is sectioned, reminiscent of someone's old house with 90s and 2000's dance music adding vibe. The seat to table height ratio wasn't quite right for me, but that wouldn't prevent me from coming back.

Love this cafe. Food is amazing, coffee tastes great (with soy and almond options too) and staff is super friendly. Little hidden gem on Victoria street.

Really great service. All the staff were super friendly, the service prompt & exceptional brunch! Tasty & great presentation! Loved the interiors, unpretentious & a really chill, friendly place. Will definitely going back, thank you! :)

Really good coffee. I had bath brew and long black. On point!!! Good menu too