L,espresso delivers without doubt the most consistent quality in service , food, coffee wine, ambiance, and music , and has done forever. It is an icon in Ballarat and revered far and wide
Anyone in hospitality appreciates how hard it is to deliver this consistency for such a long time
It's fabulous and I never tire of visiting this place
Great little spot in Ballarat- perfect place to watch time go by. Fresh tasting food - linguine prawns were great brunch. Nice wine selection and very friendly staff.
I don't know if this is the best coffee and breakfast place in Ballarat. When you have found such a quality venue there is no need to go elsewhere. Sadly since being diagnosed Coeliac I am unable to eat the amazing toast.
Angela Abramley-Stanczyk
+5
Traveling around the country and went here on a recommendation. Totally on point! Food was amazing, delicious, plentiful and well priced. The freshly baked bread was by far some of the lightest and most delicious bread ever - as rated by my dining compatriots. Amazing. Change your coffee beans from Vittoria and you'd be the top contender across Brisbane and Melbourne! Will absolutely be back!
The best food in Ballarat, pity it's only open on Friday evenings and no other. love visiting l'Espresso.. the service is amazing, atmosphere enjoyable and menu always totally delicious. Plus they also have outstanding local wines ...
amazing coffee and breakfast! the atmosphere is great too. Loved the place!
Awesome food, coffee and service! Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Ballarat. Staff were helpful and the wine list very impressive!
No place like it.....great coffee, great food, great staff....
Definitely worth the drive from Melbourne.
Great coffee, delicious food and friendly service are hard to come by.
L'espresso is the triple threat :)
Michael Van der Velden
+5
Simply, best Coffee and food in Ballarat!!! My go to breakfast every time I'm in town.
This is the nearest place to heaven. The coffee is excellent. The food is sublime and the staff are the very best.
Love this place. Great food and excellent coffee. Can't ask for more
The best thing about driving to Melbourne from Adelaide is lunch right here or breakfast the other way round!
My all time favourite place to eat in Ballarat. Great food, great customer service, great atmosphere, the perfect place to just sit and relax!
Beautiful. Nice and cosy, but not claustrophobic. Great food freshly cooked on site (not pre made and microwaved).
Gorgeous. Will be back.
Only negative is the tall glass coffee isn't much bigger than the regular.
Amazing food. Always have my breakfast and lunch.
Beautiful food. Great coffee. Loved the fit out. Can't wait to go back there next time in Ballarat.
I'm eating my smashed avocado and lemon goat's cheese breakfast as I type - had to tell you all how amazing it is. I've always had a superb meal here and the coffee is faultless.
Need a coffee break, breakfast, lunch or dinner? Worth trying.
Probably the best coffee in Australia and has been since I can remember. Just passing, again.
Love everything.... atmosphere, service, food and coffee!
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L’espresso has been a key feature on Ballarats Sturt Street for as long as I can remember. It’s a quaint little space that’s very cleverly laid out with the entrances leading to separate sides of the cafe that are divided by shelves filled with vinyl records, CD’s newspapers and magazines. The age of the building shows in the ornamental roof, moody green wall paint and the 70’s look wooden tables, chairs and front counter, but the creative decision to have low lighting really plays into the retro feel of the cafe in a very clever way. It feels warm, and cozy, and, and even on a random Monday morning.. the place was PACKED! Everyone was chatting away, even if they didn’t arrive or dine together, which tells me that this place is filled to the brim with locals (which is always a great sign) but not only were they locals, every single person in the cafe, besides my sister and I, seemed to be regulars! And THAT is a very good sign, a cafe with an army of regulars is always, without a doubt, no questions asked, serving great food. The atmosphere can be as warm and cozy as can be, but if the foods not up to scratch, people won’t come back, and I can safely say that L’espresso does not have this problem! Read on via the link below
Living in Ballarat for 5 years, this was always the local favourite for food and coffee. Not a typical brunch place (which is great and nothing super innovative and fancy) but just solid good food and coffee. Brunch is overdone, I prefer going to a place that does a good shakshuka to good eggs benedicts. I remember having this amazing black squid ink pasta years ago that has stayed in my mind since then. I was back there last week and it's still the same quality!
Fantastic cafe that I’ve had the pleasure to eat and drink at twice now.
Love the quirky side of them selling CD’s and vinyl records also.
Definitely work trying this place, in the beautiful area that is Ballarat.
Definitely the best place to have breakfast or just to have a coffee. The almond croissant was delicious. The pancakes were fluffy and the bacon was crispy and zero-greasy.
3.5
We had breakfast and the cosy quirky L’Espresso cafe today in Ballarat. This little cafe was cluttered with tables and also sold vinyl records so my interest there was more than just the food. Food wise there was a good selection on their menu and we would both have normally jumped in the pancakes or French toast but feeling savoury today so had bacon and eggs on super thick bread while Kellie had salmon and feta on toast. Coffee was Vittoria, so old school but I surprisingly enjoyed the blend and we had no issue with separation of almond milk like we’ve sometimes experienced with this brand. Really quick turn around which was
Good with only 1 hour parking out front.
I love L’espresso, it’s been around for years and has kept its authentic cool. Great coffee, dinner and an interesting music collection. I’m not sure if they still serve the pistachio ice cream, but it was a crowd favorite growing up.
This seems to be an institution amongst the locals and it's not hard to work out why! It has the feel of a prohibition speak easy bar and a touch of the cozy Italian and French cafes. The food is great and the staff very friendly. And they don't mind splitting bills.
My boyfriend and I came up to Ballarat for a weekend getaway. We came across this cosy cafe and we absolutely loved it. Food was great, coffee was great and the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. Will definitely come back here if we’re ever up in Ballarat again!!
Eat. Sleep. Create. Repeat.
+4
Coffee with lovely aroma. Breakfast Florentine Egg simple and has the needed favour and cream with porch egg done just right. French toast has home made raspberry source. Resturant is set in a old record store and the owner display a range of music record selections that would possibly be interested to the music fans.
We came here to visit from Geelong.
Setting was unique;
The way to go to the toilet was to walk through the kitchen, that way I got to see the kitchen, which was very clean, I was happy as I am a chef myself, I am very fussy with cleanliness:)
Quinoa dish was great, the freshness, taste balance, texture, amount....just right.
My friend had confit duck, presentation was very good.
Soy latte was average;
It would be better to see more smile on service people (whole time there was only one girl serve with smile on her face, which was a bit disappointing)
Great place, worth recommend.
Dropped by this cosy cafe on our day trip. My partner had the risotto which tasted good but we felt it could’ve been accompanied by something else on the side. I had the steak sandwich which was mouth watering! Definitely worth the visit
A busy and crowded happening place for breakfast in the beautiful place Ballarat . A must visit place breakfast . A very nice cozy place with smiling staff at ur service .
A busy cafe in Ballarat, I hear it’s been around for many years. The service and coffee was good and the food had flavour. It’s nowhere near the standard seen across Melbourne but I’m not trying to compare. I found the tables were packed in a little tight and my fritters although tasty were more of a soft pancake texture but overall a nice experience. Oh and when you go to the toilet you walk straight through the kitchen so close to the stoves that the chefs have to move out of your way! What fun. Worth a visit just for that!
Service was friendly and lively, the set-up of the cafe is cool and eye grabbing. My breakfast was delicious and fresh, and coffee was perfect.
Great café, really good coffee and a great range of CDs to browse through and buy. The food is very good but not a great range for vegetarians (hence a slightly lower rating than a carnivore might give!). Staff are lovely and despite the vegetarian issue, would recommend.
No wonder why it was so packed around lunch time on Thursday not even weekend ! A lot of delicious choices in the menu which made it difficult to decide what to order ! I had the calzone and it was very tasty. Friendly staff and pretty good service!
Fantastic food, great ambience, friendly and accommodating service!!All are reasonably priced and yummy! We love the food and the service so much that it is our regular family eat-out. we will back for sure
L'espresso is one of my favourite cafes in Ballarat. Always busy and great coffee. Today, I had one of the best almond croissants of my life here. A little crowded on the inside, but apart from that amazing vibe.
Nice coffee. Didn't need to wait too long before the food was served. Really nice scrambled eggs, and the prawn pasta was quite nice too. Good service.
If you’ve made it past the title of this post, then congratulations! You’ve reached the beginning of what I describe as my ode to my favourite cafe ever. ‘L’espresso’, which when abbreviated to Italian means ‘The espresso’, is so much more than purveyors of caffeinated brews. Solid lunch, warm service, a vibe bordering on mass conviviality; make no mistake, this is a solid cafe and had been my favourite for a while now. It begets the question “why’d you take so friggin long to write about it Kieren you egg?” The answer is that there have been so many trips to this cafe, that words couldn’t capture the amount of times I’ve gotten a coffee or eaten within L’espresso’s walls.
Excellent coffee, great service and lovely French feel. The records and cds were a nice addition too. Will definitely come back next time I'm in Ballarat
Awesome place! The interior (although being slightly dark) is well decked out. The walls are lined with old vinyl records, portraits of artists and all things music related. The food is great with portions being generous and delicious. Being right in the centre of town on Sturt Street L'Espresso is close and open early for those needing a quick and easy breakfast location. Overall, a fabulous place to eat drink and listen to great music
Detour to Ballarat for lunch and L'Espresso was a pleasant surprise! The confit duck was really delicious. The cherry almond cake just came out from the oven and it was fluffy and moist. Coffee is not bad. Their pasta are also pretty good. Service is friendly but just it does not take the volume very well. There were a few misses but since we are on holiday, we are easy. Overall I am glad we came here and will definitely recommend to any friend who wants a stop over lunch to Grampians (they take bookings too!)
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L'espresso is my favourite local cafe (as can be seen by the wide variety of food photos over this year) for a numerous amount of reasons.
For one, being a cafe the coffee is expected to be good, in which l'espresso delivers on this front. But the food is also sensational and a definite cut above for both breakfast and lunch! My all time favourite dish would have had to have been off the winter menu, which was 'Cheesy Polenta with Winter Mushrooms'. Other favourites have been Pumpkin Rissoto as well as Croquettes with Caponata!
Service wise I've seen numerous staff come and go. But for the better part, the staff at L'espresso are amazing, always looking after customer needs whilst being friendly to boot!
The ambience is dark, intimate and all around classic cafe! It's the kind of place were you can easily bump into someone you know, or even make new friends!
Overall, L'espresso has continued to be my favourite cafe for multiple reasons, but the main factor tying it all together is its sound quality and cut-above service! A Ballarat instution+
Desperate for a coffee on the way through Ballarat, we found L'Espresso quite packed still at 4.45pm on a Sunday. Coffee and croissants were lovely. It was exactly what we needed.
I went here today as I found this place on Zomato 😊
I'm not a fan of Victorria coffee but today was the exception. I had a really good latte, and a small but reasonable croissant, albeit a bit doey. Is that the right spelling? haha
The breakfast looked good and although my take away wasn't that cheap it was worthwhile.
This cafe is so cute! They have cd's available for purchase and a little library if i remember correctly. Pretty good vibes! My friend and I were not hungry so we ordered a latte,blueberry friand and hot chocolate. Friand was abit hard and wasn't as good as it looked. However, Coffee and hot chocolate was nice. Would recommend dropping by if you're in Ballarat!
Great food and service, perfect for the kids very accommodating they cleaned their plates. The. Gnocchi was delicious, would recommend it for a good easy evening 😃
One of the good cafe in Ballarat
I like the latte they do, nice service and welcoming staff
They serve a limited but very nice menu for brekkie
If you are in Ballarat, you must consider it for brunch !
Noey Natnaree Triamkedsub
+4.5
Good food, great service and affordable price!!!
I ordered a crispy skin duck it was fantastic the duck cook to perfection and i aslo ordered a squid ink risotto it was so yummy.
The cafe itself is a bit tiny but they have cozy atmosphere.
Ps. I love them freshly squeeze orange a lot. Its so refreshing
Best place in Ballarat. Amazing coffee, brilliant wine, delicious cakes and a wonderfully curated record store with hard to find CDs and vinyl releases from often overlooked artists
I can't rate this place highly enough
Was recommended to try this place ........ And it didn't let us down . Beautiful coffee , great little vibe and very warm welcoming staff ☕️☕️👍🏻
We've been coming here for years every time we're in Ballarat and it just gets better. Friendly staff and great food and coffee and a nice atmosphere.
My favourite cafe in Ballarat. I purely go there for coffee and cake, it's got that really nice warm feel that makes for a relaxing cozy experience. The coffee itself is fantastic, I've been going here for years and I have to say it's consistently the best around Ballarat, no hesitation in my mind. The cakes on offer do change regularly so really can't comment on any particular type as you might find it won't be there when you arrive, but as far as quality, they have delivered sensationally delicious cakes every time. You want some breakfast? No Problems, they have an impressive breakfast menu, the Eggs Benedict is really yum, can't speak for the others, but going by this dish you'll be fine :)
Staff? Lovely, always welcoming, friendly even when the place is packed which in the morning, it usual is :P
Some of the best food and coffee in Ballarat.
Difficult to get a table sometimes and its for good reason, the food is exceptional.
Staff are always very friendly even when it's crazy busy
Ordered French toast and Parmesan egg.
French toast was one of the best I have ever had. We had a very good experience here. Coffee was good too. Ordered 3/4 strength flat white.
Service was awesome!!
Never a let down. The steak sandwich is the best I have had in Ballarat and the coffee is always good here. I am a big fan of the chia pudding they have for breakfast with a slight sweetness and topped with seasonal fruits and yoghurt. I always drop by in before work to have some!
Have been enjoying coming to L'Espresso about once a year for the last decade or two.
The atmosphere is always buzzy and friendly although at times the chatter overpowers the music. (The Cd and LP collection for sale is very eclectic with some real finds).
We had a couple of the pasta dishes - lamb ragu with pappardelle, and prawns with linguine. Both were very tasty and good size serves for the price.
Service was good although I had expected to get some bread to go with our pasta and had to ask for some. It did turn up but was toasted bread which seemed a bit odd. The oil and balsamic on the side was lovely.
Had the house chardonnay and Tar&Roses shiraz by the glass which were both. Minor point - would have appreciated a description against the house wines so we knew what we were drinking - it was a Warrenmang I believe. It was poured at the table which is good sign.
All in all an enjoyable lunch.
Good atmosphere and the staff were friendly here, however it is very cramp inside. Would have been better sitting outside. Had the open steak sandwich which was really delicious!
Gets very busy here .. Use to be my family's regular but now go to olive grove. Staff are always soo nice but cramped and very busy so makes you feel like have to rush to make table available when I want to just sit back.. Enjoy... And relax
I asked a workmate for food suggestions in Ballarat and L'Espresso was one of them; turned out to be good advice. Good was very good, coffee was great - seriously I had a second coffee just based on quality. The service is very good - someone has clearly sorted out their processes - and really genuinely friendly. And there were a good number of staff meaning the looked happy rather than harried and customers were happy as a consequence. There are 3 cafes almost next to each other here: L'Espresso and Cafe Europe (I think) with the paleo cafe in between. Not sure about the paleo place but the others had plenty of custom; obviously enough to cover Sunday penalties!
Howdy ho saying a big good morning from Ballarat! We fueled up at perhaps the most popular brunch place in this region before visiting Sovereign Hill. Chia And Almond Milk Pudding, Seasonal Fruit, Meredith Yoghurt And Superfood Sprinkles, 12.50AUDThe Chia pudding was supposedly a lightweight meal but in actual fact a really filling option. The Chia was not bland as the sweetness come from the fruits. The fruits added were kiwi slices and some Granny Smiths.
If you love the Brunswick St vibe and love music then this place is for you!! The moment you walk through the doors you find yourself surrounded by records and CDs {which you can purchase} Service is fast! Order the chia and almond milk pudding topped with seasonal fruit! Very enjoyable will order again.
Popped in for a lovely breakfast this morning. Had good old fashioned bacon and poached eggs, with some delightful Tuki sausages on the side. The eggs were poached perfectly, the rest of the food was great, however the toast was a bit overcooked and therefore dry. The coffee was faultless, i can see why many Ballaratians use L'Espresso as their morning coffee stop. Greg and the team continue to do great things!
A favourite!. Best coffee and food in ballarat. attentive staff and awesome atmosphere
First night of the summer menu. Fantastic! Best French inspired food in town. Great wine list- all well priced. Great atmosphere.
Lovely Breakfast. Passing through Ballarat on a Sunday and quickly realised the options where limited. We stopped at L'espresso and were not disappointed. Excellent breakfast, lovely service, good coffee, and the ham on my bene' was just divine. Wouldn't have the fresh squeezed OJ again as it tasted like it was perhaps squeezed too many hours ago, but aside from that would stop back again next time for sure.
Great meal on a busy Friday night. We loved it and I'm struggling to understand a couple of these negative reviews. We rocked up with no reservation on a fully-booked Friday, they offered to fit us in and serve us a meal on the beer & snack tables outside (which I gather they don't often do). The staff still looked after us fine. We got our food on time, and our glasses topped up despite a big crowd inside. I was impressed by the level of knowledge of the food & the wine from quite young staff.
Now - what I really came here to to say: The food was exceptionally good. A small menu but done well, interesting choices and interesting flavours. The portion size was spot on too. We made it though entree, mains and desert and felt perfectly satisfied. That was $128 for two, and I've paid way more for grub of the same high standard in Melbourne. We paid up happily and left a big tip. Will definitely be going back next time we are in Ballarat.
Brunch Favourite. Always head here for Sunday brunch when in Ballarat. Last time it was the beetroot risotto with goats cheese. Bit of a wait till our order was taken, but from then on all fine.
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Lovely service. A last-minute and very impromptu overnight visit to Ballarat had us hunting for somewhere to breakfast, and we somewhat randomly picked L'Espresso. For 9 am on a Sunday it seemed pretty packed, which might indicate that the locals think it's one of the better places, but service was prompt, efficient and super friendly. They were very accomodating of our request to veganise their menu options (the housemade beans, minu bacon, and with mushrooms or avocado substituted), and when the mushrooms arrived separately (and a little later) it was explained that this was because they had had to make them specially so that they would be butter free and vegan.
Coffee was great but not superstar (something to do with the brand of soy milk used, possibly? My long black was pretty decent, and exactly what I needed on a frosty morning), food was delicious, servings were more than sufficient, and did I mention the service? Service was great.
L'Espresso seems to double as a music shop, though we didn't look that closely, and it's in a lovely older style building, pressed tin ceilings and pleasantly dim lighting.
Highly recommended.
Great coffee. Awesome, friendly service. Poached eggs were a little overdone but everything else (bacon, avocado, ciabatta) perfect! And sitting outside in the rare ballarat sun was a real treat. Highly recommended!
Good as usual - great service - fantastic food.... Keep going like that
Icon for Ballarat .. This restaurant was my favourite place to eat when I lived in Melbourne for many years. Now I live here was so looking forward to going there often . Have found most times for breakfast very disappointing . Lunch is good, coffee once was all ways the best, not so anymore . Take it or leave it now.
As the name suggests, they do good espresso, which is the most important thing in the universe.
Came here for lunch today and we were very impressed. Coffee was great , the antipasto dish the eggplant capsicum provolone with olive pesto and the prawn linguine were just devine !! We also had a piece of the rhubarb and sour cream cake and a choc slice, they were both worth driving from Brunswick to have. A great place to visit when in Ballarat. I must mention that the waitress who looked after us was fantastic and what an asset she is to L'Espresso.
In Ballarat for work and was worried about where I would get a decent coffee. Coffee is good but be prepared to wait. Not the best service but they have been pretty busy each time I have been here.
A wonderful visit and late lunch coming from Halls Gap. Just don't bother with Ararat and head straight to Ballarat on your way to Melbourne. Great menu, service, and ambience. Check out the jazz records, too! 4 stars!
Yummo just like any cool cafe in Brunswick great ambience generous portions lovely coffee - for lambs fry fans best lunch menu item
Great food and coffee. I ha.... Great food and coffee.
I had the French toast with poached pear and wow. Not to mention the table service was great! We don't get anything like this in perth!
Flawless coffee. Great breakfast and lunch. Lovely service. Very impressive music collection on display for purchase. Worth travel to for any of the above! This is the only cafe I've been to in the 'Ratt and I'm positive it's the best. In fact, I'll probably never know for sure because when I'm in that city (which luckily isn't that often) I wouldn't go to anywhere else.
Consistently good. A real institution and for good reason. Perfect coffee, interesting wine list, wonderful food, efficient and friendly staff. No more to say!
Best Breakfast. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed breakfast today at L'Espresso. Would highly recommend
I've not found a better lunch in Ballarat. Excellent if very cozy. Probably time to lose the CDs ;-)
Crowded and a touch chaotic but what a seriously delicious breakfast. Perfectly poached eggs on GF toast with roast tomatoes and the most INCREDIBLE mushrooms. Great coffee to boot. Highly recommend.
Nut tart to die for. Stumbled across this Gem during a weekend away at Ballarat. Chose it based on how busy it was. Good decision. We shared a nut tart with cream and the next day went back and ordered one each. I will return to Ballarat just to have that nut tart again!
Best meal I've had in a while. Went there for dinner on a whim as we were just driving through. The ravioli gnudi in walnut sauce was so tasty, and the serving size was perfect. The staff were great and very helpful. The space is a little cramped, but the food and atmosphere more than make up for it.
A lovely reprieve from the drizzle on Easter Sunday. Great breakfast and coffee and lovely staff!
Outstanding food & service. Hubby & I took his parents (visiting from UK) here for dinner before they headed back home and we all loved it. The service was outstanding - very attentive. The mains were delicious, although hubby's rabbit was slightly overcooked, we did inform the waiter and it was removed from the bill - thank you.
Overall a wonderful evening had by us all. We will definitely be making the journey back to eat.
The Best Breakfast!. I came to L'Espresso once in the afternoon and turned my nose up when I found out they didn't have chai lattes. But I gave them a second chance by stopping in for breakfast, and what can I say...they won my stomach over.
This is seriously one of the best breakfasts ever. The eggs were done beautifully, the hash browns were unlike any I had before (in a good way), and the bread was thick and delicious (though I'm sure it was packed full of an outrageous amount of calories.)
I do have to say that the green tea is actually pretty bad, but they make up for it with their fresh squeezed orange juice.
Best coffee and breakfast in ballarat, I lived in ballarat for 12 months and this place was my favorite hands down
One word describes l'espresso - lovely. Good food, service and the iced coffee was delicious. Family friendly and really lovely staff. Can't wait to come back!
Best coffee in country victoria. Do not go to, or through Ballarat and miss having coffee, breaky or lunch at L'Espresso !
Coffee rich and smooth, wait staff super efficient and friendly.
Highly recommended !
Best breakfast in Ballarat followed by bibo down the road, not a bad lunch too. Just read the critic review, they capture it all
Sensational breakfast. Do try the pancakes and the Parmesan scrambled eggs are delicious
Top class coffee and great breakfast food in a nice atmosphere..
You were right Urbanspoonites, this is definitely the hot spot with the locals! Reminded me of a Melbourne-type cafe, with quirky surrounds and squashy seating arrangements.
Eggs florentine was lovely - poached perfectly and covered in a velvety hollandaise - totally hit the matk for me, but I suppose at $19.90 (that includes the extra $3 for a 1/2 grilled tomato) I expected it would! :) My husband's Parmesan scrambled eggs with smoked bacon was nice, but the salty flavor got a bit much after the first few bites. The freshly squeezed orange juice was refreshing, but the real star was the coffee!
Rich, smooth and just strong enough to cut through the frothy milk...with yummy hidden chocolate notes rising through each sip. Heavenly!!
If you love a good coffee, and don't mind rubbing elbows with other patrons, then make a pit stop here - just the cup of coffee will make it worth it!! :)
James. From 7am without doubt the best breakfast in Ballarat. Great coffee, freshly squeezed OJ.
Great cafe! Coffee was spot on and the food was fab. The risotto I had was cooked to perfection!! Great balance in flavors and rice at perfect concistancy! Something that a lot of places really struggle with!! Well done to you all!! We will be back for sure!
Coffee here is as good as it gets full flavour and very smooth.
Do not believe the previous tweet, I drink coffee here almost everyday and it is far superior than the other cafes nearby.
I Dined here with my wife and a friend on Friday night, meals were excellent as always as was the wine. 10/10
We were well looked after by manager
Angela.
Highly Reccommend(will not disappoint)
A winner!. Absolutely great coffee, I had the soup of the day - cauliflower and blue cheese and it was divine. I shall be back.
We are from Melbourne and this place serves coffee worth travelling the distance for! Enjoyed a yummy breakfast of zuchinni fritters (me) and toasted house muesli with sheeps' milk yoghurt followed by a toasted croissant with butter and raspberry jam. Perfect. Will definitely return when we are next in the area.
Best in the Rat. Our favourite place for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner, or a late night dessert after a movie. The food is always excellent and the service friendly. Favourites are the parmesan scrambled eggs for brekky, duck confit for lunch and anything on the menu for dinner. The coffee is the best in Ballarat and the ambiance is lovely. Only criticism is that it's a bit dark inside, which is nice for an intimate dinner, but not quite the right feel for breakfast on a sunny day. Definitely our favourite place!
Quality option. Good coffee, friendly service, tasty food. We had the prawn pasta and the ham focaccia. There were a couple of other interesting things on the lunch menu too. We were daytrippers from Melbourne, this place hit the spot.
Hands down the only decent place in ballarat for a decent bite to eat. Wish they would use better bread in their foccacias though. Good coffee. Fried haloumi salad is killer.
Consistently good. I often meet a group here for drinks and/or food. And its always great!
Best Ballarat Cafe. After moving to the Ballarat area from inner-Melbourne, I've been very glad to have L'Espresso in the neighbourhood. The best cafe food and coffee in Ballarat.
A little gem. This cafe was recommended by a local, it is funky and breakfast is excellent.
After a series of breakfasts over 3 weeks there were no disappointments, well done,
Coffee is of high standard too!
I always get this place and Europa mixed up. This is the good one with good coffee, good service and good food! Go to Europa when this place is full!!
A Ballarat icon. Great coffee, amazing potato rostis, great selection of CDs. Only thing missing: chai lattes!!
Yum. Great place. We had the sausage & mushroom Ragu + lamb kofta with tzatki, bread, salad. Coffee And service was nice just couldn't find room for any sweets. Next time I'm in Ballarat I'd go back
Amazing country cafe. I've moved to Ballarat from Melbourne, and love going out for breakfast, coffee, etc. I have to say this place rivals any inner Melbourne Cafe.
Always. Every time we go to Ballarat, this is where we head. Great coffee and great tunes aplenty. Cool cafe - better than most in Melbourne - a true standout in a country town.
Cold rainy day in Ballarat. Stopped in for lunch. Orecchiette with Italian sausage chilli broccolini, mushroom risotto, limonata, English breakfast tea. $42.... Delicioso!!
Classic. I live in Melbourne, but there was a time where I had brunch at L'Espresso every Sunday. It's always good food, good service, good atmosphere. I had lunch here the other day and got a pizza slice. I was a bit worried it wouldn't be very big but as it had all my favorite ingredients on it I took a risk and ordered it. For $16 I got two huge rectangular slices piled with tasty things. It was amazing, taste sensation! and completely filled me. I haven't had dinner here in a few years but I remember it being good. All in all probably my favorite place to eat in Ballarat.
One of ballarat's finest. Simple and delicious food complimented by excellent service. The rabbit stew on Friday evenings is delicious and it's the home of my twice daily joe.
Excellent breakfast. Creamed rice a little undercooked but coffee great, zucchini fritters were an enormous and delicious start to the day. Recommended
What a lovely place. Enjoyed a late, leisurely lunch here and service and food were faultless. Lovely greeting upon arrival, beautiful ambience - love the jazz CDs lining the walls. The service was friendly, prompt and impeccable and I found this with my interactions with all staff members. They catered for my food allergies without raising an eyebrow and unlike many restaurants didn't make me feel foolish or stupid for needing to be a bit picky with my menu choices. Instead they bent over backward to help me out and the meal was absolutely beautiful. Really impressive.
Love it. Great place for a coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper.
ever changing menu. attentive service.
am heading there for lunch today :)
Just had a nice lunch at this vibey place. Lovely confit duck, although they should of cooked it skin side down in the oven to ensure a crisp skin, apart from that, quite faultless, lovely French Brie, and dessert wine. Good on yer guys!!
Brilliant!. It's always a pleasure exploring the Italian-inspired menu at L'Espresso. The ambience and service inside are outstanding. The only problem? it's very difficult to leave without buying a CD or five from the great range of albums always in stock. Enjoy!
Best Breakfast in Ballarat. We breakfast at L'Esprssso every week, have tried others but always come back. Food always wonderful with friendly service too. Pear and Ginger cake to die for.
Great food every time. This cafe feels like it could be in Fitzroy in Melbourne. We've never had a bad meal here, and the freshly squeezed orange juice is the best I've had anywhere in the world.
The croque michelle is excellent. They should bring back the croque madame (which used to be on the menu) as well. This place is always a joy to visit and the food is always delicious.
With a cabinet filled with delectable pastries and cakes to complement any cup of Amanti coffee for next time, I left this place with anticipation of my next visit here when I am back in Ballarat.
Scrambled free range eggs with smoked salmon - "served on Irrewarra sourdough". A simple but delightful dish. Fluffy eggs, and it worked well with the smoked salmon
L'Espresso in Ballarat is my absolute favourite breakfast spot in Australia. We stay in Ballarat every time on our way to Melbourne just so we can wake up and go straight to L'Espresso
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I’ve never near Ballarat except on a school trip to Sovereign Hills many years ago. My grasp of Victorian geography is pretty rudimentary and I can’t say that I haven’t confused Ballarat and Bendigo. But there is nothing like a long drive and an actual visit to the town to get my bearings. In a way, Ballarat is exactly how I imagined it to be. There is a main street, around which the town seems to revolve. There are also many side streets which are a lot more busier than I had been expecting. LEspresso is situated near the town clock. Even with my very rudimentary understanding of regional Victoria, I knew that meant it was located on some prime Ballarat real estate. The place was abuzz with activity when we came to visit on Boxing Day and we loitered around to snap up a table outside. Now at this point, I must confess that apart from being the best eatery in Ballarat, the other reason that we chose LEspresso is because T's sister H works here. H set us up with menus, water and left us with some rather sound recommendations as we pondered over our choices. Both T and I heeded her advice, to great effect!
What a find!!! This cafe is just brilliant. A warm inviting atmosphere on a cold Ballarat day. The coffee is no less than perfect and you won't be able to stop at just one. Devine cakes and pastry made freshly on premises. The savoury menu is extremely well thought out, complex while fresh. Sardines with potato rosti for me. Polite, friendly and attentive staff. Music themed for added interest.
As always L'Espresso is terrific. Friendly helpful staff, excellent coffee and a mushroom bruschetta to die for. It's my Ballarat go to and it has never disappointed.
I’ve visited here after reading the positive reviews. Great to see that they are adhering to their Covid plan. I wanted a takeaway cafe and was served outside. Inside was reserved for people who were eating or having a sit down coffee. The food that was being served looks delicious. They had savoury and sweet takeaway meals at the window as well as our side in containers. Coffee was good.
We have had many visits over the years and always very good. Great coffee! Very good food. The only problem is that they are often so busy that I can't get in to check out the music. Oh well. Picky, I know. Sorry.
Simple, classic cafe in Ballarat
Ham, cheese, tomato and pesto toastie: The toastie was nice and warm, the fillings were average but the bread for toastie has got to be the crispiest bread I have had till this date, which made me go in for more bites
Coffee: If your like your coffee strong, this is the place for you
Vibe/environment: The fresh pastries at the front to the vinyl records and CDs transports you to the simple times. The aesthetic may not be for the younger generation, but you can see the place has history
Service: I was serviced well but nothing more than that.
Pretty top food. I had some chilli prawn pasta which was amazing. Such good clean food. Really taste and really fresh. I also had an apple cake and a coffee with was also really great. Worth travelling to Ballarat for! Amazing service staff as well. Super friendly!
ABSOLUTE GEM IN CENTRAL BALLARAT
We went out hunting for breakfast early on a Sunday morning and found L'espresso open from 8 am :)
It's Italian themed and is very cozy inside (it was 6 degrees the early spring morning we ate there!) and would be equally delightful at the al fresco tables in the warmer weather. Menu is very expansive with great options for vegetarian and vegan customers. Coffee is about the best I've had outside my usual haunts in Melbourne! Staff were really bubbly and attentive.
People with mobility issues will be fine as its all on one level floor.
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