what a great place to pass an hour or two with friends or family.Sit down have a coffee or order a meal,the service is spot on the staff friendly and the food exceptionally good and reasonably priced.You will go once and find yourself having this place as your favorite saturday/sunday coffee stop
i havent been there for ages as was not happy with service, food or general atmosphere.. But heard that owners changed so decided to give it a go and have to say that was a wonderful experience, staff were friendly and down to earth, food was beautiful and the atmosphere was awesome... Will def be going back and the best thing was that the coffee was fab :) Well done to the new owners to making it an enjoyable cafe again :)
1st time here ... listen to waiter's recommendation .. and loved the almond milk latte and thier special short cut bacon breakfast... and they didnt go cheap on the portions size so extra star for that :)
Fantastic service great food would recommend to go here anytime for a meal.
Me and my wife went for breakfast. The food was great. Loved it. �
Fabulous food. Great food, warm, friendly efficient service. Vibrant atmosphere Loved it all. Nice to have complimentary sparkling water too.
Good things are worth the wait. Yes, takeaway coffee takes time. There are tables who have ordered coffee, and what I love is that they don't prioritise the takeaway customer coffee orders over the sit downs. The food is divine, the coffee is awesome, and the staff are lovely. Ps - French toast is like a donut.... Divine
Great food, coffee and service!! Impromptu visit for lunch. It was very busy but there was no delay on service.
Loved it..
Amazing food, great coffee and very friendly staff!!
Has become a favourite go - to place. Very busy but friendly staff. Food hasn't failed us yet. Different coffee flavours. First place that I have been to that has a larger selection of teas than coffees.
The food here was fantastic, especially the crab chilli scrambled eggs! The coffee was a bit on the lukewarm side though.
It is also good to see they are taking the Covid restrictions seriously.
Will definitely return.
Having previously enjoyed my visit to Merchant’s Guild, I did not hesitate to order from them when I was craving for some brunch meals at home. The Chilli Crab Scramble, and the Korean Crispy Chicken Bao both did not disappoint.Both generous in serving sizes, and well-executed in terms of flavours. The fresh chillies lent a spicy kick to the crab scramble, and the buttery croissant provided a flaky mouthfeel and a richness to the dish. On the other hand, the fried chicken was well-seasoned, albeit a bit dry, and the combination of the lemon and paprika aioli with pickled Asian slaw was the epitome of fresh, zesty and bright flavours. The Green Machine Smoothie was very enjoyable too – smooth, creamy and beautiful flavours. A great meal to be having at home when we can’t be brunching outside at the moment.
Merchant’s Guild is definitely a destination cafe. We loved the sleek decor, the greenery and the Insta worthy food. We visited the cafe on a busy Friday morning. We had coffee by Tobys estate and enjoyed The American dream beef burger with a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, jack cheese and home-made barbecue sauce. The onion rings were a great addition to the burger & so were the chips. My friend ordered the pork benny on gratin which was a delicious serve. I had a fork full of the pulled pork which was full of flavour and loved the beetroot hollandaise. I had food envy and when I go back, im definitely ordering it next time! Staff were extremely friendly and I can see why Merchant’s Guild is one of the best cafes in Melbourne.
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Real rating 4.5 ⭐️
We had visited Merchants Guild a couple of months back for lunch and here’s what we had!
Corn and zucchini fritters - served with pickled beetroot, saffron labneh and coleslaw salad with onion! The corn fritters were fried well and had a nice sweetness to it! The addition of the salad was a nice refreshment to the fritters!
Maple glazed pork belly - served with two fried eggs, black barley, radish and macadamia nut salad with feta mousse! I got to say the pork belly was cooked to perfection with the meat being super juicy and succulent and easy to cut! The black barley was a smart idea to go with the yummy pork belly!
Korean style crispy chicken baos - served with pickled Asian slaw, carrots, fresh coriander, lemon and paprika aioli and green chilies! All I got to say was the baos were packed with sweet and sour flavors which made it a good combination!
Red velvet pancakes - served with mascarpone cheese, chocolate ganache, brownie bits, seasonal fruit and rainbow ice cream! First of all, this a complete stunner when it came out! Secondly, the pancakes were super thick and moist and had the right sweetness in it! The rainbow ice cream was a nice icing to the pancakes which made it even sweeter and my fave dish for the day!
We had a delightful time and would love to visit again!
We had a great experience at Merchant's Guild! Started with an iced chai and the peanut butter protein smoothie. The chai was average - maybe a bit watery but the smoothie was sooo delicious, loved it! We ordered:
Maple glazed pork belly - the pork belly was so delicious and cooked beautifully, lots of fat and full of flavour which was great! the eggs were perfect as well however I wasn't a huge fan of the salad.
Pulled pork benny - absolutely delicious with perfectly poached eggs
Chilli Crab Scrambled eggs - the best dish we ordered, it was full of crab flavour and wasn't too spicy either, eggs were scrambled perfectly and overally a really enjoyable and yummy dish
Overall, portions are very decent and filling and food was delicious and perfectly cooked!
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We were invited to Merchants Guild today which was a huge space, it doesn’t look too extensive from the storefront but it’s quite a sizeable venue with an open kitchen. I had a freshly brewed chai as I awaited our food today which was very flavoursome.
Unfortunately by the time the food arrived and I took a few quick shots it had been 50 minutes so I had to dash off to change my carpark before eating anything, definitely advise you to park in the 2 hour spots near IGA. The food was all beautifully presented and after I bolted back I got into my smashed avocado which was very vibrant.
Sweet cherry tomatoes and even a bit of corn on the cob action as well as some yummy flaked almonds, goats curd and a bit of a beetroot smear on the plate provided various different textures and flavours and resulted in quite the colourful dish.
The red velvet hot cakes were absolutely stunning and accompanied by the tastiest rainbow ice cream oh my goodness I was just obsessed with it. Perfect texture on the hot cake too, I strongly recommend ordering this!
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It's quite clear that great cafes are no longer just the domain of the CBD, with the suburbs serving up some fabulous cafes for those who don't want to venture into the city. Merchants Guild in Bentleigh is the perfect example of one of these fab cafes. With a large, open space and lots of natural light, we instantly felt at ease when we arrived here. I love the interesting light features and wall art, plus the touches of greenery that bring life to the space. The staff were very welcoming, and we found a great table with comfy bench seats. Starting with fresh juice and coffee, we perused the menu and then settled in to enjoy the lovely ambience.
We began with the Eggs Benny, which came atop a delicious potato gratin. This was a fantastic concept, and a different interpretation of the more common potato rosti. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the beetroot hollondaise tasted fantastic as well as adding a serious punch of colour to the dish. The added chilli really complemented the creaminess of the potato, and we agreed that this was a fantastic dish.
I couldn't resist the red velvet hotcakes with their pretty rainbow icecream, fresh fruits and berry coulis. The hotcakes themselves were thick and fluffy, dripping in chocolate sauce. The berry coulis added some extra sharpness, and the berries and kiwi fruit were fresh and tasty. I absolutely loved this dish as the pancakes were so full of flavour, and it wasn't too sweet.
Service was prompt, and the staff were lovely and helpful. With a busy brunch period, they managed to cope well with the crowd, and we experienced no problems. The fact that the place was so busy shows that Merchants Guild is a very popular destination in this area, and for very good reason. Fabulous food and service would make me a regular if it was in my backyard; but I will happily travel the distance for a return visit.
Thank you for hosting us.
Friendly staff, nice coffee, and good food with a rotating specials board. Oh, and it's kids friendly too. I do notice they have a bad habit of not putting prices on their specials menu though. They need to fix that.
Merchant's Guild is one of our locals and their eclectic breakfast and lunch menu ensures they stay busy throughout the whole day. . Merchant’s Guild – The Overview…. Food: “The American Dream” Beef Burger, Middle Eastern Breakky and Red Velvet Pancakes. Ratings:Food: 4.5/5
Good food, good atmosphere
Staff friendly, meals came out in a reasonable manner of time
Coffee was good , all in all a nice place to eat
Love this cafe! It’s been around for so long and I’ve dined here a few times over the years and it’s been consistently good!
We ordered the
Eggs Benedict 🐣 delish! What's not to like about this dish. The perfect Sunday pick me up!
'Superfood breakfast' with poached eggs on gluten free toast with light cottage cheese! Have to say I left this place feeling great and well satisfied, and not feeling bloated- for this hot Melbourne day!
Delicious well cooked poached eggs with raw broccoli flowerette + avo + kale + barley + mung sprouts + green chilli & pumpkin seeds! Can't really fault this dish it really was a winner in my books.
I ordered the porridge and peanut butter latte, both were amazing. First time visit and I’ll definitely be back. Could not fault the service, food or venue.
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If you’ve lived in the Bentleigh area for a while, you’ve most likely have heard of Merchant’s Guild.
With the change of ownership comes a change in direction, but keeping faithful to what Merchant’s Guild is about – creating a positive local café experience.
The interior refresh is a work in progress, but there are definitely some improvements and it’s a lot more light filled. The communal table which uses an old basketball court is a nice touch.
Service was friendly, and we got to meet the head chef and you could tell he was cooking with passion. These things count. There were quite a few people still in the café on a late Sunday afternoon which proves its ability to draw in a decent crowd.
Foodwise, we were treated to a selection of dishes that were visually pleasing and tasted pretty good too. The dish I would definitely have again are the Korean crispy chicken baos – whatever is in that sauce, I could eat that for days. The red velvet hotcakes were lots of fun also.
All in all, if you haven’t been to Merchant’s Guild for a while, it’s definitely worth a revisit.
Melbourne Food Wanderer
+4
nutella infused french toast with banana and cinnamon marscapone ❤ anything with nutella is a winner, but sweet balanced marscapone and crunchy french toast as well?! My oh my 😍 this was a real delight! 7/10 overall for flavour, taste and portion ☑
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I was fortunate enough to be invited in to a bloggers table at Merchant Guild. The timing was perfect as we got to try out several dishes from the recently refreshed menu.
The cafe itself appears to have recently been updated with a fresh bright interior, greenery and a cosy rear courtyard which was where we chose to sit today. I started with a skinny latte which was full flavoured with impressive coffee art. I also tried the house made raspberry and mint lemonade... yum!
The menu had quite a lot of all day options and it was a tough choice but I ended up sold on the merchant avocado. This was a lighter dish and had a super tasty smash with a good chunky texture. The dish came with poached egg with a good runny yolk and the plating was excellent with goats cheese mouse and a beetroot glaze spread thinly on the dish.
I also got to try on of the trio vivid paprika aioli crispy chicken bao which was a stunning dish in both presentation and taste. These bao came with a side of avo and a contained a fresh asian slaw.
Others tried the Mississippi Styled Chicken burger on a matcha bun and it was well received.
We finished our mid afternoon feast with the red velvet pancakes which sat chunky in the centre of the plate with rainbow icecream, chocolate ganache and fruit and chocolate brownie crumb. Combine this with the pour over raspberry compote and you had me sold.
Wonderfully presented dishes that were full of flavour.
I remember coming to this spot when Mario Minichilli and Vincent Conti were making their famous Prana Chai in the back section of the café.
Bentleigh East’s ‘The Merchants Guild’ continues to be a local favourite, with its industrial look, and adventurous menu. The blue algae bowl is loaded with pineapple, banana, and granola; while the Pulled Pork special with beetroot hummus on potato rosti is pleasing the crowds today.
Coffee by Tobys Estate, and smiles free care of the lovely staff.
Quite a trendy and busy cafe on a Saturday morning. Took a while of standing around waiting before we were guided to our seat but at least we were acknoledged shortly after arriving it. The matcha pancakes were soft and spongy and mango sauce so delicious. I tried some of my partner's missisippi style chicken burger which was nice too but i personally wasn't a fan of the jalapeno.
Update 8/6/20:
And the a year later i'm back, first brunch after the COVID-19 closures. Leaving your details and hand sanitizer was standard. Quality of food and service was definately maintained at a high level. I enjoyed the middle eastern breaky, probably a bit too much kale for my liking though, you might if you don't mind a bit of chewing. Would recommend.
Liv (nourishinglively)
+4
We were treated to a lovely brunch spread at Merchants Guild. We sat in the lovely outdoor area & enjoyed iced coffees whilst we waited for our spread to arrive. The staff were very friendly & maybe great suggestions. We ordered the porridge, blue algae bowl & the big breakfast and weren’t disappointed. The porridge was creamy & delicious the blue algae bowl was super refreshing and vibrant & the big breakfast was a massive serving size! The perfect cafe in Bentleigh ideally situated on the main road, with plenty of seating, a great menu & wonderful staff!
My business partner Ray and I have been coming regularly to "The Merchants Guild" for the last 2 years and have enjoyed great coffee, breakfast and meals. The quality of their food is excellent, very tasty and especially the coffee which is magnificent. We're the only guys that order volcano latte's (extra extra hot) which I'm told may soon be on the menu. Great place and great atmosphere we highly recommended you go there 5 Star Review all the way!
There was a lot more on this plate then I thought there would be; I ordered the bacon and avo on toast and it exceeded my expectations. The combination of spicy jalapeño pesto and avocado with corn was delicious! The matcha latte I ordered was from “Muscle Matcha” with coconut milk & honey - a strange journey of tastes, but I liked it.
Had an almond milk latte and a lactose free mocha. Both were amazing!! My wife said that the almond latte was one of the best that she's ever had ☕️☕️
Came here today for lunch with a friend.
I ordered the Lamb Salad that came with couscous salad, hummus, capsicum, mixed herbs, pepitas, almonds, peas and pumpkin. I asked to add mushrooms and to remove the feta. For the drink, I had the Super Juice.
The salad was beautiful, the lamb was tender and juicy, a plentiful serving of hummus and the mushrooms were delightful. I would definitely order it again.
The prices are standard of a normal cafeé and the customer service was good as well. Both waiters were friendly and efficient.
We had a lovely lunch at Merchants Guild with our dog. The cafe is very dog friendly with tables in the courtyard to hang out with your furry friend. The food was delicious and the coffee and fresh juice were 👌. However, the smashed pumpkin dish was a bit too sweet for my taste. Even though it came with a maple glaze on the side, I found that I didnt use any of it. It would have been nice to have a few more mushrooms too but otherwise the rest of our experience was great.
Merchants Guild does not fail to live up to the hype. The decor is simple yet in keeping with its surrounds. The service is so quick and efficient, and everyone working there seemed to be enjoying themselves. A definite highlight was YMCA coming through the speakers and a couple servers putting on a show.
Salsa, Bacon Avo smash was delightful and the coffee supreme. The only thing holding this place back is the tables are sticky which others reviewers have commented on. Shame otherwise this place would be perfect.
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It’s a 3.6 out of 5. It could have been higher. A tale of two dishes as I’ll explain shortly
It’s an earthy, industrial fit out here that works well. The bright, airy north facing aspect helps that too and the place is happily light not dark. We liked it. We noted a lovely courtyard out the back too. That would be very inviting on a warmer day than today.
There are other things we loved and others we found a bit odd here. In the latter category was that our table was quite sticky. Not much of an issue you’d say. It can happen anywhere, of course. But, the off putting bit was that the two other tables close by were both sticky too. Clearly an issue then.
We loved the sparkling water on tap here. The best places do this these days. Melbourne has beautiful water. Why not just carbonate it on site as they do so wisely here rather than trying to sell you bottled sparkling water with huge food miles on it. Even better, they give you the choice here at the table and you get both sparkling and still. A small thing but we really liked it.
Onto the food then and the tale of two dishes. I asked the excellent server for a recommendation. He said that the Bacon Avo Salsa was very popular so I chose that. It was a great recommendation. I adored this dish. I’ve had much fancier brunch dishes in recent time and this dish wipes the floor with all of them. It’s cleverly composed and arranged and beautifully cooked. The bacon is astonishingly good. It’s a generous serve of two good thick slices which are deliciously smoky. You also get a very generous serve of smashed avocado on the side. Perfect to have with the two toasted slices of really gorgeous bread which was itself smeared with heroism amounts of a pesto dip. Add some nicely done eggs and you’ve got a really good brunch dish for mine. I absolutely adored it. The only slightly negative comment is that the Jalapeño wasnt as evident as I would have preferred. The warmth in the dish was a bit subtle for me. But, overall, a great dish that I’d happily travel mikes for.
On the other hand, the world’s most beautiful woman didn’t like her dish at all. She had the breakfast bruschetta which she thought was a bit messy and tasteless. I did notice she finished it all though. I had a little taste myself. It seemed ok but nowhere near as good as my dish, is all I’ll say.
We finished with coffees which were excellent. Very fine Melbourne standard coffees. I’d happily drink coffee as good as this anytime, anywhere.
There was lovely service throughout here. Our young server was smart, attentive, polite and efficient. Other servers gave us cheery smiles and the odd nice word as well. Good stuff.
This place has a nice feel. I liked it very much and in my mind it deserves its current high rating.
Dat in once before and also ordered an acai bowl via uber eats and both were pleasant experiences. Really appreciated the additional granola free of charge. Would definitely try other dishes in the future.
I had the red velvet pancakes. Soooo goood!!! Light, fluffy, and nice variety of textures on the plate! Scrumptious! And i also had a cappuccino, it was so good! Smooth and yuuuuum! Also i loved the music they had playing! Old school RnB like Neyo and stuff! And the service was so friendly and awesome! My sis ordered a toast thing with short cut bacon, it was so yum! Im sure everything is yummy here :D
Was lucky enough to find this gem in Bentleigh for Mother’s Day breakfast! The food and coffee was nothing short of spectacular! Really good! This place in terms of staff and food is an easy 5! However our wait times for our food was so long; 45 minutes or there about... I will go again on a weekend when it’s not Mother’s Day and see how we go... if the service is good and the food is the same quality with less wait time I’m happy to bump it up to 5
Had coffee here after having a big shopping day fully exhausted and were very impressed to get nice and hot coffee just appropriate to our taste. will be back soon
This place opened a few years ago. As usual, lots of people flocked new cafe. The food was nice, and the menu was very creative. We could hardly get a seat (especially as a family with two kids).
I think (not 100% sure on this) the place is under new management now. Unfortunately the place is not as popular as before. Lucky for us though, we can always get a seat now. Food is still nice as before, by the way. The waiter (I don’t know his name, but he is always kind to me and my kids) is very friendly too.
I hope the place will survive for long time to come! Coz honestly, there is not much option in Bentleigh East !
Great service, coffee and nummy food. Have visited many times over the last few years, and it has consistently delivered on all fronts each time. Favourite is Cauliflower Fritters.
As my last review of this place was quite negative I must say they have totally redeemed my faith in this cafe I use to really enjoy coming here regularly and will be again from now on.
Food was amazing again just the way I remembered it.
And I got my old milkshake sized cup on request.
Highly recommend coming here.
What we ordered:
1) Maple glazed pork - it is really quite interesting what they have served here. Two slices of pork belly served on a fried egg with runny yolk on top of a bed of quinua and macadamia nut salad. To bind all the flavours together, the sauces are blended feta and maple syrup. You would think the flavours don’t work, but they do!
2) Benny bagel with smoked salmon - Alright, so the look is not very pretty, pretty much drenched in hollandaise sauce. But be honest with yourself, how many times have you just wish the eggs benedict you ordered have a bit more sauce on?
I must say my husband and I have a pretty good meal here at Merchants Guild. They also served a local hot sauce on the table which is really yummy! Wouldn’t mind coming back again. Parking is easy due to a nearby IGA.
The service was great but the food was just good, nothing amazing that would make me go back in a hurry. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and a latte.
Great service, nice looking place on the inside. The pork belly is definitely up there with the best I've had. The food is absolutely delicious! Would definitely come back here. Nothing to fault with our experience.
Never fail to amaze! The french toast is amazing. Very creative in mixing and matching different texture of the ingridients and flavours, definitely worth the drive all the way from CBD to Bentleigh.
Espresso infused French toast with house made nutella, vanilla bean mascarpone, banana, baileys anglaise and amaretti crumb 🙂
We visited this cafe over a weekend. It was bustling and quite packed but we reserved a table and were seated immediately. I ordered the chilli crab egg scramble on crossaint - the crossaint was buttery and flaky and the chilli crab egg scramble was soft, fluffy, creamy and spicy from the chilli and sweet from the crab. Loved it.
Amazing food and service. Probably the greatest brunch I've ever had!!!!!!!
A little pricy but acceptable considering the quality of everything.
This my favourite breakfast spot! If you zucchini fritters fan, try it there and you will 100% enjoy! I think I can literally go there every Saturday morning for this brekkie =)
Something naughty, something nice! I probably just had the most nutritious breakfast I've ever eaten! The warm kale salad with quinoa, ricotta, toasted hazelnuts and asparagus with poached eggs was well balanced and pretty tasty for a super healthy dish. I should have left it there but I couldn't resist. We went and had the French toast. It was tasty but could have been infused a little longer in the espresso before grilling. Coffee and smoothie were good. Overall an enjoyable breakfast/brunch.
Decent coffee, big place, nice interior, had the fruit toast with butter and it was delicious
Not much else in the area of this calibre in terms of cafes
Great food and service, have not been disappointing. Great vibe and variety on a great location local shopping strip. Great to bring the family
This place is incredible. Went here at approximately 1pm on a Sunday for some late brunch. Inside, it's a clean place, decked out with comfortable seating for a lot of people. Ordered the smashed avocado and my friend got the cauliflower fritters. The avocado, paired with asparagus had the best dukkah I've had in a very long time. Both meals were presented beautifully. All in all an amazing brunch experience.
Had the short cut bacon with avo and poached eggs, aswell as the eggs benedict. Both were delicious and came very quickly. Staff were friendly and prompt. Will definitely return :)
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Pretty amazing, would have been a 4.5 but I only have one gripe- they had specials, including drinks but the price was not listed. Given that all their coffees and similar drinks were below $5, I assumed the peanut butter + choc latte would be the same- it was $7 for a small glass. Close to twice the cost of all their other hot drinks in a similar size. That's partially on me as well, I admit I could've asked the cost but I never imagined it would be at that price, not like it's a Lindt or Godiva drink or something... but anyway it was pretty nice and unique, could taste the peanut butter.
Anyway, that aside, I loved the food. It was served fast and promptly, I had the maple glazed pork belly. The black barley tasted pretty strange at first but was nice with the sauce and the fried egg- also very filling. I liked the generous portion. The pork belly was alittle more chewy/harder in sections (as some of the other reviewers commented) but I think that's a pretty common thing when it comes to cooking a dish like this. Good flavour and interesting textures. The skin was sweet and succulent while the meat was savoury.
Service was one of the better ones out of all the cafes I've been too, staff were attentive and friendly. The ambience was nice and pretty chill for a Saturday afternoon. Will probably be back!
This is a lovely cafe on Centre road serving really good good, cakes and coffee. Special mention for their almond milk latte (they told me they went to a lot of trouble to get almond milk that froths well). As a local and cafe regular, I would say this place does the best coffee in Centre Road and probably the second best lunch (beaten only by Boosa). Highly rated and well worth the visit.
I go to Merchant's quite often and the food is really good, but they have had the same menu for quite a long time. They need to change it!!!
Very friendly staff :) was a bit of a wait on food but they were so busy so it's understandable. I ordered the maple glazed pork belly and it was amazing! It was fairly sweet but very yummy, some bits of the pork were hard to chew because of the maple glaze but it was still so yummy! And the eggs and seeds.. so yummy! My partner ordered the chorizo burger and said it was average but the bun was nice, said it was a bit too basic.
I highly recommend this cafe it never dissatisfied points and the food (at least for me) is so yummy! Not too overpriced either :)
A great cafe with delicious and nutritious breakfast menu that overlaps the lunch period which is brilliant! The cauliflower fritters, superbowl salad and soup is so satisfying. The side of black beans, feta and lime is great for a strong burst of flavour on toast which I highly recommend. The bbq sauce is perfect on fried eggs!
We ordered the warm Tuscan kale with poached eggs and hazelnut. The feta cheese tasted really good and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection!
The other item we ordered from the menu was eggs benedict. The portion was of good size and it tasted good. We also tried the coffee. Was pretty good but I reckon its too hot when served and the size of the coffee was too small.
Service was good and we had a choice between water and sparkling water.. which was nice! In general it was worth a try but we just think that it was a bit pricey.
Merchants Guild = Merchants of Pleasure 😍
Walked in during the lunch rush and gosh that was such a good decision, the right door at the right moment 😆
Ordered the Chorizo burger but it wasn't available, so I moved on towards the Tuscan Kale Quinoa Salad👌
The dish arrived in all its glory very fast and it was yum yum yum every bite of it. I would highly recommend to try this place out. One small critic, there should be more Kale if they named the dishes after it, if it was just "Quinoa Salad", I would not expect too much Kale.🤔
I was running late, so unfortunately I couldn't taste their coffee...a good excuse to come back 😅
Thank you for having me 🙏
Branding stands out from a mile away! Very inviting cafe with an industrial style. Coffee was too hot but was good well made. Loved the brrakfast menu so much to choose from and all such great combinations. Hard choice! Generious serving made the price worth it. Great flavour combo with well made poached eggs. Loved that you offered sparkling water!
The first serious contender of that specialty coffee cafe in the area, before others gets the message to follow suit.
Housed in a fantastic older building, adequately renovated keeping some its features intact. Comfortable venue inside out, best place in my opinion is to sit at the communal table at the back near, this is where they mixed and make their won Chai concoction. A + for anyone who made their own Chai/stuff.
Food and coffee are above average too.
OMG! Great coffee and at the moment they have this expression infused French toast with house made Nutella, vanilla bean mascarpone, Baileys anglaise, banana and amaretti crumb...enough said! It is just a party in your mouth, so deliciously satisfying!!
"Finally it happened to me"
The Dear Luncher has been waiting for an opportunity to pounce, to strike - to finally visit Merchant's Guild in East Bentleigh. A rapid lunch was all Your Dear Luncher had time for. After a gluttonous Xmas/NY period, The Dear Luncher fought all his primal urges and avoided ordering the chorizo burger. Instead, a spicy beef salad was selected from the specials menu.
It was an excellent choice. The flavours were wild and enchanting. The beef was cooked very nicely, medium rare. It was a very nice cut of beef. Sometimes salads get really cheap cuts, not this one. This thriving hub is well worth your attention if you're in the area.
Points lost for no longer having a booze license.
"Right in front of my face, and I just can't describe it"
We ordered the Spanish and syrup glazed pork belly. The sardines was ok, however I would preferred lesser dill and oriental parsley, they were excessive and overpowering the sardines and mashed peas. The pork belly was delicious, well balance of saltiness (from the project belly) and sweet syrup from the glazed barley.
My girlfriend and I came here for a 'healthy' lunch after exercising and it was great! The restaurant had great ambience, quick service and staff were nice. The food was beautifully-presented, healthy and the coffee was superb! Portions were huge, but my dish which had the purple cauliflower tartare lacked a little flavour/sauce to tie all the delicious elements together. I'd come back to try other dishes, as the menu had so many yummy dishes worth trying.
I have now been to the Merchant’s Guild on three separate occasions, and each time has been a different experience I feel is important to share. Our first two experiences were good, food and coffee were great. Service was attentive and friendly. However, our third experience was almost the complete opposite. If I hadn't already been there twice before, I definitely would not put this cafe on the list of recommended brunch spots. On most days I'd say give it a shot, but I would not recommend going if you are hungry and it's too busy to even get a table.
Great service/staff and super tasty food!
Been here about 4 times now and MG serve up consistently good food. Love the rotating hollandaise flavour for their eggs benny - keeps it interesting!
Partner and MIL had the lime and chilli hollandaise which was the flavour of the day while I favoured something new with the maple pork belly, fried eggs, whipped ricotta and macadamia salad. Flavoursome and well
cooked!
Will definitely be back. (Again). Keep up the great work guys
Best coffee on the street! The side of black beans are heavenly and the gluten free bread is my favourite. This place is a real gem! It's a must when coming to Bentleigh.
Peanut butter and coconut latte! Enough said! Where else would you find such a concoction? Delicious. Also ordered the maple pork belly and it came out beautifully presented. Very filling and generous portions. Can't wait to come back!
One of my favorite cafes in East Bentleigh. They always have very fresh and creative food. highly recommended to try. Only the waiting time is a little long sometimes
This place has been here for a while now but isn't resting on its laurels. The food and coffee continue to be excellent, and the menu changes frequently. This week I had the special - "the super bowl". A totally delicious and healthy bowl of yummy, nutritious goodness. Satisfying in every way. Love this place.
Executive Summary: Great food, coffee, chai, and service. I give Merchants Guild a 5/5, because I've been here many times and had an opportunity to confirm consistent food quality, and service.
Fathers day was a perfect time to re-visit this awesome food experience. We arrived at 9:30 and were seated immediately. Any later on the weekend and there may be a bit of a wait. Both still and sparkling water is provided by default. I recommend breakfast. Whether you're in the mood for a sweet breakfast (French toast) or a savoury (poached eggs and toast), you won't be disappointed. I chose to offset my French toast (which comes with mascarpone cheese, Nutella sauce, and infused with coffee), with a large piece of delicious bacon. Oh yes! You must do this! No regrets - it was a perfect combination. Service was great, and the food was fresh and hot. Attention to every detail was obvious. The meal, and dining experience were consistently great. Well done!!!
I came here on Saturday lunch around 12pm. The cafe is large and nearly full. We sat on the communal table. The food was well presented and delicious. The staffs were friendly. But the stools were so uncomfortable that my friend decided to leave, and go to other cafe for coffee.
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Excellent food, excellent service! There is love here in the food.
At first it took one of the waiters a little time to realise we had walked in and needed a menu, after that we had nothing but a perfect breakfast. Coffee was ordered, and they made sure they had whatever info they required to make it just right. Wonderful coffee, not burned or bitter brought excess heat, cold milk as requested, and the chai latte was wonderfully aromatic and large enough for two glasses full.
The food was out of this world, and you could taste the care and love in the food. Crunchy fresh dukkah, bread that was perfectly toasted, with a smooth fresh pumpkin mash, perfectly poached eggs (I saw the chef testing each egg as he pulled them out of the water, I'm sure he would never serve an overlooked or undercooked egg). Kale chips that weren't covered in oil, and a delicious salsa. My brother had a espresson French toast that was not too sweet, very filling and aromatic. The staff is relaxed and dancing, the toilets are exceptionally clean.... There was nothing I could pick at here. Well done! I can't recommend this place enough.
Busy, colourful and refreshing menu in Bentleigh.
Cauliflower fritters came with a quinoa, almond and pea salad (Definitely add eggs to it)- this was a healthy and filling lunch.
Superfood salad also filling and worth ordering again.
Would come here again.
Great open feeling, even if the place is packed. Coffee is likely the best in Melbourne, but that's nothing. The staff make it 10/10. Pleasure to be there.
Merchants Guild is a super popular cafe along the busy Centre Road. With a simple and industrial theme for their decor, Merchant’s Guild is a great place to relax and chill with friends. The dishes served up are unique with a delicious combination of flavours. Would recommend if in the area.
Great food and good coffee. We had the slow cooked lamb on crumpets and pulled pork eggs Benny. Was v nice and we both liked it.
Brunch on mothers day was amazing. The prices are much the same as other places, but the little kitchen presented the food as you would expect from a top notch restaurant. Taste was superb as well. Four meals and every one a winner.
Great coffee, good and service! Not much else to ask. The hallumi was a little weird texture wise (not your usual firm but squeaky type) but still pretty tasty.
Absolutely love this place 🥰 I come here often for brekkie and it’s so delicious!
Excellent and visually pleasing food. Loads of vegetarian options which I liked the best. Order Merchant Avocado from the menu and trust me you won't be disappointed ❤️
Can be super busy on weekends. Kids friendly too. Our little kids were given drawing sheets and colours to keep them occupied. Small gesture but goes a long way in making parents at ease
We heard a lot about this place. At last we visited. This cafe situated in heart of Bentleigh east is the place. Ideal for big groups, pet friendly with a great courtyard and park let in the front of the shop. Staff is attentive, friendly and helpful.
Main feature about this place are their coffee and food. Nobody, in the area make the coffee like Merchants guild. Menu is vast with plenty of options. Tried Iron goodness today, cannot wait to try other food on the menu
Delicious food and the best coffee in the area! Went for lunch yesterday with a few friends and it was extremely packed and busy. We were happy to wait for a table to become available and were promptly seated and served by the lovely Sophie.
Immediately provided us with water (tap AND sparkling - I love sparkling water 😍) and took coffee orders, which were served in super quick time given how swamped they were! (We heard a few disgruntled and impatient people around us complaining about how long they had to wait for a seat - but that's expected given how popular this place is!)
We ordered the Miso Salmon Salad and the Prawn Tacos and it did not disappoint. Presentation was on point and most importantly was finger-licking delicious! Will be back to try everything else on the menu 😋
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