Review Balmains Brighton - Brighton

Coffee focused small cafe in Brighton. Interesting to see they charge the same for espressos and filter coffee (pour overs etc). Barista team are on point here, will definitely drop by next time I’m passing through the area.

Pretty average place. Coffee is often bitter and food is hit and miss. It's not terrible but plenty of better places to go ... You're better off a few doors down at Oli & Ari.

$12 for two slices of untoasted white bread and a quarter of avo on the side. No butter - nothing. Called and was not offered any refund or apology. Had to demand a refund and got massive attitude from the girl at the till getting it. Such a shame as their coffee was ok.

Wait staff were abrupt and rough, not friendly. Coffee and food were good enough, though. Back room has inadequate lighting, good if you like eating in the dark.

Great coffee. Expensive. $5 for a large strong. Very slow service. In my opinion, not worth the wait.

Great little cosey place for coffee or brunch Got to try the Birch muesli and known for their awesome chai latte's

Of course the best coffee in Brighton

Almond lattes are good.

These guys made the BEST COFFEE! Usually I’d pick up a takeaway however I have eaten breakfast by their open fireplace and it was a beautiful experience.<br/><br/>Here are some photos of my in ore of their stunning biscuits which they always display!<br/><br/>Chocolate chip & Monte Carlo! Doesn’t get any better!

Friendly local staff, dependable coffee, and an excellent menu; Balmain's is a local favourite for a good reason. There's a lot to love in this little cafe, and I recommend the mushroom on toast for a light breakfast option.

Hands down best coffee in Melbourne. Service is exceptional with Friendly staff with gr9 vibes. Shout to my bean hunters Derek and Emma ☕️🍰🍳

The staff are very friendly and welcoming, it has a lovely relaxed vibe and excellent coffee! The best in the area and definitely my go to coffee shop. A must try

Just had the worst chicken focaccia of my life...which is hard to do, because most cafe focaccias usually present all the filling spilling out of the sandwhich only to be half empty when you open it up...At $14 you would want to put up something quite decent. Hardly any chicken in it and Just had the worst chicken focaccia of my life...which is hard to do, because most cafe focaccias usually present all the filling spilling out of the sandwhich only to be half empty when you open it up...At $14 you would want to put up something quite decent. Hardly any chicken in it and what resembled chicken, was more like a blended mush with mayonnaise. With avacodo and tomato the only accompaniments, this was a massive let down...A waste of my money and time. accompaniments, this was a massive let down. Maybe if it came with chips or a salad or something...A waste of my money and time. I feel ripped off.

The coffee here is incredible!<br/>Sometimes you have to wait a bit longer than you would like for it, but when it comes its worth it. <br/>Get down and see for yourself

Best smashed avo and feta in Melbourne! Really generous portion sizes and reasonably priced meals. Great coffee and really good hot chocolates. Perfect for a cozy brunch or afternoon meal.

Good coffee, but abrupt staff members are a letdown. Not what you want while enjoying a relaxed Sunday afternoon. Hopefully it was just an off day.

An oasis of coffee perfection in Brighton<br/><br/>The smell of freshly ground beans enticed me in to try a coffee at Balmains. The sight of multiple grinders and a Synesso machine bode well and the passion of the new owners was matched by the perfectly made coffee. They know their stuff here. It's a simple recipe, friendly efficient staff and coffee to die for. I haven't sampled any breakfast items yet but the range of pastry item and croissants have kept me coming back. Can't recommend highly enough.

I think I should have probably stopped drinking coffee after the second one. But I didn’t because that would be weak. I loved the coffee cups at Balmains. They were so fancy with the nice gold trim...

This cafe is an all rounder & as Zac said to me, ‘Have passion & keep the love.’ Which is exactly what he has achieved.

ou better be sitting down for this Huge Announcement:<br/><br/>I have found what can only be described as The Best Avocado Toast in Melbourne at Balmain’s on Were Street. (Braaaaaghton, dahling.)<br/><br/>This is high praise, because that’s what I have for breakfast every single day of my life.

A new Balmains emerging?. The new owners are clearly trying to redefine this small humble cafe that pumps out superior coffee on this quite leafy affluent suburb called Brighton. It is happening gradually though, with a new food menu to match their superior coffee (which they source from Five Senses, Proud Marry and occasionally Market Lane) - and the enhanced friendly service which was previously hindered by the arrogance of the previous owner Zac. However, with a new renovation earmarked this up-coming holiday one could expect a radical change from this humble entity, but hopefully retaining the warmth character Balmains embody.

Best coffee in Bayside, hands down. Zac and the guys take coffee very, very seriously, and it shows through in the final product. Consistently great coffee. Like all good things, it can take time, so don't expect to be ordering and walking away in 30 seconds, but the small wait is more than worth it

Friendly service, good food. Oven baked mushrooms very unusual and mighty fine. Food a bit cold when it arrived. Highly recommend. Less poncy than Olli and Ari....

Best coffee in Brighton , no joke!. I don't write reviews (but this time I have to), yesterday I went there with my kids to get some coffee and hot chocolates, I asked for a double ristretto but I was told by the waitress that the barrista recommends double espresso ( their coffee needs longer extraction) ...he was right on the job, he made the best coffee in Brighton/Hampton area and arguably the whole of Melbourne (I drink a lot of coffee and I try all different places)

Best coffee in Bayside!. Awwwesome. Hats off guys. Down to earth, friendly staff and really good coffee.

Nice friendly and hip vibe. Love the selection of coffee company's you can choose from and that do filter- I think the only cafe in Brighton to do so. Well worth a visit

Poor service. Coffee: 7/10. Food was OK but slow arriving on a Sunday. Ordered second coffee 15 minutes before leaving cafe. Never arrived. Asked for it take- away while paying for meals. Was publicly berated by barista for 'jumping the queue' and expecting the coffee to arrive quickly. It arrived 30 minutes after I had originally ordered it. They had given the wrong coffees to two different people, while I was waiting. Don't need a sarcastic attitude from the barista while paying for the meal and coffees.

Best Coffee in Brighton. Love this cafe! Really great food and inexpensive. Staff are amazing.

It is hard to find a cafe that executes a black coffee exceptionally well everytime. Why is it so hard for most cafés to perfect the art of black coffee? At balmains they seem to have the recipe for the perfect cup, and do it with so much care it's like watching masters of the trade.

Love this place! Best coffee around by far!

Great little find in a quiet Brighton St. Fab food, coffee, decor and service without the inflated price tag. Well done guys!

The best cafe in the Brighton area. I've gone to a handful of other cafes and none of them compares to the authentic atmosphere, delicious food and great customer service here. The breakfast options are always well presented and wholesome. Also the prices aren't ridiculous. It's no surprise why it's always busy!

Great coffee. We go at least once a week for the fab coffee and proper chai, the staff are always friendly

Every experience has been great at Balmains. Lovely food and great chai lattes (served properly inside a briki). There have been a few times when they were out of certain menu items, once right before Christmas which was understandable as they were getting rid of their stock before a one month sabbatical. Sandwiches are amazing (especially the egg and chicken respectively) but they are not always available. If you're too early sometimes they are not made up yet or if you're too late they can be all sold out. I'm only complaining because they are so damn good that selfishly I always want them. It's a complaint with a compliment inside of it. I can't fault the food and service. Never had a problem with either and the owners are amiable and based on previous negative reviews, I can't even imagine such a disposition from the female owner. In my experience this place delivers.

Have revisted balmains several times after new owners took over. The coffee is not as good and it shows ( it is not a bustling cafe anymore). Staff are friendly hope the passion for actual coffee returns as this is what made it popular in the first place! Not a regular anymore<br/><br/><br/>-----29 Aug, 2013-----<br/><br/>Coffee is excellent, young staff are passionate about making the best coffee in town and it shows. Has become very popular, expect a wait!

Owner very rude. Toast came dipped in butter. We asked for no butter so we got shouted at by owner. Food came late and so help you if you want to pay half cash half card. I felt like she was going to send me to the naughty corner.

Was a regular customer since the doors opened, and was disgusted by managements treatment yesterday. Immediately after finishing lunch I was asked to leave, so they could prepare the table for their 'lunch rush', even though there were spare tables around me. Coincidently, after sharing my story, another friend had confirmed that this had happened to her. I had always loved the coffee and menu, but this experience has definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.

Great quality coffee. The staff are amazing at their job. The only let down of this cafe is the Women manager constantly berates her staff in front of customers. Spoils the ambience of what could be one of best cafes in bayside.

OMG!!!!. I would just like to say one thing... best chocolate brownie ever!!<br/>Im obsessed!

Amazing coffee, expect to wait though

Cafe with good character. Cakes A+ <br/>Coffee A+<br/>Chai latte's A+++<br/><br/>It has great ambiance with the most smiley and genuine staff, no wonder its so popular. I've been to many cafe's around Melbourne and no other place is as welcoming as Balmains.<br/>Thumbs up !

Chaos. 18 minute waits for coffee and the owner shouting staff down in front of customers was unprofessional. Food was overpriced. Real shame as could be a great place- in need of a good manager :(

Bad attitude @ Balmains. Greeted by a rude elderly woman who demanded to know what our table number was because she needed to know it before she could serve us !!Bizzare !! We had just walked in the door! We said we would just have a table outside. Which one she demanded to know the end one or the middle one she said in a most patronising manner. We ordered coffee which came ten minutes later - it was stone cold so we drank it in less than a minute and left NEVER TO RETURN.

Best Coffee Shop in Brighton. Great coffee(Proud mary,Small batch,5sences,,,Filter coffee,Cold drip......)<br/>friendly staff,great vibe,,simple and delicious food!!

Best coffee ever! The staff are super awesome and the place has a great vibe. Highly recommended. The staff are the best. The guy that's on the floor is a boss.

Top notch. Coffee, food, customer service and vibe all top notch!

Pretty Good. Nice feel to this place. Good coffee and great location. Tricky getting up and down the stairs to the toilet in cycling cleat though. Wouldn't hesitate in returning.

The best chai tea in all of Melbourne!. I am a soy chai tea nut and I think this cafe serves the best in all of Melbourne! Too bad it is so small and expensive - $5 for a tiny latte glass. Still, when I stayed on Were St with family I'd go here and spend $10 each day on two chais. Mmmmmmm.

Great coffee and awesome service. So good with my kids.

For a cafe that presents such an inviting and intimate vibe don't expect more than what this cafe is all about - good coffee. Brunch on a sunday was served after waiting for an hour (3/4 full - so hardly maxed out) and the eggs hollandaise was the most basic version of the dish Ham 'n Eggspert's ever had... on very hard muffins! Add a dirty fork, no fresh juice (out of oranges) and there's not much incentive to go back.

I really liked the layout, spacious and pretty, coffee was good but I was put off by the barista giving every second person a 5 minute spiel about a double ristretto.. Slightly over the top.

What a disappointment!. In my 2 years of taking my daughter out, i have never been charged $2 for a babycino - outrageous!! The coffee was average at best, sour tasting, and leaving an unpleasant aftertaste. The coffee and food just down the road is much better, both in price and taste.

Not bad, improve please. I have had coffee here on and off for 3 weeks or so now...<br/>At times it is great, get a Magic and you are set.<br/>Short black is pretty good too, 5sense coffee is not hard to screw up.<br/><br/>The food is okay, the muffins,although $4 or $4.5, are very nice (but expensive) moist!<br/>The avocado and feta toast is slightly bland, it needs something to cut through the softness and same-same of the avo and feta, crispy bacon? the lemon did not cut it. It was nice, but not nice enough

Delicious chai and excellent service. Menu is a little limited but my poached eggs were pretty good.

Best coffee in bayside hands down!!!

What a fantastic Atmosphere .. Great coffee.. Great service .. Great price .. Two thumbs up to this funky little cafe I'll be back for the avacardo goats next time :)

Best coffee around, can't wait until your open again. Miss my poached egg.... And coffee...can't start the day without it. Amazing service, and atmosphere. It feels like home.

Disappointing! I'd heard from a friend they do great coffee so headed there with a friend; the coffee was great, but not enough to support the below average menu. the tuna salad was suggested to me, ended up being a bowl full of cold rice with tinned tuna, tomato and pretty much nothing else- not tasty! the menu needs to be improved before I go back - I can get great coffee and better food a couple of doors down at oli & ari.

Best Coffee. I really love the coffee at balmain. Ther service is always so friendly. I think this place has the best coffee in brighton. Their chicken sandwhich is also very yummy.

Balmains is great! It's so nice to finally be able to get a good coffee in Brighton.. The staff are really friendly and the food was fresh and delicious. Also they have a gorgeous Dutch split door where you can order coffee if you're in a rush! Brighton life is now complete! :)

Cosy corner café!. Balmains is a great new establishment, and just what Brighton desperately needed. As a long time Brighton resident, I constantly hear people in the area bemoaning the lack of cute local cafés; just somewhere unpretentious with consistently reliable coffee and simple, yummy food! Balmains is fitted out in a rustic style and the decor is comfortable and inviting. My first visit was on a cold Melbourne winter's day, and the crackling open fire added great warmth and atmosphere. The café menu is well thought out and the coffee is excellent. The service is always friendly and attentive, and the young owner makes an effort to greet us and ensure that everything is well looked after. If you can't already tell, I'm very pleased about this new addition to the area, Balmains really brings some atmosphere and vibrancy to the place, and it is my new favourite destination for coffee and a scrumptious snack!

Balmains has a delightful mixture of old world charm and modern touches. Firstly, I feel that I should point out that it was extremely easy to get both a park and a table, which makes for a blissful Sunday brunch experience. It is so easy to relax and enjoy yourself, when everything is going smoothly. Though I am not a coffee drinker, it is said that Balmains is a great spot for a coffee lover. And though Dan is no aficionado either, it doesn't take a genius to figure out just how much people love Balmains' coffee. The line of people waiting for take away coffee, kept all the wait staff well and truly on their toes. It meant that service was a li