Review Project281 Cafe, Kitchen & Bar - Brunswick

Amazing place for brunch. The food was presented beautifully brought to the table quickly and tasted better than it looked. Cannot fault the service. Really worth stopping by for a meal. Eggs Benny was on point. Only thing is the 20% surcharge for public holidays a bit steep. Otherwise would have given 5 stars.

Delicious options, warm inviting open space (pram & wheelchair friendly and lots of highchairs available and change table in toilets). Staff friendly and very helpful with explaining menu options. Loved our leisurely lunch, hard to decide on what to pick. The hot chocolate was the bomb! Waffle fries yummy & hearty decent sized meals available with a Japanese flair. You won't be disappointed.

Lovely vibe and great food! The toast for the avocado smash needed to be actually toasted though and perhaps a different more rustic choice of bread would’ve been more suitable. Otherwise great experience and will be back to try other dishes on the menu!

Pretty busy, but not as bad of a traffic for lunch on a weekend in comparison to weekdays. Food came in good timing. The Tropical Mango was alright, the chips were nicely done for The Prawn Burger. The Prawn Burger was nice, avocado is evidently plentiful that you git small hits of the panko prawn and pickled red cabbages.

I have been to this cafe many times and never been disappointed. The service is amazing, the staff are so lovely and the food is fantastic. Some of the items are on the pricier side but 100% worth it. Would definitely recommend.

Had brunch today with the family, nice looking venue. The coffee is ok with single origin espresso and filter coffee offerings. (I had my standard Dbl. Espresso & Magic) I ordered the breakfast burrito which had nice flavours but was about 80% rice and they missed the side of fries I ordered with my burrito but I didn't get charged for my coffee as compensation which was nice. My partner had the Avo/Mango toast which was sloppy she thought with pureed avo (she wasn't too impressed). Staff were ok but didn't seem too happy to be working.

Excellent place for breakfast and brunch. I struggle to remember a place with better service. The staff here is incredibly nice and accommodating. They were constantly making sure everything was good and every single one of them sporting their best smile. Food is excellent, beautiful presentation and good prices.

Last year, while being stuck in Europe as the border to Australia was closed, I attended an online seminar about roasting. Anne Cooper was one of the guest speakers, and she shared interesting insights about how to roast coffee from Colombia. This was the reason I went to PROJECT 281 CAFÉ to enjoy some tasty coffee, to have lunch and maybe to run into Anne to have a chat about anything coffee. The café was easy to find, a gigantic and colorful mural painting showed me the way. I love these mural paintings on brick walls, they give a special creative touch to Melbourne, and you can see them all over the city. The café is located inside a big, old warehouse or factory building. There is a separated space with two roasters in the left back. The team wasn’t roasting today, but everything was there, a sample and a production roaster, to create magical coffee flavors. I was delighted to see that a Kenyan single origin espresso in the hopper besides their house blend. But I came just a few minutes too late, and they swapped the beans to another tasty coffee from Brazil. I noticed another difference between Australia and where I usually have my coffee. Even at lunch time, the baristas will ask you what coffee you want to order before they bring you the food menu. That is a big difference, and I noticed it just now. It happened to me every time I enter a café for lunch. So, I went for a double espresso from Brazil and the poke bowl, made of sesame rice, greens, pickled ginger, avocado-pea smash, cherry tomatoes, wasabi pea crump, wakame and with salmon sashimi. Just have a look at the picture, no additional words needed: YUMMIE!!! For my desert I ordered a magic, as I know by now that the baristas in Melbourne will create super sweet, smooth espresso-based milk beverages. Their house blend cut beautifully through the milk, and I walked back to the office – fully satisfied.

This cafe is amazing! The space was incredible, really nice balance between the industrial look and colour from the plants. Heaps of vegan options as well which was great to see. The coffee was awesome its really tasty and hit the spot. The eggs Benedict was incredible it deserves to be in an NGV exhibit. Can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the Project develop from its very early days. These guys settle for nothing but the best and that's exactly what the Project281 experience will be for those who walk thru its doors - the best.

It’s midday on a Wednesday and this place is PUMPING... but it doesn’t feel like it. Service is on point. On to my third coffee, filter, milk based, and now espresso black based coffees all on point. Had the Benedict... HOLY SH$T it was so good! I’m so stoked I have found another cafe or roastery that has bucked the trend of the cookie-cutter-style-menu-items-you-see-everywhere-because-popularity-makes-you-successful, and has gone with something different, and it is WORKING. Come at me smashed avo lovers. A Japanese and Korean inspired brunch menu? HELL YEAH I’M IN! Food is on point. It’s really awesome to see 24+ months of hard work, sweat, and tears (that come with opening up a venue) have all paid off. Well done guys. Project 281 is on point.

Delicious and imaginative menu, beautiful space with an industrial fit out and warm timber tables. The indoor plants keep the place lively as does the locally roasted coffee. Couldn’t fault it. Special mention to the attentive and patient staff who walked me through options for dietary requirements.

Been here a few times now and every time the vibes, coffee, food and service have been amazing!! Soon as you walk in your welcome with warm greetings by the staff. Thank you to all staff at the project 281 for there kind service !! Highly recommended to all !

What can I say but WOW!! Coffee is absolutely on point and the food has you drooling before it leaves the kitchen!

Really nice food, space and staff. Menu was different from most places and had lots of good options for brunch.

What a great big cafe, from the get go the staff were friendly and inviting, and even though they were busy made sure we were kept informed of table positions and availability. The food divine and coffee equally so. Would definitely come back here.

Had breakfast this morning , loved the atmosphere and decor. Highly recommend it ...���

Delicious and fun place to eat - awesome space for weekend brunch! Dogs were pretty happy too!

Most amazing place in Melbourne! Okonomiyaki � Great coffee too! If Project 281 was on Tinder, I’d swipe right.

Lovely food, not what is normally expected for breakfast. Very good coffee too. Love the space.

The food and service was fantastic! These are some lovely people. Great fitout too, just gorgeous. Loved that the menu has multiple dietary requirement options too!

What an awesome place. Great atmosphere, amazing food and coffee. �

The chai is spot on, something many establishments have not yet mastered.

Sensational japenese inspired food filled with great vibes ��� An architectually designed cafe in the heart of Brunswick .... will see you again!!!!!

Great service, perfect coff and delicious food!

Atmosphere and food is amazing here!

Couldn’t ask for more�� Can not wait to return �

All the hard work has paid off. You guys are going to be amazing!

great food and service

#elite food and service!

AMAZING!

Just simply a disappointment, the poke bowl the avocado and edamame smash looked black like been sitting somewhere for days, the salad did not tasted fresh at all, the half of bowl was warm the other half was cold, it didn’t feel like daft to eat... the giant pork sandwich was soggy and dry at the same time. The chicken burger was half of the size with what they advertised, super thin chicken. And the coffee just awful tasted bitter and burned, heard they roared their own coffee was quite looking forward to it but just seem like a cost saving thing and defiantly not specialty coffee stander.

Really good food and awesome vibes

What's not to love at Project281. The venue is spectacular and so is the food. Great service and their in-house brewed coffee is up with the best. Highly recommend for anyone looking for the best cafe in Melbourne because this is it!

Long wait for our food, service was not very good. Ordered the octopus taste not fresh despite the heavy flavor sauce still can cover that fishy taste, also mango avocado taste really bed, the bread was soggy, and mango did not taste fresh at all. coffee taste burned and the chia was way too weak. Not recommended at all.

My favourite dish here is the french toast! Always so delicious. They've just added this cool iced coffee ball that is such a fun experience

One of my favourite places- great food and great hospitality! Thank you so much for the free brownie today 😍 Coffee is fantastic and the venue has a beautiful lush environment!<br/>

Staff were lovely, the food was delicious and the coffee was on point. Definitely going back

I had this delicious Vegan KFC style burger, WOW so good! I poured the sauce inside the burger as well as dipping the burger in it at as i ate it .. SO YUM. I also tried at DIY chai & that was great too! I’m so excited to go back and get this burger again i really enjoyed it. Another bonus is it’s just around the corner from Brunswick station (upfield line) easy commutes are my fave.

Yum as food, good fast service and the friendliest staff (shoutout to horhey (Jorge in Spanish I think))

We order takeaway from here, the stuff we got were very disappointed. Both the coffee we got was awful, very bitter and burned, and for the price they charge for they filter, just outrage, and their other coffee are quite pricy comparing to the other cafe. The chai my friend got was so week can't taste any flavour of the chai, she feel like she's drinking a cup of warm soy. We got the BLAT, pork sandwich, fried chicken and waffle fries. The BLAT tasted blah, the bread was WET, I can squee water of of it, it's so soggy like I don't even want to put that in my mouth, The pork sandwich the bread tasted stale, it market gains sandwich bit the for was thin as, and such a small cut, tasted so average and everything fall apart as soon as we grab it. Fried chicken was very salty, the waffle fried was cold and soggy. Overall, it is way to expansive for what the quality they provided, do not recommend at all.

We came on a rainy day on the first weekend after lockdown and Jr was amazing we were seated relatively quickly. <br/><br/>We drank:<br/>1. Triple shot long black ☕️ x2<br/>2. Matcha latte<br/>3. Chai latte<br/><br/>We ate:<br/>1. Vegan super bowl + added vegan chicken<br/>2. Chicken katsu sando<br/>3. Loaded waffle fries with avo + bacon 🥓 dust on side <br/>4. Vegan home made brownie <br/><br/>5 Star 🌟 performers <br/>• vegan super bowl<br/>• waffle fries <br/>• brownie

Fantastic vibe from the moment we were greeted. Friendly and sincere staff nothing was to difficult for them. Great food and a well designed modern fit out. So happy we dined there.

The pork katsu sando was BURSTING with flavor, but it was slightly salty to my liking if I’m being honest. Would be much enjoyable if the saltiness level was toned down a notch. The matcha latte was slightly bland too:(<br/>But overall, my experience here was good because of the amazing staff + fast service + 10/10 atmosphere. Perfect place to catch up with friends, or study haha🤓🥰

First time visiting Project 281 today after seeing their colourful dishes all over Instagram. I was greeted by friendly staff members, my order was ready waiting for me and my coffee was prepared in seconds!<br/><br/>The oat milk latte was spot on, definitely one of the best I've had in Melbourne. I had the Korean Beef Burger which was served in a beetroot bun and although I'm not a fan of kimchi, it was very tasty. My partner had the Giant Pork Sandwich which he really enjoyed. The pork katsu was cooked to perfection.<br/><br/>Loved the greenery and vibes in this cafe, I'll definitely be back in future when dine in is available.

Our favourite spot for coffee every morning. Every staff member is wonderful, coffee delicious, brunch & atmosphere is great too!<br/>Fried chicken burger and schnitzel sanga are amazing!

This place is absolutely amazing. The design and layout matched with the food and their own roasting brings the experience to the next level. I really enjoyed my meal here, will definitely be back soon.

The coffee was burned, the food were quite overpriced, was overpriced and overrated, tried the octopus and mango with avocado really disappointed specially with all the good reviews, yet the actual dishes was not good at all.

Great thing their doing with donations for the community and homeless! Grabbed a $10 sandwich and coffee deal - was super tasty and for a good cause. Great work Project 281!

Cool warehouse fit out surrounded by plants. Coffee here is solid and the service is prompt. The food is has an interesting Japanese spin to it, which is nice compared to the usual standard cafe options.

Really interesting and aesthetic industrial/botanical style here, which makes for a stunning backdrop to enjoy a meal. <br/><br/>Found the service to be top notch and the food too. The Gangsta Hot Chocolate is beautifully presented and very rich and tasty. Loved the fried chicken too, the coating was perfectly crispy and great flavour. <br/><br/>Would definitely come back again to try the signature pork sandwich. Saw another table order it and it looked incredible!

Oh god. How could I not have visited this place before. The best cafe ever. This place restore my faith in fusion and innovative brunch.<br/><br/>Waffle fries are generally the love of my life, but then you add this beautiful avocado on top and it's amazing. I also ordered octopus hash.. even though I really expected a failure, but it was an unexpected yum! the octopus was so tender! Salad mixed with a little seaweed gives it a great freshness. The dish was really perfect. Not too heavy. Non of the dish (including fries) were oily. The avocado mango came with thick toast. It's awesome!<br/><br/>Beautiful interior. Really busy crowd (so make sure you make a booking!). Amazing service.<br/><br/>The price is on a higher end but it totally worth it.

Great range of food and the fitout is great. Coffee is great and you can tell it's house roasted! Waffles fries are a must to share for the table

Wow the atmosphere in here is just awesome! Love that they roast their own coffee in house. We tried the heavenly French toast and truffle scramble - both absolutely divine. Can’t recommend this place enough!

Glad to be able to go back and enjoy their great food, coffee and atmosphere. Thank you🙏

Everything from the fitout, food, drinks to service was amazing. Highly recommended for anyone to go out and experience what these guys have created in Brunswick.

Cool interior. Quite unique . .would appeal to the long line of tourists continually queueing up outside Higher Ground.<br/>Dood was nicely presented and the plates / cutlery were classy and funky 👍.<br/>My one complaint was after politely reminding them that they may have forgotten the coffee i had ordered 15 min earlier, . . They returned with a coffee that had clearly been poured 15 min ago but not delivered. As soon as i pointed it out the guy said "ahh, yes i'll get u a fresh one" . And did. Unfortunately the look on gis face indicated he knew he had served me a coffee that had been sitting for 15 min.<br/>Need to improve the staff training before i will go back.

Japanese style brunch is such a unique experience and they serve quite high quality food thanks for having me

16/02/20 - My wife and in-laws had the Prawn Okonomiyaki, Fried Chicken and Bulgogi Beef Burgers, and I had the Soba Noodles. The noodle dish was a huge portion, and was delicious and super healthy. My father-in-law was jealous. <br/><br/>The avocado waffle fries were amazing. They could do with a touch more acidity though because of the saltiness of the fries and to compliment the earthiness of the avocado. Perhaps some more tomatoes or a small balsamic sauce?<br/><br/>The atmosphere was very nice. The venue felt spacious, airy, modern and slightly industrial with a lot of greenery. The service was fast and friendly. <br/><br/>My only complaint was that their signature hot chocolate came only slightly warmer than lukewarm. I expect hot chocolate to be hot like a coffee, not warm. <br/><br/>Overall, it was highly satisfyingly. I would definitely recommend Project 281.

Really love the warehouse look of cafes these days hence why we chose to come here. We got sat upstairs in the corner which was a bit hot to be honest. I ordered the bircher muesli with a toasted mango cheek. Taste wasn’t anything special but was good, I did however not enjoy the portion as I felt quite hungry still. As we went on a Sunday we asl got a surcharge, so $20 for half a serving of muesli was disappointing.

Beautiful ambience. Hip. Went here because it’s one of Zomato’s recommended places giving free snacks for dogs but unfortunately they did not have any. <br/><br/>I had the French Toast with add-on Bacon. Big serving and delicious. I also had the iced sphere coffee which was very Melbourne-y. <br/><br/>My partner had a long black and the fried chicken. He thinks the coffee was a bit too strong for his liking but he loved the chicken. Not a big serving but enough. Very tasty!<br/><br/>Would come back here and try other stuff on their menu and hopefully got doggy snacks available next time!

Regularly drop by for coffee, however the few experiences I’ve had dining have been unappealing. Service on point.

🚩TOP MELBOURNE CAFE‼️<br/><br/>We visited this funky cafe located in Brunswick, Melbourne♨️. Its looks like a small cafe from the outside and when you go inside you are greeted to a large open warehouse jam packed with lots of plants hanging off concrete blocks and a great open atomosphere, which gives it a hip & modern vibe🌿. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful & the cafe has an overall great ambiance✨. <br/><br/>They have a great varierty on the menu✔️, also with the option of scanning the barcode to view the menu online visually👀 We love this idea to see what each meal actually looks like before ordering❗️ Who else is a visual eater⁉️<br/><br/>💬Our Recommendations💬<br/><br/>If you go try to book a table in advance or snatch up a table on the ground floor as we sat upstairs and we found it was abit hot and stuffy📝 <br/><br/>🙆🏽‍♀️Kiki and The Greeky picks 🙆🏻‍♂️<br/><br/>💁🏽‍♀️Kiki picked - The Real Chicken Burger $20 - Buttermilk fried chicken breast, house pickles, slaw, sesame dressing, charcoal bun, side of fries with a Green juice - Apple, ginger, mint $8<br/><br/>💁🏻‍♂️The Greeky picked $25 - Sourdough, poached eggs, bacon, mushrooms, greens, avo and bean smash, fried halloumi, truss tomatoes. with a Blueberry Coco - Chia seeds, blueberries, agave, coconut yoghurt, coconut water, cocao nibs $11<br/><br/>💁🏼‍♀️The Greekys mummy - B.L.A.T $16 - Bacon, lettuce, avocado bean smash, tomato served on turkish pide with a hot Peppermint tea $5<br/><br/>💁🏽‍♀️The Greekys neice - Poached eggs on sourdough bread with a hashbrown $15 with a Hot Chocolate $4.50<br/><br/>🌟Rating on scale of 1-10🌟<br/><br/>🍱Food Presentation - Absolutely stunning 10/10<br/><br/>😋Food Taste - Delicious - as good as it looks 9/10<br/><br/>🥤Drinks taste - Juice & smoothie were so refreshing and yummy! Hot chocolate and tea were perfect 9/10<br/><br/>💰Food & Drink cost - Worth it 9/10<br/><br/>♿️Accessibility - There is plenty of accessibilty for wheelchairs and prams. There is outside and inside ground seating areas with plent of space. We had our pram and the staff helped lift it upstairs so we were able to sit upstairs. <br/><br/>🅿️Parking - Located right across the road from a shopping mall parking lot so plently of parking. Otherwise there is street parking also. <br/><br/>⭐️Overall Cafe experience - 9/10⭐️<br/><br/>Full video review on our Facebook page @kikiandthegreeky

The moment you arrive at the cafe, you know it's a good one when you see the hustle bustle atmosphere of a full house chatting away amongst themselves, as well as a long line waiting out the front. <br/><br/>The place is full of plant decor everywhere you look, and a large coffee roasting station at the back. There are seats upstairs as well. Pretty big and spacious place!<br/><br/>We started off with an iced coffee drink where you can pour the hot milk on the coffee sphere to melt it. It was presented nicely but unfortunately my little one wrecked my pour shot by spilling the milk all over lol. She poured too much milk but it still had a really strong coffee taste to it.<br/><br/>The food we ordered were:<br/><br/>OCTOPUS HASH - Korean spicy octopus, poached egg, spicy red pepper smear, hash brown, herb salad - This was my partner's dish and I don't usually like octopus but OMG this one was so good that I kept eating his dish! It was marinated so well with the flavours and the octopus was very tender and wasn't chewy at all! The hash brown was really nice as well, it actually had a light flavour in it which tasted really nice with the octopus.<br/><br/>PRAWN OKONOMIYAKI - Japanese savoury prawn pancake, tonkatsu sauce, char-grilled king prawn, mayo, pickled ginger, nori, bonito - If you think you can get this pancake from any japanese store, think again! This one has a huge prawn on top and the meat just falls off the shell easily. It's soo good when combined together! The pancake isn't the super floury texture ones where you need the mayo and sauce to finish it - it actually tasted really nice just on its own and even better with the prawn!<br/><br/>HEAVENLY FRENCH TOAST - Thick cut brioche, mixed berry compote, lemon curd, chocolate brown butter crumb, whipped vanilla cream - Very fluffy brioche french toast and very thick. The lemon curd wasn't too sour which was good, and everything matched perfectly on the plate. <br/><br/>This is easily my favourite cafe ever! And it's a huge statement because I have been to over 700 places. To really show how much I loved this place, I actually returned within a few days to get the Octopus Hash dish again (since this visit it was my partner's dish). <br/><br/>I also got the Gangster Hot chocolate in the second visit and it tasted really nice. It was very instagrammable too! <br/><br/>Thank you Project281 for having such creative meals at your cafe. I would give more than a 5 out of a 5 if i could!

One of my favourites in Melb. The ambiance, staff, amazing food and food. It is a must on my travels to Melb. They alway seem to be working to make every detail of your dining experience better. They are also very eco friendly which adds to a nice vibe. Just love it.

An adventure into the jungle of Brunswick its great vibes as soon as you set foot into the cafe. The customer service and staff are lovely. The cafe layout is just beautiful. A great unique well written menu delivers the dishes above standard. Definelty one of my new favourite brunch spots. If only I could give more than a 5! **Disclaimer: although the restaurant has generously invited me to their restaurant this review is still based on my genuine opinion.

Unlike lots of Instagram-friendly cafes, Project 281 not only looks great but tastes amazing! The warehouse cafe is huge and full of plants and as bright as the dishes. They roast their own delicious coffee which I enjoyed with oat milk. To eat, my partner and I shared the halloumi and pea fritters (plus extra halloumi) and the truffle and hash scramble. The first is lighter and full of veggies and served on a bed of creamy labne. The dish is so good on its own and even better with a side of even more halloumi. The scramble, on the other hand, is extremely decadent (in the best way). It's full of truffle flavour and tons of umami thanks to mushrooms, feta and sauerkraut. The perfectly crispy hashbrown was an ideal base. I was pretty full after these dishes but couldn't pass up the change to try the French toast. Luckily, it wasn't too heavy after the meal. The combo of berries, lemon curd, cream and chocolate soil was a nice note too finish on without being too sweet. Top all of the good food off with great service and you have a standout cafe.

Ordered the Smashed Avocado and Beans with a Green tea oat milk latte and the Real Chicken Burger w a hot chocolate. Extremely impressed by be super speedy service; food arrived with 10-15 minutes of ordering (on a weekday for lunch!) the charcoal bread was wholesome, fluffy and held a real flavour a sourdough. However wish there was more avocado and something extra special for it to be worth $19. Will definitely be back though to try some other menu items! Really loved how the matcha latte was not too sweet and was served with a beautiful flower pattern 💚 Would recommend to anyone visiting Brunny- a earthly and lovely ambiance also to this cafe!

We had Gangsta’s hot chocolate and iced matcha latte. The hot chocolate is instagram worthy and it’s nice if you enjoy sweet chocolate. The matcha latte has a weak matcha flavour. We ordered octopus hash and giant pork sandwich. The hash brown is crunchy and tasty. The octopus hash is cooked with Korean spicy sauce which is fragrant and might be a little spicy for people who can’t eat spicy food. I personally would not recommend the sandwich. The pork katsu is dry and the charcoal sourdough is too thick which is hard to eat. The ambience is good with natural lighting and greens around.

We were invited to Project 281 today which is a place offering genuinely unique brunchfare to delight and inspire Melbourne diners. A real foodie haven. Today we had the chicken burger and the prawn okonomiyaki followed by the French toast for dessert. The dishes were visually appealing and $1 from each of the dessert dishes goes towards funding an orchard in Kenya with OnePlate. Definitely a reason to enjoy this sweet treat guilt free.<br/><br/>The okonomikyaki was flavourful and came plated with a prawn on top, a filling dish (particularly as I thoroughly enjoyed a tropical mango smoothie alongside this). Another drawcard of this enormous venue which boasts an open kitchen, roastery and expanse of greenery is the ambiance. There is a real energetic buzz about the place. Can’t wait to see what they do when they expand to offering to evening dining. <br/><br/>Original review<br/>We were invited to Project 281 and wow what an impressive space. I can see why they won 2018’s most ambitious cafe as their creative Asian inspired menu is a real point of differentiation.<br/><br/>It’s a little risky to not have a smashed avo on the menu (they have an Asian twist with smashed edamame) but I applaud their innovation. My husband said maybe it’s time for something else as he is super over the humble avo, like with most things he’s wrong but there’s definitely room for smashed edamame. <br/><br/>We went for taiyaki which is a super cute Japanese dish that’s quite difficult to find in Australia. Traditionally this is filled with red bean which can be a bit polarising to a western palette but this rendition was stellar with maple pear custard filling and delicious brandy coral. I polished off the entire thing.<br/><br/>We also tried the açai bowl which was a little sweeter than standard which was surprising given the addition of dragonfruit which is typically not sweet but I really enjoyed the presentation of this. It seems there are still ways to make even a smoothie bowl stand out by mixing things up from the status quo. <br/><br/>Definitely one of the most exciting openings of the year, I loved the intriguing menu and adored the amazing space, oh so Brunswick! But more than that it was an experience in true creativity which wholeheartedly encapsulates Melbourne’s reputation as a foodie hub

My partner and I are avid Melbourne Brunchers. Always hunting for the next place. Every so often we stumble upon something unique, daring, tasty and exceptionally well staffed. Very happy to find that Project281 can now be addes to our shortliat. Their on site roasted coffee is some of the best ive had. And there portion sizes are generous and tasty

We were invited to the brilliantly named Project 281 Cafe for a meal. It was situated off busy Sydney Road in Brunswick but once we stepped in to the cafe, we were transported to a unique environment. The cafe was a converted warehouse. It was clean, warm and welcoming. <br/><br/>The menu was impressive. It was a combination of the usual brunch suspects plus a number of innovative items. We ordered a number of dishes:<br/><br/>Octopus hash - this was a sight to behold. The octopus tentacles were seasoned beautifully (but beware of the mood lifting spicy kick! I loved it). The hash brown was thick and well fried. <br/><br/>Prawn okonomiyaki - not a usual brunch item so kudos to Project 281 for daring to be different. A giant sized prawn (with the shell on) sat on the Japanese style pancake which had generous pieces of prawns within. The tonkatsu sauce was slightly salty but was balanced out by the pickles. <br/><br/>Loaded waffle fries - these were crunchy and addictive. Served with smashed avo plus other accompaniments, this was a great side dish. <br/><br/>Their coffee had a robust fresh taste which went well with the meal. <br/><br/>Project 281, all the very best with your future projects and thank you for hosting us!

Really cute & industrial looking cafe. It is 2 levels and has a lot of seating. Definitely feel very cosy when you are in there.<br/><br/>I got the real chicken burger & my friend got the smashed avo & beans with bacon.Plus we had a croissant to share.<br/><br/>The croissant was nice. Nothing extraordinary, pretty average. The chicken burger was super yum! It had a lot of chicken in it but didn’t have a lot of chips on the side. The smashed avo & beans with bacon was good too. My friend wasn’t a big fan of the charcoal sourdough but thats her opinion. I didn’t mine my chicken burger with the charcoal bun.<br/><br/>When we were leaving we saw them make some awesome looking drinks. So we will be back to try them out.

I popped into project 281 on a rainy Saturday morning where it was surprisingly not super busy at 10.30am. The set up was great with heavy industrial vibes broken up with luscious greenery surrounding. The plants at the front did need a little attention though as some were dying and had yellow/brown leaves! This doesn’t really give you the best impression when you’re about to walk into a cafe! <br/><br/>I started with a skinny flat white, which came out shortly after in a beautifully designed recycled husk cup. I loved that this cafe promotes environmental preservation. I ordered the haloumi & pea fritters which came with a light leafy salad, labne and a poached egg. Coming in, I was expecting to be wowed given the rave reviews and high cafe rating. Overall it was a nice dish which didn’t leave me with a heavy feeling in the stomach, like some fritter dishes can. The 3 fritters themselves were nice, but honestly nothing super special. It felt like the dish was lacking something - perhaps something more “wet” to break up the dry doughiness of the fritters, as the labne was quite thick and dry. I’ve usually had two poached eggs with fritter dishes at other cafes, whereas this cafe provided just the single one. <br/><br/>Service wise, the staff were lovely. A small note that there is a surcharge for those wanting to pay by any form of credit card, however it is quite minimal ~1%. Regarding my rating, I would actually give a rating of 3.5/5, but I feel that rounding up to 4/5 doesn’t reflect my true experience yesterday.<br/><br/>Food: 3/5<br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Environment: 3.5/5

Smashed avo was amazing! great coffee, good vibes. Took my son, who had a babycino and some toast, and was a happy chappy. Will definitely be returning. :D

Project 281 completely blew us away! Having heard fantastic appraisals already, we arrived with great expectations. The most outstanding dish for us was the truffle and hash scramble, surprising us with a perfect amalgamation of flavours and textures. It’s true that nothing is perfect, but this dish comes pretty close. We also loved the prawn okonomiyaki and simply couldn’t say no to the indulgent chocolate fish tayaki. <br/><br/>Sitting under high ceilings with greenery dotted around the industrial-esque interior, it felt as though we were walled off from the fast paced metropolitan lifestyle outside, and overcome with a sense of peace. Definitely one of our favourite cafe interiors around Melbourne.

Loved everything about this place! From the food to the laid back vibe to the friendly service. In a city oversaturated with brunch options, their menu stands out from the crowd. We especially enjoyed the prawn okonomiyaki and their Asian twist on the potato hash. They also had a great range of vegan options and my friend was very happy with her vegan fried chicken! The drink menu is also really something else, the gimmick of the iced coffee and triple hit chocolate was fun and very ‘grammable. Will definitely be back!

Food was pretty good, ordered both the octopus hash as well as the okonomiyaki. Would recommend anybody to try the octopus hash! The octopus was delicious. For the okonomiyaki on the other hand, I would say to give it a pass unless you are a big fan of it, as it wasn’t anything special.

I’ve heard amazing things about Project281 and it did not disappoint. We had the pea and halloumi fritters and the French toast! Holy wow! So delicious and I added kimchi with the fritters so so so delicious. <br/>I had a filter coffee (and a beer 😏) and it was so yummy. <br/>The staff were absolutely lovely and the plants are gorgeous. The whole vibe was just awesome! Can’t fault it. *Beep* Gold Star 🌟

came here on a Sunday morning for brunch the food is okay but I would come for all the dogs any day!

I dont usually take the time to review my dining experiences. But ive been coming here for about 4 months now and have begun to feel inclined to support them! These guys are honestly ticking all the boxes. Food, coffee, service and interior all aces. Cant see why id go elsewhere to spend my $20. Give it a go, you wont be dissapointed!

I worked in cafes for most of my working years. Its fair to say I've seen a lot of them come and go.<br/><br/>I've experienced great service... Great food... And great atmosphere at many places but never quite like the experience I found at Project 281<br/>Right from the warm greeting as I walked through the door until I paid at the end.<br/><br/>The coffee was on point (I had the tasting plate and couldn't fault it)<br/><br/>The food while being extremely photogenic was also absolutely delicious! ("Prawn okonomiyaki" recommended by the waitress) not my usual suspect for breakfast but extremely happy to have ordered it!!<br/><br/>Service hit the mark...<br/>They didn't pester but seemed right there when I did want something.<br/><br/>And It all happened while being surrounded by one of the more serene and comfortable fit outs I've come across in Melbourne.<br/><br/>My new regular for sure<br/>

Being on the other side of 40s, may be I’m a bit uncool for this punk industrial vibe of this establishment with its heavy wrought iron and barb wires light fixtures and oversized concrete box planters. Having my 3 young goddaughters as brunch companions in tow didn’t really help matter when the waitress sneeringly asked if we were there for food or just coffee - mind you we arrived at midday on a Monday of a school holiday no less and the place was hardly full. The four of us were then squeezed into a tiny space at the back, I assumed they didn’t think we would be spending much on food judging by the size of my three petite guests - but trust me they are food monsters when it comes to eating. Anyway, may be the whole judging a book by its cover by both sides got the whole experience off to a rocky start. May be the staff were high strung as a parade of meals were sent to the garden area for a professional photoshoot and God knows that a good photo can make or break an establishment in this insta age we live in. <br/>Maybe a combination of the above contributed to the average fare that arrived our table. The big french toasts were dark, flat and drenched in syrups with no personality or sign of life. Any flavours that the accompanying berries hoped to redeem were overwhelmed by the sweetness of syrups so I quickly put the pretty edible flowers out of their misery by devouring it in one swoop. The haloumi and pea fritters also fell victim to the overly tart, flavour-killing accompanying sauce and we had to order a side of haloumi because we couldn’t taste any in the fritters. The chicken burger was tasty without being exceptional- mind you it met the prerequisite of cool being encased in a fashionable charcoal brioche bun. But what is most disappointing about the whole experience was that the marshmallows I ordered for the babycino never arrived even though our waitress made a point of writing it down and repeated it twice on two separate occasions. It was just one of those brunches - thanks goodness the coffee was alright and calmed my agitation somewhat. Oh the tropical smoothie was super delicious so point for that. Cheerio folks.

.<br/>Sesame-soba Super Bowl ($18) ⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️<br/>Beef bulgogi burger ($18.50) ⭐️ 3/5 ⭐️<br/>🍴Was really excited to try this cafe that serves insta-worthy and unique fusion food and perhaps that led to slight disappointment as it fell short of our expectations. We did enjoy the #vegetarian #Superbowl that was yummy and packed full of various roasted vegetables. We liked the mix of chewy soba with the nice crunch from pomegranate and pickled cabbage, and the sesame dressing that wasn’t overly rich and brought all the ingredients together. We enjoyed the #beefbulgogiburger less as we found it overall too salty and lacking the bulgogi spice, tasting more like normal minced beef. The #beetrootbun was a nice touch and was impressively soft and fluffy but the dish overall was a let-down<br/>📍@project281cafe, 281 Albert Street Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria<br/>#cafehoppingkidsmelbourne #cafehoppingbrunswick

Project 281 made it to our list of meet and eat places on our latest trip to Melbourne due to its good ratings and interesting menu. Despite Melbourne being a brunch haven, you can still get to the point where many cafe menus seem to have similar options that you have already eaten before, either there or elsewhere. Somehow, despite semi-regular jaunts to Melbourne, and our friends living in Melbourne for years, none of us had been there before.

We love the food here.  Fresh and tasty. The menu is different in a good way and there is so much variety.  The ice coffee sphere was refreshing and good.  The coffee is essentially frozen in a sphere and you pour the hot milk over it.  It doesn't quite melt straight away so you gotta to be a patient.   The octopus was tender and tasty.  The giant crumbed pork sandwich was in a charcoal sourdough bun.  It was big and filling and I could only get through half the sandwich.  The space is bright and big and the service was really quick and friendly. Overall, a great place to hang out on a weekend.    The only downside is that you have to endure the terrible traffic at Sydney road to get to it if you are not a local.

This place has really nailed it. Great value for money, serving sizes and friendly service. The coffee is top notch too and the venue itself is one of a kind. Worth travelling for and will be back!

This place is lit! I love taking all my friends and family here. The food is unique, delicious, filling and wholesome. The service is always welcoming and kind and their coffee is easily my favourite in Brunswick. Must try!

Atmosphere: nice and really chill<br/>Service: the staff really nice and helpful<br/>Food: had the octopus hash!!! Luckily they still keep their this dish even though they replace some of the dish!<br/>The octopus really tender, easy to cut and tasty<br/>Potato hash crispy, and have a good texture<br/>The sauce! Just complete everything! :)

Delicious food for B.L.A.T and pulled beef, nice flavor coffee, friendly staff and very clean environment. It is a perfect place for friends gathering.

We love food, and this place really nailed it. Great food and portion are pretty generous. The lay out is awesome and service is friendly and pretty efficient. The hot chocolate is unique and delicious, family friendly too.

The food is really big size and delicious.

Walking into a gorgeous industrial style warehouse and eating amongst the greenery is the perfect setting for brunch. The food is delicious and the beverages we had were playful. We were feeling the good vibes with their efforts to source ethical products where possible and support sustainable food projects.

Great staff, beautiful space and amazing coffee. My favourite cafe in Brunswick 😊

Coffee was delicious, had the jap pancakes and the waffle fries. They were to die for! Staff were so lovely! Will definitely come back for more!