Review Northern Perk Cafe - Brunswick

Ordered one of the breakfast towers. The food was amazing and tasted so good. Everything was presented beautifully as well. Only downside was the service. Had to wait over an hour for the food and it wasn't that busy of a day. There was a young female server who was very inattentive but we had a male waiter towards the end and he was great.

My new breakfast go to for sure! Staff were all incredibly friendly on both occasions I’ve been, and very attentive especially given the circumstances with COVID. We have been looked after well on both visits and the food was absolutely incredible, could not fault a single part of our experience! Very generous serving and priced very well! Can’t wait to go back!

Another Tik Tok made me do it places. But with this I was very disappointed and will rather starve than eat there again. Our order was taken probably after 30-40 minutes. Our food arrived around an hour later. Presentation is pretty but the food is nothing to shout home about. The service aside from 1 girl was atrocious. Then to put the cherry on the top, I tried to cut a piece of the pancake but it would not break so I lifted t pancake and lo and behold they were burnt and to hide that the burnt sides were placed on top of each other. We did get $10 off the bill but I will never go there again.

Food towers were absolutely delicious. However only rating 4 due to 1. Being a big group with a baby squashed into a corner with a high chair when there was plenty of other tables with space to accommodate us 2. No changing room for babies which is unfortunate seeing as they do cater to children 2. We had to wait quite some time to be served apart from that it was great and I would return and also recommend to other friends and family

The best breakfast menu tried their breakfast towers and labanese breakfast it was delicious. 10/10 for customer service. We will definitely come back to try more menu items. Thanks

It was good, I don't like sausages, salami and hash Brown, may be breakfast food tower was not for me. Will try some burger tower. Overall good experience

Everything was perfect! We were a group of eight and found every part of our dinning experience to be 5star. Great food, great seating and fantastic customer service. Well done Northern Perk!

Absolutely blown away by this restaurant! After hearing about it by my nail lady I decided to give it a try and oh boy am I impressed. The customer service was friendly and comforting and I was greeted and seated in a short amount of time. With some help from the waitress with what to eat I ended up going for the breakfast tower for both me and my partner. The presentation and the taste of the food was divine! The coffee hit home, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a good coffee like that. Special shout-out to the lovely staff and the friendly barista we will be returning soon!!!!!

Have been wanting to try the towers for such a long time after following their Instagram. However do not come hungry! After what we had thought was 40 mins of waiting for our food we kindly asked the waiter when the food was arriving, she said she will have a look! A manager came over and corrected us that we had actually been waiting for 30 mins not 40 (dismissing the wait time in itself) and that it’s a Sunday hence the wait! Finally when the order arrived (which by this point it had been 40 mins) it was sadly cold! The ice cream as you can see in the photo had melted a great deal already so I’m not sure if the order was forgotten or? The selection was good but it was more of a tick off the list sort of destination!

We decided to try this cafe on Queens Birthday because our usual local cafe had the day off. I was welcomed by friendly staff and ordered the breakfast tower & a latté. The food presentation was amazing! BUT...... tasted even better :) coffee was a 10/10 , Im glad I found this place. they have a huge garden/courtyard with a cozy vibe that has heaters and makes you feel at home. Good work guys! Will definitely visit again! Brunswick needs this

Entered the cafe to be welcomed by the LOVELY staff members and was served by the most sweetest lady. We requested to be seated outside and was escorted to a gorgeous little terrace. <br/><br/>Drinks came out quickly as well as the food. The food was WONDERFUL!!! Crispy, light sweet potato chips, perfectly poached eggs, fluffy sourdough bread, fresh avocado, and delicious roasted veg... WOW! My friends and I also shared the Nutella pancakes which came with the towers which were heavenly !!! <br/><br/>Would definitely recommend and come back again !!

I was visiting from Sydney with my family and decided to have my birthday brunch there. The staff at Northern Perk Cafe were very accommodating for a group of 15 people. The food was amazing. Definitely recommend to all!

Delicious Kentucky burger, 31st August 2018

SOOO DELICIOUS!! Came in for a late lunch with a friend and was so impressed by the service, food, and ambience, can't wait to come back and try out some more dishes soon!!

4.5. The food is lovely here! Chicken is a little dry and eggs flavourless but other than that great atmosphere and staff are gorgeous and friendly!

I have created zomato just to review this amazing place. friendly staff, service was on point. <br/>A very warm and welcoming cafe. Would definitely be back

Absolutely loved this place. We are not fans of sweet dishes but we loved their pancakes so soft and fluffy! The standout dish was the Lebanese breakfast it’s always one of our favourites and can never go past it. Can’t wait to go back!

Northern Perk is famous for their breakfast tower and this beast of a tower is really a sight to behold. A huge platter comprising items commonly found in a big brekky (eggs, toast, smashed avo, tomato, halloumi, hash browns, spinach and mushrooms), and items not that commonly found in a big brekky (beef rasher, sujuk, olives, feta and hummus), plus a stack of Nutella pancakes with a Cornetto ice cream stuck into it. I strongly suggest you bring back up.<br/><br/>Even though they were 3 of us, we decided not to try the breakfast tower, and instead created our own feast to rival that tower. Said Nutella pancakes made an appearance, as did the Lebanese Breakfast. And because no one ever says no to chips, we ordered the Chicken and Mushroom which came with a side of thick crunchy chips.<br/><br/>First I must discuss the pancakes. What a delicious stack they were! Light and fluffy with a tender texture, and most importantly, not too sweet even with the Nutella and maple syrup added on to them. The berries added a hint of tartness to the pancakes, and of course, no one can fault a Cornetto.<br/><br/>The Lebanese Breakfast was akin to a big brekky Lebanese-style. The slightly spicy flavour of the sujuk is delicious, and when eaten with the salty semi-soft halloumi, the combined flavour was fantastic. With fresh cucumbers and tomatoes on the side, this was a nutritious and balanced meal.<br/><br/>The Chicken and Mushroom was simple on paper but executed really well. Tender grilled chicken breast drizzled in a most savoury and flavourful mushroom gravy, and my favourite, chips!<br/><br/>With plenty of seating inside and out in the courtyard, Northern Perk is doing great things to keep the locals caffeinated and fed. The owner and staffs were incredibly lovely too, making this an all-round brilliant cafe!

🗼 YOU'VE HEARD OF THE 'LEANING' TOWER? WELL THIS THE 'BULKING' TOWER 😏<br/>.<br/>What do authors eat for Breakfast? 📚<br/>.<br/>Answer - Synonym Buns 🥐<br/>---------------------------------------------<br/>📍 Brunswick<br/>🏠 @northernperkcafe<br/>.<br/>🗼 Northern Perk Tower<br/>💰 $24pp - photo shows a two person tower<br/>.<br/>⬇️ Level One<br/>🍳 Eggs Your Way on Sourdough<br/>🥓 Beef Rashers<br/>🍟 Hashbrowns<br/>🥑 Smashed Avocado<br/>🥗 Olives, Tomato, Spinach<br/>🍄 Garlic Mushrooms<br/>🥣 Hummus<br/>🌭 Sujuk (Chorizo)<br/>🧀 Fetta and Grilled Haloumi<br/>.<br/>⬆️ Level Two<br/>🥞 Nutella Pancakes<br/>🍯 Maple<br/>🍓 Strawberries<br/>🍦 Cornetto Ice Cream<br/>.<br/>You want a breakfast that will fill you up for the rest of the day.. and then some? 🤔 Northern Perk is your spot! 😎 great cafe in Brunswick that's chilled with a nice outdoor eating area 😁 staff are amazing and friendly which is always a fantastic bonus! It sets the mood, then once your food comes out you're on another level 😉 pun intended.. lets get down to the platter! ☝🏽<br/>.<br/>☑ 8/10! Tower for any Hour! 🕢<br/>.<br/>💥 HITS - The quality of the food on the plate is exceptional! Im such a big fan of the BEEF rashers! 😍 the garlic mushrooms were also a massive winning point! Theyre cooked to perfection and bring so much flavour to the eggs! 😁 the addition of the hummus and olives added good kick as well with the grilled haloumi! If you're a fan of middle eastern food then you'll LOVE this platter 👌🏽 for me the real winner were the pancakes 😍 not just because im a sweet tooth but simply because they were THAT GOOD! 🤤 packed with nutella goodness, the pancakes were ON POINT! ☝🏽 DELICIOUS! 😍<br/>.<br/>💨 MISS - there weren't a lot of negatives at all for the tower from northern perk. The stand out would be only receiving ONE cornetto for a TWO person platter.. doesn't really add up to me.. 🤔 i dont know about you but i dont wanna share one 😅 if i had to nit pick, then i would love more of the beef rashers aswell! 🥓 there just wasn't enough for two people.. likewise with the avocado 🥑 it also seems quite pricey at $24 per head for the platter, but at the end of the day you're getting a big breakfast PLUS a pancake each! 💰<br/>.<br/>💡 TIP - they also have a BURGER PLATTER! 🍔 get on it 😎<br/>.

Ok I don’t think I’ve ever written a negative review. I was curious to try based on Instagram pictures of their food but I was disgusted by the lack of hygiene, uncleared tables for the whole duration I was there, food all over floor, dirty kitchen, unsanitary bathrooms. so upset I wasted time and money at this place. I had MOULD on my food. with 7 people in the dirty kitchen, you would hope someone would notice. There is no excuse. <br/>I waited 20 minutes to order before reminding them we exist and 40 minutes for breakfast. 1 person on the floor expected to take orders to and from kitchen for 40+ people on a Sunday. staff are friendly yes but completely useless and clueless. Disappointed to say the least! Only thing I enjoyed were the hashbrowns but they 100% aren’t home made. Pancakes bland. fritters were bland and the salsa it came with made me gag. Tried the matcha latte and the mint cacoa latte and were both gluggy and indigestible. Yikes!

40 min wait for eggs on toast and veggie plate, which was overpriced, cold and unappetising. Staff blamed poor service on it being a Sunday will not be returning

Looking at the photos, especially the tower, it looks amazing, the taste doesn’t match it though. Underdelivered. Overly oily chorizo (had to press it with the napkins to drench the oil out), beef rashers were chewy, avocado smash was stringy, hashbrowns overcooked and soggy. The only good thing was the tomato and that’s probably because they didn’t have to to anything but grill it. Oh and the tea was nice as well, but not much work would have gone into that either. Sorry for the bad review but not sorry either.

Love a good outdoor area, and Northern Perk delivers with a courtyard out back with spacious dining. I came here with a friend and we chose the breakfast tower to share. The only thing I can fault is there was too much food! Scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly, fluffy and creamy. Hash browns were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I'm not normally a fan of chorizo but this was deeelish. There was so much to devour that by pancake time, I could sadly only fit a few bites of the fluffy dessert. The staff and service is fantastic. Great local gem!

I love the Northern Perk Cafe!! It is such a great brunch place and there is so many delicious options to try. I had the nutella pancakes and they were absolutely delicious - I would highly recommend. The staff were friendly and the service was great. I can’t wait to go back and try more things :)

What a great brunch! <br/>The cafe isn’t overly fancy, in fact it has a very homely feel which I really liked. The staff were lovely and chatty. <br/><br/>The menu has a slight Lebanese twist to it. This means some dishes are a little bit different on the menu for once! They do sharing brunches for two, giant stacks of pancakes and much more! <br/><br/>For a drink I had lemon and ginger tea which came with a side of honey. I appreciated that extra touch. I opted for the veggie breakfast board. I really liked the sound of having a little bit of everting. I also love veggies and I’m not too bothered about eating meat at brunch. So this was perfect! <br/><br/>The dish included:<br/>Eggs of your choice <br/>Slice of toast<br/>Broccoli<br/>Capsicum<br/>Mushrooms<br/>Carrots <br/>Avocado smash <br/>Labneh<br/>Sweet potato<br/>Potato wedges<br/>Haloumi <br/>Tomato <br/><br/>Everything was tasty, cooked well and my eggs were poached perfectly. My only small criticism is that I think one of them was slightly underdone as the white ran a bit too much. But that could just be me being a bit cautious. And my tomato could have done with being slightly more cooked (I think maybe going for roasted baby plum tomatoes would be a good option for this dish). <br/><br/>Lovely service, really nice food which wasn’t overly pricey at all. I would go back for sure! <br/><br/>9/10

We have been here a number of times however, I’ve never reviewed! We love it here so much that my daughter wanted to bring her friends here for her birthday lunch after bounce- gone are the days of a happy meal. We ordered the breakfast Tower and some drinks. All the food was gone including the extra hash brown and pancake the staff generously added to our tower. Previously, I’ve had the burger tower, my hubby loved the Doritos crispy chicken - next level! Thank you Northern Perk, we will definitely visit again.

Breakfast stack for 2 is insane! Eggs, spinach mushroom some meats and of course we can’t forget the pancakes!!!!!! <br/>Great cafe vibes. Ps the guy with the beard is such a gentlemen! <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

A beautiful busy cafe with kind staff located conveniently next to Anstey Station. We ordered the breakfast tower for 3 people and a plate of hot chips. The food was beautifully presented and the food was filling and delicious. Only wish that my poached egg was a little more runny and it only came with one slice of sourdough bread for each person and small bowl of sauces. Some parts of the food felt a bit cold like it had been sitting out for a long time. It would have been better if the tower was served with extra bread so we could eat it with the meats and veggies. The pancakes on top were sweet and fluffy although my stomach was too full to devour it.<br/>I definitely would want to return to this beautiful cafe in the future!

All the food was great, I was about to give it 4 stars until I had to pay an extra $3.00 for not two...not three.. but ONE Lebanese bread. As a Lebo I am absolutely disgusted and ashamed I paid $3 for one bread. I can buy triple the amount of Lebanese bread for that $3. It would be okay if i was told beforehand how much.. but I wasn’t told anything. I thought it was $1. Any way. Enjoyed the food but service is lacking & the price point for one piece bread is ridiculous.

I was here a few weeks ago and the service was great! Although it took a little while to receive our food it was quite busy. The veggie board was so good, I would definitely order it again 😍😍

Great customer services, even better food! <br/>Was in on labour day pretty busy cafe with a very nice layout. Coffee is always good at this place

Went to buy 2 takeaway coffees and I feel like I've been cheated. First they mistakenly made coffees for dining in and staff asked me if we want to have here or takeaway. I said I need to go, and seemed like she just transferred the coffee to the takeaway cup. Later I opened the lid and discovered the cup was not even filled to the top, only barely more than half cup. We couldn't return as we were in a hurry. Coffee taste was fine. Just dissappointed to know that they think they can get away with takeaway orders. Not worth $3.80.

This cafe has a great central and accessible location. The staff are really friendly and the fit out is very ‘Brunswick’. This cafe has only gotten better with time and we really like almost everything that we have ordered. The only criticism we had is that at our very first visit the pancakes were served with a drumstick/cornetto just stuck in the middle where we were expecting something with a little more attention to detail, eg, ice cream on top with wafers and the chocolate syrup sort of like a deconstructed ice cream? But we have been back and enjoyed everything else we have tried. 100% halal! Good coffee!

Confused mess would be putting it lightly. I've been dying to try this place for years and after seeing and hearing about their intricate breakfast towers I was very intrigued. What I received was just a culinary disaster. Coming from a Middle Eastern background I was so excited to have dips and sujuk with my meal but to just mix it with pancakes and Nutella is just disgusting. To top it off the presentation of just a crap load of spinach covered in tasteless eggs and hash browns covered in chicken salt?? So many different flavours, none of which mesh well together. And the he "ice cream" that was meant to accompany the pancakes? A freaking Cornetto just shoved into a layer of pancakes? I've never been more confused by a meal in my life. Not worth the hype.

Very delicious food, reasonably priced. Coffee was great.<br/>Staff are friendly and welcoming.<br/>Recommend ordering the share plate, great value for money.<br/>Highly recommend if you are in the area!!

I have been following these guys on insta for sometime now, constantly jealous of people & their brunch pics of their food but the day has finally come when i get to engulf their famous NP Tower!! And engulf i did!<br/>It was almost too pretty to eat, overwhelmed and not sure where to start, did i wana finish on the sweetness (which involved d'lish fluffy pancakes stabbed with a ice cream cone) or did i wana finish on the Salty (double patty angus burgers so massive i can barely fit in my mouth)<br/>The only one let down were the chips, no flavour at all but thats just being petty, coz there's salt on the table so problem fixed :)<br/><br/>Wow did this burger tower fulfill all my needs! Do yourself a favor and defts go have one!<br/><br/>Coffee is also A+<br/>Cant wait to come back and try the other breakfast tower!!

Crispy chicken burger from @northernperkcafe was on my to try list for some time and I was sure not disappointed. The burger has a lemon slaw, tomato, spicy aioli and two pieces of the crispy chicken, the texture of the slaw was crunchy so you know it was fresh, the chicken itself is covered in corn chips and fried making the outside crispy whilst the inside remained juicy and perfectly cooked, the spicy aioli was more tangy than spicy which I found scrumptious, my only change would be having thick cut potato fries on the side rather than the chips, next time I’ll be trying out the desserts 😋<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>#coffee #coffeeshop #coffeetable #coffees #coffeetime #coffeebar #lateart #coffeelate #morningcoffee #coffeeart #foodblog #coffeeblog #coffeeholic #cake #dessert #cakes #cafe #cakeslice #halal #foodblogging #coffeeislife #burgers #melbournecafes #brunswickcafes #pancakes #waffles #desserts

When a friend and I first came in, it was a little awkward at first. We didn’t know where to go and where to sit. We finally settled for the outside, we waited for a good 15 minutes to be served and then I had to ask to be served. By the time the waiter had came, it was already 30 minutes that had past. I ordered the chicken burger and the pancakes. The chicken burger was absolutely amazing, I couldn’t stop gushing about how tasty it was. The chicken wasn’t too drying and seasoned well. Everything in the burger was done well. The chips on the other hand had little to no salt! a bit annoyed at that bit. The pancakes weren’t the best either, the chocolate had this artificial taste to it and I wasn’t impressed at all. They had now changed it to Nutella, so my opinion may change now. Overall 4/5 is a generous amount, the service needs to be improved and so does the salt-less chips.

The nutella milkshake was great and had lots of flavour. The price was good for the size and the staff were very friendly! I would love to go back and try the full menu! Follow @thebeautyinliving on instagram for more reviews

This place is a must visit for any foodie, but make sure to come hungry and with a friend as their tower is for two and sure to fill you up. Reasonable pricing, located near public transport and incredibly friendly staff.

Not bad!<br/>Good serving sizes which is good <br/>But I got the zaatar smash and the bread wasn’t toasted well so with the tomato avo etc on top it made it quiet wet and soggy <br/><br/>

Absolutely LOVE Northern Perk. The NP tower is one of a kinds and is the go to dish nearly every time. The beauty of both savoury and sweet in the same order is an amazing option and don't know why more venues are following the trend. Why not get both - Well you can!

Lovely cafe in an easy to get to location. Great fresh yummy food! Big portions and friendly staff! Their nutella milkshake is to die for!!!! Defs need to go back !!

Service was awesome, staff very friendly and coffee was good, although only warm when it got to us even though it came very quickly. Shared the brunch tower and thought it was average as for the cost of it you seemed to get a minimal amount of everything. 1 rasher of bacon each, a tiny bowl of avocado to share, 2 small bits of Sujuk each, 2 small bits of pita bread to share. Very underwhelming for the price and the expectations also think a decent amount of it was pre-bought items of food therefore the price seemed even more expensive. Looking at other photos of the towers I think we were not served the amount that everyone else was and should probably ensure consistency amongst what you’re sending out. Very disappointing, would not return here.

It was ok. I give 3 because I actually liked the food, I was worried because of the other reviews.<br/>I called and booked ahead of time, about 2 days in advance. Upon arrival I gave my name and time of my booking, staff looked confused. It was very obvious they forgot about us, they put us on a random squashy table, you would think that booking so far in advance they would give us a nice table, there were no menus and no reserved sign so they clearly just didn't care to put our reservation down (as Jerry Seinfeld would say - you know how to take a reservation but you don't know how to hold the reservation)<br/><br/>Anyway. One waitress was lovely, she was very nice and smiling. The others not so much, we said thank you to her and she just ignored us, so we had to say it again to force out "you're welcome" from her.<br/><br/>Food had a good timeframe, and tasted good, they did take care of my dietary requirements.<br/>My coffee was good, a little cold but still good. My partner didn't like his coffee at all.<br/><br/>The main reason I won't return though was just how uncomfortable the seating is, I'd love to sit somewhere warm with some nice chairs in winter.

Came in for my birthday today which we booked for..<br/>Staff didn't realise we had a booking and we're confused when we told them so was obvious they didn't reserve us a table<br/>The manager owner seemed like he didn't want to be there and had a group of his mates he was chatting to at the front door which made me feel intimidated<br/>Another lady didn't say thank you even though I helped her with the table nor had the courage to say your welcome when I was being so polite that I had to ask her to say it to me..<br/>Pathetic people and shit service except for one waitress which was a young girl.. The food was good that's why I gave it a 2 star otherwise it would've been a solid minus 10 if I could put it..

been back four times just for the tower! amazing price for the amount of food. great tasting and friendly staff. not the nicest environment but not bad either.

Visited Northern Perk on Saturday morning. Ordered the Lebanese brekkie - pretty bland to be honest. <br/><br/>They served raw tomato (this might be traditional I guess) but it needed seasoning, and so did the scrambled eggs. The olives were straight out of a jar. Very little effort put into the dish, maybe scrap it from the menu?<br/><br/>I’m not sure whether bread was supposed to be included so I asked for some and the waitress replied that they had forgotten the bread. Reading the other reviews, they seem to “forget” items from orders quite frequently. Really need to sharpen this up.<br/><br/>I’ll come back as I want to try the tower but overall Northern Perk needs to refine its menu and focus on detail, because as it stands there are plenty of better options in the area.

Have been wanting to come here for a while, got the np tower, brilliant, nice touch with the pancakes, after the coffee and the food, the best thing about this place is the accommodating staff our little one had an “accident” and they did everything they could to assist. Thank you

ordered the tower.. tasted great but after leaving and looking at the menu realized they didn’t give us our halloumi, grilled tomatoes or bread for the dips.. the waitress even had to ask us if we ordered no mushrooms because the forgot them too 👎🏼<br/>#rippedoff

Everyone kept raving on about how good the tower was from here, and it's safe to say I am certainly impressed. The tower was massive and we had a hard time finishing it. Awesome work.

Been wanting to try the Breakfast Tower for a while now and finally got the chance to getting around it! Quick wait time, but maybe it was due to the fact the place was practically empty.. however presented well and cleaned up the platter between the 2 of us. The pancakes were a highlight of the meal, so fluffy and sweet, are they homemade? <br/>Lost one star because there was no avocado on the plate despite saying it on the menu. Would have been nice to have been notified that there was possibly a shortage of avo?

First customers in the morning with no one else around had to wait 40 mins for a açai bowl , it was runny with no flavour plus they manage to get my friends order wrong

To be honest, probably not lower only because at the end when I had went to pay, it seemed like the manager or owner of the place came out and he seemed to be pretty friendly. Other than that, there was no service when I came in, most of the female staff seemed busy with their phones or some friends or whoever was visiting (felt like they didn't really want to be there). Didn't know if I needed to get water myself or table service. Coffee order was wrong though it wasn't even busy. Long black clearly under extracted, very astringent and dirty, a bit tough here even though I wasn't expecting much out of the coffee here but the combination of everything kind of just put me in a bad mood in the morning.  which is in my opinion the worst thing you can do as a cafe. Such a shame cause the basic design layout seems to hold potential.

Came here with my husband for our Sunday morning breaky. Although their coffee was good, my food was quiet cold. My husband had no problems with his... was just a standard plate of food. Before writing this I have realised from previous reviews that they are making it a habit to serve cold food. Honesty, if it had been served warm it would have been quiet delicious no doubt.

Can only review the coffee because I havent had the time to spend eating here as yet. The coffee is seriously good, perfectly made every time. The best coffee in Brunswick? It would have to go close 👍

Absolutely appalling. <br/><br/>This is the second time my family have come here and it only got worse. We tried to give it a second chance - and we will never ever be coming back. <br/><br/>The first time our food was stone cold. And today we waited 50 minutes for food. I’m sorry, it doesn’t take that long when the tables around us who ordered after us were given their food in a much more timely manner. <br/><br/>The kitchen was constantly being asked for ETAs because they were clearly unable to get food out within a decent time. <br/><br/>Do not recommend. Unless you want to wait an hour for food that is nothing more than average. <br/><br/>Oh, and shoutout to the Woolworths caramel sauce that was sitting on the counter to use for the pancakes. I could get 5 bottles of that for the price of those pancakes.

Arrived and ordered our food. 40 minutes later we were still waiting for our food as well as coffee so asked waitress for an update. Our order ‘hadnt gone through’ so we waited another 20 minutes for it to arrive. Upon arrival the waitress accidentally dropped all the fries and we had to wait once again for more to come.<br/>Food was decent.<br/>Staff seemed disinterested and didn’t appear to care.<br/>Overall a disappointing experience, would not return.

The first time I visited this cafe I was quite content with the food and service they provided, which lead me to coming back for a second time. However, my 2nd visit was not the experience I hoped to receive. I came here for my birthday and was very disappointed, I had brought along a group of girlfriends and felt embarrassed that they did not get a good experience out of it. <br/><br/>Despite it being a hot day my friends and I decided to sit outside in the shade, the tables at the back smelt horrible and we had to move tables. Our water glasses had fingerprint and lip marks and did not look like they had been cleaned well, we asked politely to our waitress if we could have new glasses. Our waitress seemed very irritated by our request for new glasses.<br/><br/>When my friends were ordering I found it very disappointing that you didn’t have a lot of the items on the menu. My friend had to change her order 3 times because her order “wasn’t on the menu”. My friends 1st order was the smoothie bowl which “wasn’t on the menu”, then about 20 minutes later we saw a couple order the smoothie bowl in which they got the eat. <br/><br/>I usually come for the perk tower however I don’t think I’ll be coming back due to poor service, overpriced food and lack of items that are meant to be listed on the menu.

After seeing all the raving reviews and aesthetic photographs of the iconic Breakfast Tower, we finally had the chance to try it out!<br/>We ordered the tower for 3 with poached eggs. <br/>Before we knew it, the tower of mouth-watering food appeared in front of us. <br/>So many choices, each one executed slightly differently. I'd say we tackled it quite well, with only a few olives and some of the pancake left. The pancakes seemed to pre-made or perhaps store-brought. Either way, it was overly sweet. Other than that, the tower was great. Staff were friendly. Would definitely return.

Ok so we waited about an hour for our food and when we asked where the food was they said it was 5 minutes away, came out 20mins later and then we turn around to see the waitresses talking shit about my friends we could literally here them. When the food came out it was missing food such as hash browns avocado etc. everything was cold and the pancakes were stale. Not a good experience and would not recommend coming back here.

Waited an hour for our breakfast tower, second time I came here after waiting so long and poor food but thought I’d give it a second chance, food finally came, hash browns were oily as hell and everything was cold and dry tasted like the pancakes had been sitting there for the hour, not worth the money or the experience

Not bad, but a very one-time thing. Had the Northern Perk Tower for 2- definitely can feed 3- though not an outstanding brunch experience. All the flavours were very average. Wouldn’t recommend travelling the distance if you live really far like me. However, if you’re always indecisive about choosing between sweet and savoury, this could be the place for you

Lots of coverage on social media on the towers and shakes here, we had the NP and chicken burgers and they were very good, eggs served well and to order. <br/><br/>Service was good and friendly a little slow out of the kitchen but it was fresh and worth the wait.

I went to this venue today and was thoroughly disappointed. Firstly, the meals were ok but overpriced - didn't have numerous items listed on the menu and food came out pretty cold. The outdoor area smelt like a bin at the back and fish at the front. The cups were stained with lipstick and the waitress wasn't happy to replace them. The outside area was really nice and the tables and chairs were lovely but the table surface was sticky. It took 45 minutes for our table of four to get our meals which is unacceptable since it was passed midday and not overly busy. Also the waitress forgot one of our members drinks. Moreover, she told my friend that there were no smoothie bowls available, which was a lie since someone who ordered after us got one. In addition, some food was undercooked and under seasoned. Finally, thoroughly unprofessional to spell 'syrup' (or in your case, 'cyrup') incorrectly on the menu. Overall, it was an underwhelming experience and I'd happily give the cafe a lower rating if possible. I may try again because friends have had better experiences, although not any time soon.

Staff and eager to please but seemed undertrained. Lots of examples that they hadn’t worked in a cafe before. The food was very average. Part of my smoothie bowl was inedible as the berries were rotten (it was largely uneaten- the staff didn’t notice or ask). A simple thing to fix however. I think the cafe trades mainly on “Instagram” food. Pretty but lacking quality ingredients and taste. Below standard for Melbourne.

I’ve had the Northern Perk Tower for breakfast and found it quiet tasteful.<br/><br/>The wait time was a bit slow when waiting for my hot chocolate <br/><br/>The atmosphere felt welcoming and humble, really relaxed and comforting. <br/><br/>The food overall was good, however not great. Eggs were a bit cold, and tomatoes were a bit bland and I don’t believe there was enough haloumi to fully satisfy.

So it seems there’s some hit and misses by reading the other reviews but that’s part of having different opinions. <br/>We had the fava beans and hummus with mince meat and they were bloody delicious and excellent sized meals for the money we paid. <br/>The only down side was that the coffee took ages to come out but when it did, it was tasty tasty nomnoms!<br/>Give this place a crack - clearly it’s not for everyone but we enjoyed it!

Cute and kool little cafe. I got the tower and shared it with my husband and little boy. It was so yummy and we all had a bit of everything. Staff were so friendly and nice. Definitely be going back!!!!

Very disappointed with Northern Perk Cafe. Saw 'the tower' meal all over my instagram and I was so excited to try it. It was pretty average with no real flavour. Except the egg on toast, which was better than the rest. The pancakes were VERY dry, almost stale, the food was also cold! I guessed that because so much food is served on the tower meal, they take no real care on the flavour of individual items. I ordered an iced coffee with coconut milk which I was very excited for, this coffee was probably the WORST coffee I have ever been served in Melbourne, was disgusting. My friend ordered a different coffee and said hers wasn't nice either. Servers are rude and unhelpful, they just stand around, acting and looking very fed up with life. Will not return. The only reason I haven't given any lower than this, is simply because it was pretty meal to look at.. and that is it!

We came here for a friend's birthday breakfast and it was absolutely worth it! Ordered the Northern Perk Tower for two people and it easily fed three. Everything tasted fantastic, but my favourite was the dessert sitting above. The pancakes were so fluffy and were not too overpoweringly sweet, and the drumstick made the dish even more indulgent. <br/>The service too was also a highlight. One of the waitresses was very friendly and chatty to us during our meal. She even served my friend a complementary chocolate milkshake since it was her birthday. <br/>I'd 100% recommend others to come here.

Servicing sizes were good for some meals, not so much for others, with one of our meals forgotten to be served. Just missed the mark with richness of flavour for the price we paid and service was okay.

Great food and the vibes were amazing! The customer service was great and made me feel very at home. Loved the food and would definitely go again and again!!!

We came here pretty early, the staff is really nice and friendly. <br/>We ordered carrot juice and strawberry milkshake, they both came very quickly. My boyfriend got big brekky, the beef rash is really delicious. Unfortunately they forgot the rash and we had to wait 20 minutes for them to cook. We also ordered Atlanta Salmon, it’s really healthy but average. We’ll try the Tower for two next time.

My experience at this cafe was appalling. My Nutella pancakes were raw so they told me they’d take the meal off the bill. BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE COUNTER, they only took $2.50 off. Do not recommend. I didn’t even eat the pancakes and I had to pay for them

i have come here on two separate occasions, once for the “tower” and another time for the breakfast menu. both occasions, staff are friendly and attentive. service is quick and prompt. it does get pretty busy in peak afternoon/ brunch times. I found the “northern perk tower” to be the highlight as it’s got a variety of condiments and it’s quite fulfilling. we have sat inside and outside and it’s clean and neat. nice cafe and good food. highly recommend.

Northern Perk is a great place for breakfast, brunch or lunch! I loved the Northern Perk tower, we got the 2 people tower which could easily feed 3 people. The owner is friendly and the staff are helpful. Would 100% recommend this place!

I’ve seen photos of the Northern Perk Cafe on Instagram and more specifically their tower of food. My friend and I came here at around 1.00pm on Saturday and were seated right away. The owner/manager was really friendly and gave great service, I explained I’m a vegetarian and was it possible to add extra avocado to the tower which he agreed to, without an extra cost. The food was amazing. An excellent combination of sweet and savoury with something for everyone. We spent approx $28 each including a coffee. Indoor/outdoor seating, great value, good spot in Brunswick - highly recommend. A Melbourne must try.

Would not recommend this to anyone.<br/>Milkshake was extremely sweet full of syrup.<br/><br/>We had a party of 4. <br/>2 of us had wanted the tower and the other 2 was going to order burgers. We were told the tower was big and enough to share, thinking we would only need to pay for 2 towers. But yet had to pay for 4.<br/><br/>Poached eggs was extremely overcooked. It was a boiled egg rather than poached.<br/>The pancakes were not fresh. Stale and hard, it was definitely reheated.<br/><br/>Staff collected the dishes and dropped the for leading food to fly. She just giggled.<br/><br/>Not worth the money thats for sure.<br/><br/>

This place was worth the hour travel. the breakfast tower was lit and looked amazing. The pancakes were the highlight.Food took a little while to come but considering it was busy it wasnt too long. I recommend to try the breakfast tower at least once in your life, really good prices and in a nice area

Place is pretty average. Had the Tower, freak shake and the banana milkshake. Tower was $24 per person. Food on the tower was decent, some items were better others but the Tower will definitely get you full. The freak shake was good but a bit expensive and the banana milkshake was just bad. Customer service was friendly.

Incredable food! So much flavour, and great service! Lovely and chilled! Perfect for the area! I will be coming back here for sure :) such a great experience

Northern Perk is situated near the top end of Brunswick’s Sydney Road shopping precinct. Tucked away in a row of shops and cafes it almost appears as a tiny little venue with a few tables, until you realise it opens out further back and also has both a cute upstairs and outdoor courtyard seating area. It has the feel of your typical Melbourne cafe. Internally there’s nothing much to make it stand out from the many other cafes, it’s busy but not overly so, and most people seemed to be able to get a table without much of a wait, even on a Sunday morning.

Shared the breakfast tower with friends and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of options to choose from. Some items were hit and miss, however the pancakes on top were perfection. So fluffy, light and tasty.The big plus has to go to their coffee however - they do a mean cappuccino! Customer service could have been a bit better and the waiting time was a little long however with a full house that could be expected.

Very busy spot with limited seating. My friend and I got shoved into a corner that was cramped. Unfortunately we had cups stained with lipstick and a sticky table which just worsened our experience. The waitress was lovely and attentive to our order. We waited 40+mins for the peak tower, such slow service. When the tower came it was clear it wasn't given straight to us, with a lot of our food cold. Great presentation for photos. Such a good concept with the food but no execution. Also they had no gluten free options listed on the menu for those with allergies. Wouldn't come back, if there was better service and cleanliness it would be a different story.

Came here for a Saturday morning breakfast and the place was packed. Got a table right away amazingly. I ordered the Lebanese brekky:<br/><br/>- Sujuk was cooked really well though I'll never say a bad work about sujuk anyway<br/>- The dips, haloumi, labne etc. were all delicious. <br/>- Zataar Smash was tasty too!<br/>- Great coffee and friendly people.

visited this place on a saturday and first off the waitress that was taking our order was completely rude and did not seem interested in being there. There was miscommunication with the kitchen and floor staff, noone knew what was available on the menu to order, we were told that there were no chips, no hash browns and no burgers available and then another staff told us there were. Waited an hour for our food and was then told that it was soon closing time and yet my food still did not come out. I did not get a chance to even get my plate of food, so left and paid what did eventually come out. Overall, it was a horrible experience with rude staff, long waits and so not worth the price or visit.

We came here for breakfast yesterday. We ordered The Northern breakkie tower for 2 and it was a lot!! The egg was cook to perfection, hummus sauce was great but the pancake was just ok. The freakshake was amazing. The nutella french toast was just below average i have had better. The service was great and the staff was friendly :)

Went here for breaky and off course ordered the Tower for two as it looks awesome! It was ok but some parts of it were cold although the flavours in general were good. Best bit of it was the Zataar bread and the pancakes on top! Coffee was on the colder side as well. Good service with the owner welcoming all customers and waiter was very kind.

Been told about this place and seen the semi famous 'tower' on social media and had to check it out! This place was PACKED! We had to wait outside for a table to become a available. Once it was, we settled in. For $22 pp for the tower it's worth the experience! With a lovely Lebanese inspired menu, the food is actually quite affordable including the extras compared to other trendy cafes! Staff were under the pump which meant some were more friendly than others. They were happy to split the bill which was appreciated. I'll be recommending to others!

Indulgence at @northernperkcafe with Nutella pancakes and their signature drumstick sticking out of the middle! 😍 Washed down with a super thick and tasty mango smoothie 👌<br/> <br/><br/>WE RETURNED!! omg the tower!! Amazing, just like our first time.

Booked a table for 13, food came out grouse, we all loved it, excellent service, very friendly & nice! Food was beautiful! Just a bit squishy

Simply came for the tower and it did not disappoint! Everything from the eggs to the icecream on top were delicious. Staff were very friendly

Had so much fun eating the tower! Great experience and every single piece of food was beyond delicious. Had to savour every bite! The gentleman who must be the owner/manager was all over it and making sure everyone was accommodated and looked after. Only thing that took away from our experience was the standard coffee. But definitely will go back to try more!

Good smashed avocado and really good coffee. Girl serving us was lovely. Cool setup and glad we went. Very quick service too. We will be back.

After reading a lot of negative reviews in regards to long wait times and slow service, we decided to visit during the week on a Wednesday for brunch and we are extremely glad we did.<br/><br/>After arriving the cafe, it was not busy at all, with only a few others here. The atmosphere was lovey and peaceful and we decided to sit outside and we had the entire outdoor area to ourselves. We ordered the breakfast tower for two, and waited no longer than 15 minutes for it to arrive with great service. It was delicious and the serving size is perfect for two. Northern Perk also do great coffees and hot chocolates as well. <br/><br/>We will definitely be back, but we will make sure it is again during the week!

We got the tower for three, and I guess it's safe to say that it definitely looked appealing. Although I wasn't sure if they change it up on a regular basis but we didn't get any sausages unlike the other customers who did. We decided to not say anything as it seemed busy and the waiter was frantically running back and forth. The man who took our order, who I assume runs the place, was welcoming and friendly - but other than that, the vibe was off. Not sure if it was a one-off thing that we came on a bad day, but I may or may not come back in the future, we'd have to see!

I actually loved this place, it was affordable and the meal was delicious. There were great and friendly staff, also the waiting time wasn't too long.

My friends and I loved our breakfast tower! Everything was delicious, could not stop eating the pancakes, they were super fluffy and yum! Would recommend!

As a first timer at Northern Perk, it's safe to say my expectations were quickly exceeded.. what a local gem! The friendly staff, the amazing coffee and not to mention the fabulous food! I ordered the crunchy organic granola which was beyond delicious and looked almost too good to eat! I can't wait to return to my favourite brunch spot to date!

I had heard good things about Northern Perk and after looking at there instagram/zomato I was excited to be eating here. The atmosphere is good. The staff were good, even changed the thick cut chips to sweet potato chips no hassle but we were never given or offered any water on our table as the other tables had.<br/><br/>We ordered the chicken burger and the French toast which came out in relatively good time. The chicken burger was good and so were the sweet potato chips and dipping sauce. The French Toast on the other hand when compared to the menu description and past photos I had seen was an extreme disappointment. I had been salivating on it for 3 days.<br/>It's my one meal a week off plan and weekly date with my girlfriend so I always hope for big things. The photo comparison speaks for itself but there was next to none of the white chocolate sauce where in the photo it is drowning. It wasn't even toast it was like a piklet, much smaller and no taste. The fairyfloss on top was hard, tough to chew and tasted bad as if it was just taken out of the freezer. There was barely any fruit to be seen. The extras and flavour which make a great French Toast just weren't there. <br/>Trusted Word of Mouth > Photos<br/><br/>Betty Joy

Came here on Sunday to try the Northern Perk Tower. More than enough for 2 people and the food was cooked well 😊 The waiter was very nice and got us a table within 5 mins. The wait for food was a bit longer, about 10-15 mins, because most of the customers ordered the same food and the restaurant was busy. Overall, another great brunch place worth going to.

I feel there could be so much more potential for this cafe.  It is very rustic and nice inside however very chaotic, loud and hectic.  The waitress that served us didn't ask us how we were or try and engage any any form of conversation.  We waited for a very long time for our water to arrive and I had to ask one of the girls if they could bring some over.  Again, we waited a long time to order in which we had to flag someone over and order.  The wait time was very long for our brunch to arrive, we ordered 2 of the Lebo breakfasts. The coffee and food was nice, however I would of liked if the pita was served warm and not cold. Many patrons ordered the tower breakfasts which looked nice and like a novelty. There was also no paper towel or hand dryer in the toilet too which was not ideal.  With so many other eateries in the area it is fair to say that I won't be back here.