Seriously the best breakfast in Melbourne. Inventive, flavoursome and delicious. On point every time. The only place I eat each time I visit. Staff are always delightful and the coffee is good. A definite must eat!
Fabulous food and staff, best lunch ever. Highly recommend this little eatery, was a fabulous find.
Delicious food, great service! For breakfast and lunch! Absolutely stunning food, well presented and amazing tastes put together.
Only thing I would say is to offer a couple of breakfast specials that are specifically breakfast, and a couple of lunch specials that are specifically lunch.
I will definitely be returning when I come back to Melbourne! ☺
unbelievably delicious! My partner gets the breakfast pasta every time but I have tried at least 5 of your different dishes and every time it's perfection!!! We love coming here for our breakfast on a Sunday morning. Chef is the best of the best and the staff are always friendly and attentive �
Often walked past this busy cafe, finaly popped in for a takeaway coffee on Sat, was sooo good I went back Sunday to sample the food and wow so glad I did :) The Sicilian Meatballs were a revelation pure magic ... Best of all this little Gem is opening for Dinner whoohoo . Service is great too.
Great food, great coffee, friendly staff. Their regional Sicilian dinners held every so often... check out their website, are also amazing with a great atmosphere and authentic Sicilian food.
Had brunch here yesterday and it was SO delicious! It was a sunny Sunday morning, which meant we could sit out on the big shared tables out the front in the sun. The food was quick, and the absolute perfect size! The pickled fennel on the bacon was to die for! Coffee great, lots of smiles and awesome tunes! Sunday brunch perfection!
Fantastic brunch! Stumbled across the Small Axe and was not disappointed! Delicious flavours and perfect size for a hungry Saturday morning. Most importantly, they understand tea! Hurrah!! My new favourite
Dinner is (of course!) just as good as breakfast and lunch. Beautiful food and phenomenal service.
The best cheesy, crunchy toastie I have ever eaten paired with absolutely delicious green tomato pickles that cut through all the naughty goodness - my description does no justice. Shout out to Clea who makes great coffee.
Really enjoyed the ambience of the cafe and the quality of the food was sensational. The barista also did a fine coffee.
Great service and tasty fresh food. The coffee is really on point.
Delicious food and coffee! We went on a Saturday morning with our toddler and they were happy to accommodate us. My husband and I both had the breakfast pasta; it was as delicious as it looked. Rich, but perfectly balanced. The space is cool yet understated. Smallaxe stands out as something special in Brunswick's cafe scene. We're excited to have it in the neighbourhood!
Staff are friendly. The gnocchi with smoked tomatoes, summer vegetables, crisp potato skin and pecorino was really delicious. So soft and fluffy inside. Makes me regret not having had gnocchi for a few years. Yum.
Smoked eggplant salad was also really nice. Eggplant was lovely and smokey. Just the right amount of herbs, too.
Small axe cafe is nice and customer service is excellent very good would go again
Really delicious food and friendly service. Breakfast pasta is worth the hype and a good place to go on a weekend brunch, if you fancy something different. Coffee is great!
Nice cafe... great service with a smile. Nice atmosphere. We sat in a cosy corner and enjoyed a great coffee. We ordered the scrambled eggs on toast with pork sausage and the grilled sardines. It was nice... highly recommended
I really like Small Axe. It’s friendly, quaint and has great food. We usually bring our doggie and sit outside. The service is great.
The menu has a variety of dishes. A few are Sicilian inspired. They cater for most food intolerances.
I like to build my own eggs. They have amazing GF bread (and they’re generous), the avocado is well presented with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, and the bacon is a thick ‘steak’ with picked fennel- it is SO yum.
Would recommend for sure!
Flat white ($4) ⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️
Spider tiramisu ($8.50) ⭐️ 3/5 ⭐️
🍴A pretty cafe near the #beinartgallery with a relaxed open communal area and small cozy interior. The #flatwhite was smooth and while it didn’t wow with any strong or unique flavours, it was enjoyable and easy to drink. The spider tiramisu sounded highly interesting but it was a pricey confusing drink mixing coffee, ice cream, cocoa and a fizzy drink. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t our preference and the flavours just felt like they were conflicting. Do note that there is a 10% surcharge on weekends.
📍@smallaxe_kitchen, 281 Victoria Street Brunswick, Victoria
DELICIOUS food, coffee and desserts. Was worth the money. Also child friendly and staff are friendly and inviting. Highly recommend it! We got the the green pea fritters and it was delicious. Vegan peanut chocolate balls were super yum too.
Their service was quite good and the food was also quite nice but I thought it would be a little better. The menu posted on Zomato doesn’t match the one in the restaurant so I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have what I wanted. The atmosphere and decor is lovely though
Cool little cafe in Brunswick, got a seat outside which was nice. Had the blood orange juice which was great then ordered the eggs Benedict which had pork and fennel sausage, pistachio hollandaise apple slaw on a brioche... flavours were absolutely tremendous, only slight disappointment was the severely undercooking of the poached eggs and I love my eggs gushing but these were a bit watery. Had the potato croquette as a side which was superb too. Great joint, different and good menu.
Gone through my fair share of coffees here having had a pre-paid coffee card. 100% recommend their chocolate croissant heated up! They are what dreams are made of. Coffee is pretty good, had some amazing ones from the guy who dances and sings and the girl with the tattoos. However, there is one barista (blonde with a fringe) who is so slow at coffees and kinda rude. Otherwise some really fun chatty staff.
Based on coffee and venue alone!
Venue is trendy with some quality music which sets the mood nicely. Coffee was very nice and staff were friendly. Will definitely have to try out the food on our next visit as it looked amazing.
Delicious for lunch or dinner. Service is great, drinks and food are delicious and great value. We tried the sardines tonight and they were full of flavour, definitely a highlight. Don’t go past the pork and fennel sausage with onion jam. And treat yourself wth a glass of Italian wine while you’re at it😉
Came here for brunch today as we were in the neighbourhood.... nice cozy cafe with warm interiors and colourful decor ... excellent staff ...extremely courteous and prompt.
We had Breakfast pasta ( based on fellow reviewer’s recommendation) and Char grilled chicken tenders. Both dishes were delicious and very well plated. Cappuccino and Chai latte was also on point !
Overall happy with their service 👍🏻
Went there with my friend. The lunch menu was quite limited, not too much to choose from. I can’t exactly remember the name of my dish, but it has a lot of seeds in it which made it healthy. And I’d say it’s a pretty instagrammable place. Great vibe, great staff.
Excellent service, staff were very attentive and friendly and the interior was cosy with a lot of natural light. Food is so delicious here! We got the deep fried cheese sandwich with salami and the smoked eggplant bowl - so yum!
We went there for dinner and it was a proper travel to Sicily through the amazing flavours. Each bite was worth it. Fresh home-made pasta, excellent service and not too pricey. What else would you be looking for ? Te amo Small Axe kitchen.
I love this place. I would eat here all the time if it were closer to home. Highly recommend the breakfast pasta. I still fantasise about it. Will be back soon.
Isn’t it amazing how food can affect our mood? An amazing slice of cake or blissfully lazy long brunch can instantly turn my frown right around, and I know that I’m not alone!. Stumbling into Small Axe Kitchen on a Tuesday morning was an absolute blessing. We had originally intended to go somewhere else, but GPS, traffic and timing mishaps meant that we stopped by Small Axe Kitchen instead. I was not in the mood for brunch or conversation when we pulled up into the parking lot, but I couldn’t leave after laying eyes on the cute courtyard and tempting pastries. It also definitely helped that the young man who greeted us had the most soothing voice and helped us to a seat in the courtyard almost straight away.
Had dinner here with my wife. The pasta is to die for! We ordered spaghetti and rigatoni off the menu and a special fig salad. We were not expecting anything like this when we randomly walked in off the street. Fanbloodytastic. Oh and Sicilian mandarin juice was tops.
Ah, Breakfast Pasta ($21.5). This is what dreams are made of. If I could have this every morning, I would jump out of bed the moment my alarm went off, despite being a night owl through and through. After a quick mix with the fork, each tube of al dente maccaruni became coated with creamy slow-cooked egg, and the double whammy of salted ricotta and shaved parmesan. The strips of fried guanciale were more flavoursome than bacon could ever be, its smoky fattiness complemented by the sweet freshness of peas and mint. Each rich, sticky bite was absolutely indulgent, yet the flavours were always so perfectly balanced that I felt as if I could keep on eating forever.
If you want something which an tradition Italian approach defiantly try out small axe.
I love how the food reminds me of going to my Nonnis house to eat.
The coffee is made to perfection if you’re a coffee lover.
-👌🏼 chicken cotoletta was beautifully cooked and presented.
-😭😍 The breakfast pasta was the most delicious thing ever and I dream about eating it all the time.
Can’t wait to come back!
So glad we choose here for lunch! Full of flavor! Healthy, tasty and colourful! Drinks are very creative! I’ll try the one with long ice cube next time!!!
Such a cosy and intimate café. Loved the friendly staff and decor. Went in on a weekday and was able to get a seat outside and enjoy the beautiful day. I went for the White Polenta Porridge. Absolutely amazing, combination of dried figs & dates with the apple and fennell pollen was on point. Would definitely recommend if you're looking at brunching in the Brunswick area.
This rating is based solely on the fantastic coffee which we come for on our days off. Really nice and creamy but with the right amount of bitterness. Maybe one of these days we'll try the food.
So much to let me about this place. Staff are awesome, coffee (by Code Black) is consistently great and the food brings a modern take on some Italian classics whilst keeping all the heart.
Two words: Breakfast pasta!
We came in early for breakfast and ordered the Sicilian meatballs and the breakfast pasta. Both came in a good serving size. The dishes were tasty and service was also friendly. Can't find any faults with the coffee and hot chocolate we ordered too.
Literally the BEST sandwich in Melbourne!!!! Had the Fried Scamorzza sandwich with green tomatoes and it blew my tiny mind, melting mozzarella delicious tomatoes and a gorgeous golden crust oh my god I am in heaven! Had a tiny fig pastry and coffee to follow, equally good. Will dream about my lunch today!!!!
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Yes yes YES! My girlfriend and I decided to try somewhere new as we are always in this part of Brunswick. My my I am glad we did. The atmosphere in small axe is beautifully relaxing. Chill music in the background, staff are friendly and accommodating and there is happy hour from 2pm on Saturdays! Take my money. The cafe stretches out like a wide corridor all the way back to a quiet area at the back with large sunny windows and an array of lush green hanging planters. The perfect place for a long overdue catch-up and a lazy Saturday afternoon. Now let's talk about the menu. We came for a quick coffee and we left after an entree and two mains. Not pictured: potato croquettes with cheese sauce. These are dangerous. I am still thinking about them now. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Flavour is absolutely on point and the cheese sauce makes them orgasmic. I have had a lot of potato croquettes in my time but I WILL be back for these. I had the smoked eggplant salad which was incredible. I have never had eggplant in this way, the smokey flavour was really potent- YUM. Really delicious. This combined with the almond hummus, pomegranates, mint, baked ricotta and pickled red onion made it a medley of flavours that I have never thought to put together. I loved it! Creative and unique which is what I'm looking for when I try new cafes. I don't just want the same old thing. The calamari salad was okay in my opinion. I didn't love it. Less greasy and more flavoursome than you would usually expect from a calamari salad, but nothing special. Coffee was creamy and smooth without bitterness. Long story short I love this place and I can't wait to try the rest of their intriguing menu!
Again other place in Brunswick I always drive past but never thought of going into.
The decor and atmosphere is nice and welcoming. The staff are super friendly!
For lunch we had the meatballs, calamari and breakfast pasta. Everything was beautifully done!
Another comment, the mineral water on tap is sooooooo goood haha.
We will definitely be coming back!
I came into this cafe with my friends and we were instantly welcomed. It was a busy cafe but you could see why. The atmosphere is great and it was a nice place where you could have cocktails in the morning for breakfast too! I ordered the avocado with heirloom tomatoes with a side of bacon steak. All I can say is..wow.. #getsomeporkonyourfork
This bacon steak is a thick cut and so smokey! It had a good amount of chargrilled fat to this massive bacon slice. I would come back just to eat this bacon. Amazing job guys! Keep it up!
Oh - the coffee were good too. But I still can't stop thinking of the bacon.
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I was told I had to check this place out from a reliable source. After some research, learning that this place is owned by the head chef further intrigued me. A possible success story of an enthusiastic chef who decided to start their own cafe? Love it. Upon arrival, the store front had led me to believe it was a small-scale venue. However, I was led through to the rear seating area where I had realised that the venue more likely has about 80 covers then what otherwise appeared to be a 50 seater. Being aware of how loud I can be I moved to the front courtyard seating area, the waitress was very accommodating and helped me choose my meal. Breakfast Spaghetti! This was delicious and the hand rolled pasta showed the true labour of love that went in to its creation. Classic Chef-owner mentality! My espresso did not offend in any way, it was solid. Upon finishing my meal, I approached the kitchen in hopes of thanking the owner for my experience and he was lovely just like his Cafe. Will be back!
One of our favourite brunch spots in Brunswick. The kids think they make the best iced chocolates they've ever had (it's the edible straws) and even the hot chocolates come with coffee art! Food is great as it's the usual brunch fare but with an Italian twist.
Sicilian meatballs were sensational. Very impressive menu focusing on quality produce and freshly prepared dishes.
Efficient service and good value.
An excellent cafe with a focus on authentic Sicilian flavours. I have visited Small Axe Kitchen on numerous occasions and have always received good service. The Sicilian rice dumplings are delightful, especially for anyone with a sweet tooth. The fried scamorza sandwich is indulgent but delicious, the pickled green tomatoes are the perfect element to cut through the fried bread and melted cheese. And the breakfast pasta, oh, the breakfast pasta! Perfectly al dente with a good balance of flavours and an egg to make it ok to eat for breakfast! What a delight.
Breakfast. Fried scamorza sandwich with salami, and breakfast focaccia. Both seriously delicious, beautifully done. Great coffee too. Despite being quite busy inside service was excellent and friendly, we'll be back :)
Went here with my partner for a late lunch, just to try something new. We were pleasantly surprised.
The dishes are quite unique and the flavours pretty original. It's reasonably priced too, considering what is on offer.
My partner ordered the Breakfast Pasta and I ordered the Breakfast Foaccacia.
I've never had guanciale before (Italian cured pork), so my first bite of the breakfast pasta was something I'd never tasted. It had a very nice smokey, and meaty-type flavour to it.
The breakfast Foaccacia was also very good, better than I expected. The provolone and fennel relish are the 'X' factors, and gave it fantastic flavour. I recommend this if you're keen on a smaller meal.
The Sicilian meatballs looked really good, and I'll be back in the near future to try them.
I recommend this place of you're looking to try something new, unique and a little different.
Good food and service. Staff were attentive and friendly. Coffee is great too. The place is nice and cozy deco. Plenty of seating and they're also have an outdoor area too.
Definitely I wanna come back to try more on items on the menu. It's a bit cold during winter tho.
This is the place you are looking for!
The food is perfect. We tried the breakfast pasta, eggs were cook perfect.
Coffees are really nice.
Staff friendly and professional, they pay attention a lot to the customer.
We strongly recommend this place for a relaxing breakfast/lunch.
Thanks to all the team members.
See you soon.
What a cosy backyard they have. We went there for a quick lunch before the high tea so we order a pasta and a salad to share. It was tasteful, coffee is not bad. Very pleasant experience.
On two trips we have had excellent and extremely attentive servers. The coffee was good (not great) but the food could not be faulted. We had the dumplings and the pancotta first shot. Dumplings were delicious and different from the usual breakfast in melbourne experience. Pancotta was good but not necessarily my favourite. Next time we had the breakfast pasta and the sandwich, both were to die for.
I see they have fixed the issue with the eftpos, as we were able to pay by eftpos. Prices were reasonable: came under 50$ for two with coffee, food and a brioche at the end
Nothing beats the meatballs with the slow cooked soft egg from here, I always order an extra slice of the sour dough bread. The breakfast pasta is pretty tasty to. Coffees are great.
Love this new cafe! The italian vibe on the typical melbourne brunch place works really well. I had the granita which was ridiculously good! We'll be back for sure!
We have enjoyed Small Axe every time we have been. We always think the coffee is a bit cold but other than that, we cannot fault it. Great decor, attentive wait staff and truly delicious food. We have been 3 times and I even sent my mum here with a friend and we have all loved everything we have eaten. Highly recommend!
When visiting Small Axe Kitchen, most people recommend ordering the breakfast pasta, so naturally my mind was set before I even arrived at the Sicilian influenced cafe. However, upon reviewing their menu it became apparent that they have a good selection of appetising dishes that appealed to me just as much, if not more than the pasta. Growing up in a traditional Sicilian family, eggplant was a staple in our household and as such, I’m a sucker for the purple veg. So there was no questioning it, I had to have the eggplant salad with almond hommus, chickpeas, pickled raisins, baked ricotta and pomegranate.
Nothing beats a warm flavourful breakfast pasta and hot chocolate on a cold rainy Sunday morning. The cafe was really spacious with an interesting menu. The food arrived promptly and staff were really attentive.
Great service and lovely food!!
I love the grated cheese they put on top. It's very delicate and adds to the presentation. Service is just phenomenal! I had the meat balls (so bomb) and special, calamari which was simple but taste delicious. A bit different than your typical salt and pepper calamari. I recommend you guys try this place!
Been here twice now and love it. Is is quite large and spacious with lots of different seating options inside and out - you don't see/appreciate this straight away.
All dishes are standout! Well for me so far at least. If you're hungry breakfast pasta and meatballs are great. The smoked eggplant hummus is an excellent healthy but hearty option.
Breakfast pasta - god damn, complete perfection. Service is a teeny bit slow and there isn't an incredible amount of variety on the menu, but it's captivating nonetheless. Sicilian meatballs are also really bloody good.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+3.5
Adam Pruckner, a Brunswick local and ex-Code black chef, has struck out on his own to open up his own place. Small Axe is co-owned with Jas Singh, and partner Kirstyn Tate. Previously a furniture store, there’s now an espresso bar, a courtyard on the side, and an open-air dining room towards the back. It’s homely inside the long and narrow building, much bigger than expected. Coffee is by Code Black of course.
I absolutely love this place! From the minute I walked in the staff were lovely and attentive, you can't go past sparkling water on tap either! To start with, I ordered a piccolo - (the ultimate barista test) It was perfect temperature and texture, strong and delicious. I was rapt to see there were so many vegetarian and vegan options on the menu, I'm used to only being able to choose one thing from the menu and struggled to choose something. My lovely waiter recommended the smoky eggplant and pita and I was not disappointed! Perfectly smoky eggplant, soft inside with a beautiful crispy skin, teamed like a dream with tangy pomegranate, warm pita and the most delicious hummus I have ever tried! Overall a positive experience. When I return I'm definitely going to try one of those yummy looking cannolis!
Came here on a sunny Sunday 😊 We started with some Aperol Spritz and ate the Sicilian Meatballs and the Breakfast Pasta, which were both delicious. The plate sizes are a little on the small side, but not so much that you leave hungry. The coffee and cakes on offer are delicious as well, we chose the cannoli. A couple of stars taken off due to some indifferent service when we walked in. It took a good 15 minutes to get someone to notice us and bring a menu. After that, they were lovely. Will definitely return 😊
Small Axe has quickly become our standard Saturday morning brunch spot as it's an easy walk from home and is one of the most consistent places we've found.
The staff are friendly and there is plenty of seating in a variety of places which depending on your mood give you good choices.
The usual order of poached eggs on toast with a thick cut of chargrilled bacon gets me every time.
A few things to note:
- don't bother with the fennel relish. It takes the flavour from the bacon
- the croquettes are constantly cooked perfect though recently I think they've changed the cheese inside them which has kind of spoilt the flavour
- the coffee is consistent and strong
- 20% of the time the toast will be cold, though it's still better than most in the area as they actually put butter on it
Overall this is a consistent 4.5 and will remain a regular spot for us.
It’s certifiably unwise to follow up a bloat-filled dinner at Ricky & Pinky with breakfast pasta the morning after, particularly one that doesn’t come in a gluten-free version, but not for the first time, I couldn’t resist. Not that Small Axe doesn’t have a plethora of delicious dishes that you can otherwise choose from. Bircher muesli gives way to a warm chestnut rice pudding, savoury lovers are well catered for with dishes that range from Sicilian meatballs to deep fried sandwiches, and sweet tooths can indulge in the likes of a citrus salad with candied rosemary and spiced sugar syrup as well as the intriguing grilled brioche, pistachio granita, espresso mousse and torrone with blood orange jelly.
Tucked away off the main drag, this establishment is lovely, great food, great service , coffee could be better but overall very nice for a Sunday morning
Oooh new fav breakfast item - Italian brioche, with various granitas, jelly and crunchy bits etc. The brioche is rather salty so it needs the granita and the whole thing gets this nice sweet savory play going. It could risk being a bit schizo, thankfully it's not.
I’m travel sick at the moment. Terribly, terribly travel sick. I’ve done a number of small trips this year, more than I’ve done previously (I think) and normally I come back refreshed and happy. But not this year. I just come back longing to have another trip coming up the following week, and perusing the internet for more travel sale deals.
What do you get when you combine cafe credentials with Sicilian flavour? Enter Small Axe Kitchen in Brunswick, putting the ‘delizioso’ in Sicilian brunch. Chef Adam Pruckner – formerly of Code Black, partners with wife and long-time friend, to introduce Sicilian flair into the grungy streets of Brunswick. The signature ‘Breakfast pasta’, has jaws dropping. The seemingly simple concept, has thrusted Small Axe Kitchen into the spotlight. ‘Breakfast’ and ‘Pasta’, are probably two words I’ld classified as two of my favourite in the English vernacular. Combining the two is
The breakfast pasta is delicious. It's a nice atmosphere and has an outside area that will be great in summer. Friendly staff. Disappointing that they have only one size coffee and it's quite small. The other problem is that it's cash only (at least when I was there). There is an ATM inside, but who wants to be charged fees to withdraw cash. Seems a bit basic not to accept card.
Really nice atmosphere. It was very busy and we had to wait to be seated but the staff attentive and it didn't take long. Despite it being busy it wasn't too noisy. Food was super tasty
We all know Melbourne cafe scene is vibrant and innovative. We also know Melbourne LOVES their coffee! So I think it is a pretty short sighted idea to start serving your Lattes in a small thick rimmed cup! Sure looks cute but you are charging full price for 3/4 coffee. Food is great, however as mentioned, you are operating in a competitive Cafe obsessed city.
Small Axe Kitchen has very recently opened up on Victoria Street in Brunswick, right near Sydney Road. I saw a couple of positive reviews from vegans and photos that looked pretty good so on my next Sydney Road grocery shopping trip, I checked it out. Inspired by the flavours of Sicily, the menu certainly has some good looking vegan options and it took me a while to work out what I’d get. It was down to two dishes so I went with my “when in doubt get the eggplant” strategy. Works every time! This is the smokey eggplant with pomegranate, almond hummus and tahini mayo, served with a flatbread ($18.50, can be made gluten free on request). In a word, this was excellent. The eggplant was perfectly done and there was a decent amount of it too:
Only wanna have a cup of coffee with friends, but special menu attract us to order dishes. Dedicating foods and great taste. Wanna go there again in the future.
So, another café popped up on Vic St, and boy does this one have an extensive choice of delicious food to choose from! I was a regular at Ray's until Small Axe opened its doors and I must say, it is a welcome addition to the breakfast options this side of town. A little bit Hipster, a little bit Mod-Aus and plenty tasty. The coffee is spot-on and there are a multitude of milk options, including spelt. Their brioche dish is particularly exciting - blood orange jelly cubes, espresso mousse, pistachio granita and the most beautiful presentation I've seen on a plate. It was such a delight to explore each texture and taste and it never felt overwhelming. Apart from a very enticing menu of Sicilian-inspired dishes and sides, the service is sincerely friendly and thee atmosphere warm and welcoming without trying too hard. There is outdoor seating too, so those with dogs will feel right at home. I will certainly be back to try the rest of their breakfast dishes!
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