Review Melba's Food Hall - Brunswick

Last Tuesday I went here and was pleasantly greeted by a very friendly and welcoming blonde teen. Service was great, definitely coming back here again. Produce was in good condition, good vibes.

Great service, excellent food selection to make great meals! I've been going here for years! Don't forget to join their loyalty program for specials! Some of the highlights are their pasta, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables (carrots especially) and wine!

A great place to dine in, have coffee, smoothies or purchase organic wholesome produce. Food is fresh and super delicious. Staff is friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!

Avoid if immunocompromised… staff often not wearing masks correctly, not covering nose. Owner walks around store with mask completely off under his chin. Today I watched a staff member set away all the baked goods with mask under chin. After 2 years you would think business’ would be across the very simple action of wearing a mask properly

I love this little grocer on my side of town. Good coffee, good wine, decent selection of products and the staff is always very friendly. The deli has some excellent quality stuff. The produce boxes are convenient and good value. Such a good addition to the neighbourhood, I'm glad it's here!

If you're able to support your local family grocer, please do! I've always felt welcomed walking into here and they offer such a variety of products for self declared foodies!

Good food hall. The Cafe space is a bit ordinary. Coffee is good. Customers were lingering after their meals which was not good for Covid precaution.

Lovely place to buy or eat food. Friendly staff. Great food .Nice atmosphere

Popped into the food hall with some pals who were visiting from NSW. Due to it still being holidays they had a reduced kitchen menu but were still more than happy to work with us for the perfect brunch meal. I ordered the bacon & egg roll with added avo and O M G it was to die for. I loved the twist of pickles and Dijon instead of the regular eggs, bacon and bbq sauce (a beloved classic but was a lovely change)<br/>They had a generous selection on sandwiches, salads, cakes and pastries (vegan and gf also😍) in the cabinet by the door to suit everyone’s needs. Will definitely be returning to this little gem when their full menu is open 😍

It’s great to see that Melba’s Food Hall is finding its feet as it starts to mature into a local favourite. The coffee is consistently good and the food that I've tried has been good. <br/><br/>There is a good selection of food at the supermarket side of things.<br/><br/>A local place that is worth supporting. <br/><br/>Coffee 4*Food 3*Service 2.5* Ambience 2.5*<br/><br/>Updated review: 17 April 2019<br/><br/> As a local I'd love to be able to say great things about this place ... especially as they have a new cafe which has strong competition in the area<br/><br/>The coffee is consistently good and the food that I've tried has been ok... but the service is very hit and miss.  The people they employ seem think that they are doing you a favour by being there.  <br/><br/>The cafe is situated amongst the fruit and veg which requires a low temperature so its often very cold to sit, particularly first thing.<br/><br/>Consistency is the key to survival in this area .. and there is much improvement required at Melba's food hall.<br/><br/>Coffee 4*<br/>Food 3*<br/>Service 1.5* .. occassionally very good but often very, very average.<br/>Ambience 2*

Strong coffee great staff and some good food options. I like this place! It's definitely not for everyone as the menu is more on the organic side which some won't like, but I think it's great. Awesome little treats and some great local craft brews to take home on a Friday night too

I really love having Melba's as my local. I come here for my veggies, cheeses and staples. On weekends I sit in for coffee and the coffee is consistently great. It has such a great vibe, I can't recommend it more highly

Great coffee, good organic & gourmet food options, good selection of craft beers, ace deli section. Definitely above par! Ill be back every time im nearby

New owners, Great Coffee - lots of organic choices - well done<br/>I really like the new guys and the new fruit and veg is all organic. Amazing array of <br/>boutique beers and lots of Italian wines

Really Improved. The new owners seem to be really making a lot of positive changes, I can't believe it's the same store it used to be. <br/>The range of health foods and craft beers is really impressive and the service is top notch.

Favourite place to shop for food. Melba's is truly great and I feel blessed to live locally. The staff are helpful, friendly and cheerful every time you visit. The coffee is great and so reasonably priced. The produce is delicious and among their awesome fresh foods they stock some pretty cool ready made frozen treats for long work days too.

Fantasic coffee and real customer service!. Melba's have lovely owners who bend over backwards to be service oriented. Fantastic coffee and a wide range of my dry ciders. The Liquorland across the road stock a very narrow range compared to Melba's. Never too much trouble to make up a sandwich of my choosing. Five star community oriented!

Hopeful. This local specialty grocer/ café has been a god send for me - love the "green eggs" which are the real deal free range, awesome range of bread (be quick on Saturdays!) and very well priced beer is a bonus. I am concerned though that the deli produce and coffee are below par. A good barista here (which is now absolutely expected in this fine suburb of ours) would make a world of difference. The number of people that would come in for coffee & leave with an armful of other goodies would make this place much more lively (it would make it worthwhile to put all the tables out again like they used to and make it look busier and more inviting). The long hours (open till 8pm I think!) are a little disconcerting too. A place like this should draw customers with quality, long hours cheapen the feel and I doubt they get many customers after 6pm. Also quick/ pre-made meals would be a great growth area - especially if they were better advertised and or stocked near the front. Finally it is a real shame to see the "real checkouts" unused - they are right near the window and it makes the place look empty and uninviting. Fingers crossed this place will find its feet as there's lots of good things going for it!

On the Way Up!. We have noticed a real difference between the old Melbas and the new. Firstly, the staples are covered. You can get Jonsesy's (full cream) Milk for a dollar cheaper than the competitors, and a 6-pack of Coopers for 3-4 dollars cheaper than local bottle-shops. Indeed the selection of beers is above average, and Benny is open for suggestions (which is in itself a big plus). We were looking for American Black Beans recently (trying a new recipe) and there they were. Also the opening hours seem to have become more convenient.<br/><br/>It's really encouraging to see a business trying so hard to provide a great service.

Dear all valued customers, I am the new owner of Melbas Food Hall for a week time. I really appreciated all the reviews you made on our shop. I have to say there is huge potential to be improved here, but for the shop with such big range of products, it will takes bit of time. <br/><br/>Erin, thanks for coming the shop and very sorry for the waiting, I found the same problem few times and I would be in the shop for most of time, wouldn’t allow letting customers to wait anymore. Plus we just upgraded our EFTPOS machine which is much more faster than the previous one. The Black Ruby gluten free bread is the best we can find, many customers booked it every week before Wednesday. Thinking you might would like to do that as well. <br/>We already start dropping the margin for many products make it more competitive, and more specials would come as well with even better products and quality food as result of sourcing more quality suppliers. <br/><br/>We would join buying group for our liquor section and bring more varieties of beer, wine, RTD and spirits with very competitive price and find better selective wine to satisfy all your tastes.<br/><br/>The Loyalty card is introduced in our cafe for seventh cup free with $3/cup. I cannot change coffee at this stage due to the deal with previous owner. However, you would see more options such as fresh juice, milk shake, etc... would be added up. Heaters has been brought for outdoors. Also the mini gallery is on the plan for our coffee section. All local young artists are welcomed to show off your pierce of art here. Anyway, we are opened for all suggestions and a cup of coffee as return. Lol............<br/> <br/>At last, I would personally apologize for all the disappointments and bad experience you ever had here, no matter its before or after I come to the shop. by any change if you come back talk to Benny for any ideas regarding the growth of your local shop. Hopefully can be your favourite one. <br/><br/>Thank you and all the best. <br/><br/>Benny Zhou

Food nice, service terrible. I've been to Melba's Food Hall many times over the last year. They have a large range of food, and make gluten free rolls (which is why I go). They have quite an array of products too, which are always interesting to look at.<br/><br/>However, they only get in gluten free bread and rolls once a week which are pretty much gone the second they are put on the shelves and the service is terrible. Last week I stood at the counter for a few minutes before anyone served me.<br/><br/>It's a shame the service is so slow and disorganised, because the food is quite good.

Terrible coffee. Gave them a second chance only to be disappointed again. A shame for a place that has such potential.

Underwhelming. It probably was above average, but sadly I am not sure I can see myself returning. A few requests were treated as annoyances, and the wine list is just mass market and expensive. Spice Temple is a better all round experience, even Number 8 may be a better experience.

Good quality and selection, price can be a little high, but you get what you pay for.

Melbas. Disapponted with Melbas as it has the potential to be a great find in Brunswick however, the last few times I have gone to Melbas I have increasingly found it incredibly fustrating for a number of reasons. First one is being over charged for my groceries on more than three occaisions over only 6 visits, next reason being charged over $4.00 for a meat pie which was advertised as being a gourmet beef pie but was instead a below average/standard grocery shop tasting mince pie, that was the last straw will not be back again

Last two visits staff were washing floor with high levels of bleach which left me gagging. This can not be good for customers and the raw and fresh food exposed to the fumes. Sack those juniors for they know nothing. Bring back the MBA family!

Amazing, refreshing to have.... Refreshing to have such quality food in the area. More known for the grocery store side of things rather than for its coffee.