Review Rubber Duck Cafe - Clifton Hill

A really nice warm cafe with great service, coffee and good food as well. We're shared a simple steak sandwich but it was well made and delicious. As stated above coffee was excellent.

Nice welcoming staff, up there with the best coffee and chai I’ve had in Clifton Hill, a good place to chill with newspapers or friends. Excellent breakfast, brunch and lunch options in a grand old building with nice al fresco options among a classic old school strip of shops 👍

A great place to catch up with a friend. Gluten free (celiac friendly) options too!

Rubber duck has a great location in Clifton Hill. There are seats around the perimeter of the cafe as well. We visited the place for brunch on a weekday. The corn fritters looked amazing but the high salt content made it quite difficult to eat. The bacon was crispy but the other components of the dish were overpowered by salt. The brunch spaghetti was a huge serve. The poached egg was perfect and the cream sauce was delicious. Service was friendly and efficient. Definitely worth checking out.

I've ridden past Rubber Duck so many times and wondered what it was like, so when I felt like a bite for lunch and remembered I went in. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and a croissant bacon bene on the menu... I was very happy. There are lots of things on the menu that I look forward to going back and trying. Some look good for me and some look so tasty I don't care if they are good for me 😆

Came to break the fast and it was a very enjoyable experience. The juice was amazing, the coffee was tasty and the food was phenom. The staff (there were about four that we encountered) were ALL very lovely and attentive.

I was so looking forward to my lunch today. The food is always good.here. But today was terrible. As a health professional I have never felt so exposed to Covid-19 in public as I was today. The cafe was full. One server doing table service was unmasked and explained they had an exemption. Two other servers wearing a mask under their nose and removing mask to talk to us. When called out this behaviour they too claimed they had exemptions - I find it hard to believe that 3 out of 4 server staff all had exemptions for mask (especially as 2 of them were wearing masks at the time of claiming an exemption). The remaining staff member was fantastic (and also wearing a N95 mask for her safety and the safety of patrons - please give her a raise). I’m really disappointed that now I cannot go out to a local cafe for lunch for fear of catching omicron from the people providing me hospitality services. I hope you can do better. PS I would have eaten outside if I could of but there is only one umbrella for outdoor dining, leaving the majority of the dining area in the searing hot sun at lunchtime.

Always a pleasure to drop in and grab a coffee and a bite to eat. Whether quick-grab takeaway or taking a seat when we can, the staff and decor give this local an atmosphere that welcomes all. Definitely try the haloumi dish. That's a winner. Personally though, I always stop by for a bacon and egg focaccia for brunch. The homemade relish is what makes this our constant go-to. Highly recommended.

Great service, good food; congratulations to the chef, top waiter with terrific sense of humour. Overall would recommend this place to anyone.

We were recommend Rubber Duck Cafe by people we met, and today we tried it. We were met by great, friendly staff who looked after us so well. The food was very good and the coffee perfect. The staff were industrious but stil had time to make us feel special. We will certainly go back and highly recommend it to others.

The deep fried rubber duck is to die for. A tantalising crispy outer and a deliciously rubbery inner makes this my go to meal when I'm in the mood for eating stuff from the bathroom.

Fast service, attentive staff, and when I ordered a dish to share with my daughter it came out served on two plates (instead of the one serve and an empty plate leaving it to me to separate) - a lovely touch definitely appreciated by this parent! Food and coffee are beautiful. We will definitely be back �

Good coffee and good breakfast however when the rush subsided staff did not clear plates off table ..... didn’t pay us any attention .... like the rush had finished so they could relax . Disappointed with service

Best breakfast ive ever had the veggie ducky amazzzzing awesome staff too

Love the food, coffee and staff keep up the great work guys �

Usually the coffee is great but I was disappointed this morning as it was weak and tasteless. Hope it is a one off! �

Rubens sandwich was wonderful, great service and atmosphere.

Just THE most amazing pancakes with raspberries, pistachio and maple syrup. Vibrant atmosphere... friendly staff. Love it!

Great people, good service and friendly staff!!!

Food consistently amazing!!!! Will always love this place.

Rubber Duck is a great place with delicious food and coffee!

Great food & coffee. Great service, only note is a bugbear of mine: minimum $10 on eftpos or a surcharge. I get it, there's a bank charge but customers hate it. Hate it.

Loving this place the food is really good so is the stuff

Had a brunch with the kids there this morning. Great food and great service what more can u ask for. Yum.

Are you open Australia Day? Normal trading hours??

Great food, great service, wish there was one in Brisbane Qld

Extremely efficient! Loved the coffee and breakfast was delicious 😋

Good coffee, yummy food. Nice outdoor area on sunny days. <br/>We had a big group with lots of different meals ordered. It didn’t take too long and all the meals were fabulous.

Is it the poor, less crowded cousin to 2 bob? No, it’s different (apart from the coffee, which was ok) , but really depends on your menu preferences. The chia pudding was a work of art; it was almost too pretty to eat. Their menu is a bit more conventional but it’s an excellent choice. Service was great. A nice spot.

<br/>Buzzy little cafe in Clifton Hill. Lots of people in here on a cold grey Melbourne day. The cafe was jumping probably because of the surprisingly limited options in this area.<br/><br/>Initial service at the counter from a tall ponytailed server was downbeat and bordering on sour. Not a great impression when you’ve taken the trouble to come here. The decor is ok without anything startling. Nice exposed bluestone on one of the walls. The couple of rubber duck references dotted around are good but you could make more of it and have it work. Mountain of Bears in Ormond comes to mind in that category,<br/><br/>My coffee was broadly good. I’d asked for cold milk on the side to add to a large long black. But, the brew was poured so high in the mug you couldn’t add it. And, the brew was almost scalding and I had to wait a while for it to cool. Not a huge thing but it did strike me as thoughtless serving of a simple item. The coffee was reasonable, I thought. Good sized mug and served on a nice board and ultimately it satisfied the taste test. I initially thought it seemed a little burnt but by midway it was tasting good.<br/><br/>So, nothing exceptional here on my experience. With so many good places in the nearby suburbs of Fitzroy and Northcote I can’t immediately see a reason to come here again.

My friend ordered Green eggs. I ordered baked eggs. They are both very nice!! The only little improvement is that my friend wishes the hams in the Green eggs are fried.

This was our last breakfast in Melbourne before heading back to Perth, and wow was it amazing!!! I had the scotch eggs and they were awesome! Great service, friendly staff. I’d go there all the time if I could...

I've finally managed to visit Rubber Duck. A welcoming space with excellent coffee. The menu is simple and well balanced. Portion sizes are great and well priced. We would definitely visit again. Child friendly ♡

If you can get a table on a Saturday and are willing to be jammed in rubbing arms with the person on the table next to you, it's worth coming here. The coffee is average but the breakfast choices are many and quite tasty. The eggs benny are very nice. We frequent this cafe but we do avoid it at peak times as the service drops and it's not very comfortable when it's packed. During the week it's a totally different and much improved atmosphere.

Four of us went there for brekkie. The food was ok (but nothing special) and the coffee was pretty good. But the service... There was a jug of water on the table, but only one glass.  There was only enough cutlery for three. One meal was forgotten (to their credit, when they did bring it out after everyone else had eaten, we weren't charged for it).  And our waiter was enthusiastically chewing gum with his mouth open.  The ambiance was good and the staff were friendly, but the overall feeling was that of amateurs looking after front of house. With such good alternatives in the area, e.g. Uncle Drew, Two Bob, Mixed Business, Mitte, there's no reason to go to Rubber Duck.

Good all-rounder cafe. Our food came out amazingly fast. The coffee was good and strong. Good service.<br/><br/>I always get bacon and eggs when I go out for breakfast, so I'm an expert on that dish. (I got really adventurous this time and added mushrooms). It was pretty good, but I have had better: 3.5 stars. My parter liked her quinoa porridge. <br/><br/>It's probably silly but the rubber duck theme annoys me! But overall a great cafe and I'd go back.

One of the best latte's in town! <br/>We ordered the salmon sandwich, they were exceptional, not the usual but was thoughtfully put together . Wait was slightly long, considering we were with 2 babies, prob felt like the wait was longer than usual.

Super friendly staff, they take their coffee seriously, nice decor with lots of seating options.  <br/>The lunch menu is not very extensive but enough of a choice to be able to find something of interest. <br/>The food was terrific  though. They have a few craft beers and wines to choose from. <br/>I can't quite decide if the serves were a little to small or if the meal was a little over priced , or perhaps both. <br/>Rubber duck are to be found in odd places every where you look.

A very Lovely place in a cute setting. Friendly staff made us feel very warm. Perfect temperature drinks, we were impressed by the menu and selection they had. Highly recommended by locals and instantly can see why. Thanks Rubber Duck

Really generous servings, my boyfriend loves a BIG breaky and this place offered a huge breakfast. I wasn't too hungry so got toast with a side of bacon and smashed avo. Smashed avo was literally that, smashed avocado (which I love) I hate when places mix too much feta and lemon etc with it to turn it into something other than avocado. <br/>Coffees were ok- not bad, not amazing. All and all a good place!

First as I was through the doors when this cafe opened, and a bi-weekly patron since, it's with a heavy heart that we have decided we will not go there again. The business was taken over recently, and - usual story - standards have since been on the slide. Firstly, the once consistently great food is simply not as good as it used to be. In addition, maintenance issues were not being addressed (broken door handles, toilets not clean, plumbing out of commission, light globes not replaced). Through all this, we were still giving our favourite cafe the benefit of the doubt, until we were treated quite rudely by one of the wait staff, and made to feel our custom and opinions were of no value. So, Rubber Duck, thankyou and goodnight. As far as we're concerned, your goose is cooked.

Delicious food, and great value for money. The interior is spacious and homely. Coffee was not amazing, but definitely passable. Duck theme is cute :)

I love this place. Staff are friendly and cafe is well set out. The coffee is great and they do some of the best muffins in the area. The food is also very very good. I love the steak sandwich with chips which is perfect - not too thick cut making the sandwich wet and soggy and cooked just right. The rest of the menu is equally good.

Not sure why this place is boasting a 3.3 rating as it deserves more. The food and coffee here is actually better than most places. Notwithstanding I know the interior and the atmosphere it provides could definitely do with some work.

Work in the area and finally had a longer lunch so I could check the place out.<br/>Outside it didn't seem that busy, but I stepped in it was a different story, the place was buzzing.<br/>I was quickly seated and orderd the steak sandwich.<br/>It was very tasty and seasoned well.<br/>It actually didn't take long at all for my food to come out, even though it was very busy.<br/>Took my bf and his mum here a few months later and again it was busy but we were seated straight away and attended to immediately, so great service.<br/>We ordered breakfast and it was outin maybe 15mins. <br/>Overall the food is awesome and the service is top notched. <br/>Highly recommend 😉<br/><br/>

I haven't been here for a while so I went for a late brunch today to give this cafe a current review. <br/>The coffee was good. But most importantly the food was amazing! I love the fact that this place has all day breakfast. <br/>I had The Big Ducki, which was the works on a plate! Eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, home made baked beans, spinach, multigrain toast and the best hash browns I've ever had. Yummmm lol<br/>It was a lot to eat but it's worth every cent. <br/>They also serve a Bloody Mary which is my brunch time favourite haha<br/>My friend had Cheddar toasted muffins and he really enjoyed the quality of the food and the atmosphere. <br/>This cafe is definitely worth a visit but beware, it can get really hot inside, which is fine in winter but on a hot day, maybe sit outside? Enjoy :-)<br/>

I live walking distance and even tho there are places closer I make the effort to go here. Service is fantastic and attentive. Coffee is very good! I highly recommend.

Rubber Duck Cafe in Clifton Hill is one of my local haunts. It’s great for a coffee, cake as well as nice hearty brunch. With Christmas leading to most places having very limited hours and menus I was pleased to see this place was open and packed to the rafters. The menu here is quite eclectic with a bit of everything. Normally I would have their “green eggs and ham” with poached eggs, pesto and ham off the bone…

Regular readers will know that I love a good long black, and I had one of the best I've encountered in a while at Rubber Duck this morning. The crema was devine, the flavour was rich and bold, but without overwhelming. The beans they had chosen were of the rich, chocolate-y variety, and they had extracted every last drop of goodness from them, while leaving the bitter behind.

amazing customer service, got double booked at mixed business.. called rubber duck and they accomidated for our group of 10 with ease. <br/>great staff, great prices and fantastic food. <br/>everyone was happy with the meal atmostphete and customer service. <br/>highly reccomend!

Gr8 Place, coffee , service Xcellent<br/>Only went past for a Qik coffee. <br/>Love the name , the decor was great and the staff friendly and helpful. I was there alone and felt very welcome<br/><br/><br/>Gotta go back for the food as it looked <br/>Yummeeeeee

GREAT BREAKFASTS. The corn fritters were delicious, have been back a few times now. <br/>Service is fast. Meal was out before my coffee was made. <br/>This has been the same each time I have returned.<br/>One of my favourite cafes !!!

Great Cafe!. I love The Rubber Duck - The lamb salad is to die for and the coffee is fabulous. I think everyone needs to know that working in hospitality can get crazy (past experiences) and I truly do take my hats off for the staff of The Rubber Duck for their excellent service. I especially love the breakfast menu! I have never had a bad experience here and the quality of food/coffee/service has always been fantastic. LOVE IT! :)

Awful Coffee. Came here on Friday morning with family who come here regularly. I've been here a few times as it's close to home, has lovely staff and usually an empty table in the sun. Usually the coffee is petty mediocre but had a completely undrinkable long black in the morning. It tasted incredibly gritty and burnt. A home made instant would have been better. I offered a sip to my guest who couldn't stomach it either. <br/><br/>I am severely disappointed with the service of the staff in how they handled this issue. As I went to pay I politely let the waiter know that I couldn't finish it and explained what it tasted like. I was issued a "sorry" by the waiter but no offer of a refund or at least to remake the coffee. The barrista also stayed silent when he could obviously here my complaint. <br/><br/>Working in hospitality I know the odd coffee can be a failure but at least don't charge the customer when they can't even stomach two sips. Really disappointed and feeling ripped off!

Terrible service. Waitress did everything possible to delay a simple request despite being told I was in a rush - best thing about the experience wa to know I will NEVER be back

Take a punt!. I have to be honest, I've avoided this place for such a long time due to its low US rating. Unfortunately, today, the cafe we wanted to brunch at was overflowing so I reluctantly agreed to head a short way down the road to Rubber Duck. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the staff are kind of hostile & carry out their job with no extra fluff, but they get things right. The food was lovely. Fresh, hot, crispy where crispy needed to be. Well cooked eggs & cute presentation. The inside of the cafe has weird acoustics so it does get loud. Perhaps take that into consideration when choosing indoor/outdoor. I'm looking forward to going back.

Great find. Fantastic food and friendly service :)

Terrible food. We live around the corner and decided to try rubber duck and not one of our other regulars. What a bad decision, food really average, one dish returned barely eaten. The tart was horrible, a runny mess. The salad was soaking in an oily dressy, very ordinary. The chicken salad was also over dressed, and even with that rather tasteless and very disappointing. Saving grace we were not charged for the terrible dish but we won't be back. Big miss!

Steak Sandwich. It's sumptuous and good to share on two platters. The staff may even sling you some extra chips.

Sticky Pork Belly with scrambled eggs. Delicious!

Mixed feelings, rude staff. I'll agree the coffee is fantastic from here but the food is sometimes just not worth the money. As a local of Clifton Hill I do often come to the rubber duck and the staff are just too jumpy and rude. The girl who takes my order sometimes does not even look me in the eye and acts like I am wasting her precious time everytime I've been here. I understand that working in a cafe is a busy job but staff need to be welcoming and relaxed, not up tight and rude.

Really quick service. In and out in 40 minutes and good price. I had the corn fritters which were really great, but I didn't like that it was served with fresh tomato, would've preferred cooked! My boyfriend had the big ducky brekky and he enjoyed, except said the hash browns weren't nice. Would recommend it's a nice place with good food and great atmosphere :)

Disappointing. Breakfast? Don't bother. Very small serve of pallid, bland scrambled eggs of sloppy consistency. Served with one small piece of dry toast. No butter, no parsley or other garnish and absolutely overpriced at $8.90. Topped off by a tedious, arrogant wait staffer.

Delicious. Came here on a Sunday late afternoon, coffee was excellent and service friendly. I had a beef pot pie with puff pastry which was just delicious. The crinkle cut chips was also great. The cafe has a very cosy and homey vibe which was perfect on a cold Melbourne winter day.

Just eaten here for breakfast and the service was very good, love being offered a coffee as soon as I sit down! Nice coffee as well. Will come here again!

Was surprised about the poor comments about the service, we had great service and the food and drink presentation was great! Will definitely be going back!

We had breakfast here this morning, nice coffee, very friendly staff. Busy but the service was still quick. Only criticism would be a small menu selection - extras are rather pricey as well. But will definitely frequent in the future.

Merlot. Been going to rubber duck cafe for a while, has it changed hands recently?? Took kids there today for milkshakes and pancakes. Greeted by aloof waiter and asked to go & sit down when we were looking at cake display. Unfriendly, it was a hassle for him to serve someone with urrrh kids, although they were sitting down being well behaved!!! Food always ok but his uptight attitude a complete turn off, I won't be going back. 15 Pounds in Fairfield much better.

Amazing Food, Service is brilliant, Staff are friendly and Coffee to die for! Love the quirkiness and so glad to be walking distance to Rubber Duck! I think over the Christmas and New Year period I went their at least 5 Times ! The Leak Tart with Pumpkin and Goats Cheese is Devine! Thumbs up RD! Good Luck for 2014!

Pancakes not good. Pancakes were awful, not light and fluffy, but gluey. They need different coffee type too. In competition with good coffee in queens parade, they need to have great coffee to keep people coming back. Cavallini's coffee is streets ahead of this place and will mean I won't come back to rubber duck .

Pancakes suck. Pancakes were gluggy and horrible. Coffee only drinkable, not enjoyable - thin, with a woody aftertaste. Scrambled eggs are good.

Most delicious Bircher muesli!

My sister raves about this place so I finally went myself. Staff were great, food was nice but could've been improved. Also it was a really warm day when we went and there no curtains on any of the windows so you had to hide from the sun

A hot day in melbourne... Came here with a friend, had brunch and a beer each... the food was delicious and fresh and the staff were great. loved the quaint wallpaper.

Comfy cafe food ok. Easy parking,and a roomy, comfy cafe, dark in areas for quiet and light in others with the papers and in house merchandise.<br/>Water to the table by efficient staff, not too friendly, yet not aloof, just staff being staff.<br/>Pancake stack with blue berries and ice cream is ok, pancakes not fluffy, a little mushy but moist and loads of ice cream but straight from the big plastic tub<br/>Coffee great<br/>Orange juice, and other juices, freshly squeezed, ample in size, a little ice, very nice but what's with serving them in jam jars, don't try to be cool, you sell nice in house crockery etc, how about serving your juice in aesthetically modern and well designed glass ware.<br/>We also had the steak sandwich, around 16 bucks as too were the pancakes.<br/>Unfortunately, it is not an Aussie inspired steak sandwich which is the best, and homage to our country and traditions, but instead an amalgam of trendy lettuce varieties, subtle mayo sauce and modern bun.<br/>The steak was way undersized but on a positive , it is easy and not messy to eat, and was acceptable to eat, but a real steak sand which is filling, and beautiful and juicy! This was dry, but acceptable.<br/>Pitty , as memories of this place could be so much better.<br/>Chips a bland, and come with the steak sandwich.<br/>I do not like having food like this served on a cutting board, a trend at the moment, call me old fashioned, but I do prefer to eat my food off a plate, not off a piece of timber.<br/>Service good.<br/>Out door seating<br/>Coffee great

Love the coffee always perfect. Never changes even though different baristas. Just had a fire. I'll be back as soon as Paul and Rubber Duck team are!!!

Great new local. Very glad to have such a cute little local cafe walking distance away!

Always great breakfast, and so good to see a cafe open this time of year!

Thirsty. Tried to get coffee ...... don't bother!

Nice cafe. Great decor and outdoor seating! Delicious freshly squeezed juice. Breakfast was standard not awesome, not horrible. Great if you have a dog!

This is a family friendly spot with a nice atmosphere. The menu is varied, the staff are attentive and the coffee is OK.

There are much better brunch spots. A spoon of cold hollandaise sauce with poached eggs was odd and disappointing.

We found the food very disappointing. I ordered gluten-free bread, and it was fried ???<br/>My partner had crinkle-cut chips which had a truckload of chicken salt on them ??<br/>Won't be going back.

Not a fan. I've been a few times now and the coffee is pretty terrible. I don't think the baristas are properly trained because DiBella coffee can be great and the machine is nice. The decor is kind of awful too. They've taken the 'duck' theme way too far. There are too many other great cafes near by to bother going back.

Great fit out and good tasting food. However, the meal choices - esp for lunch - require greater attention to detail. A menu that has two to three stand out items will help keep people coming back. The uninspiring wine and beer list also requires review. Ensuring that the food and drinks match the awesome fit out will make this place a total winner.

Amazing decor and atmosphere. Horrible dry chicken for both my husband and sons meals, however my poached eggs were delish.

Thank you! After posting my.... Thank you!<br/>After posting my comment in regards to the service, the manager very kindly contacted me with an apology and explanation. Much appreciated!<br/><br/><br/>-----16 Aug, 2013-----<br/><br/>Disappointing. As a local of Clifton Hill, I regularly have coffee in the village. For the past few weeks I tried the Rubber duck for a daily coffee. At $4.50 for a coffee it is expensive but I tolerated this for location. <br/>Last Sunday morning, I was embarrassed and disappointed that when I went to order a coffee, I was told by the waiter that unless I was eating I would have to sit outside...There were tables available inside at this time.<br/>I hate this attitude as they have been more than happy to accept my money during the week. I wont be going back, nor will I recommend this "up yours" cafe to anybody in the area. Staff need to have an attitude adjustment !!

Duck yeah!

Regulars here, must visit at least 3-4 times a week! Coffee is the best around Clifton Hill, service is quick and accommodating. Eaten almost all of the menu, stand out items are the Cheddar Muffin, take away menu and steak sandwich. <br/><br/>Highly recommend checking this funky duck out!

Really average quality of food. I had the cheesy savoury muffin with poached eggs, ham, hollandaise and caramelised onion- hold the BBQ sauce.<br/><br/>Cheesy savoury muffin- English muffin with toasted cheese on top. Oily and unacceptable to any paying customer over the age of 5.<br/><br/>Ham- thickly sliced Virginian ham; as if bought pre-sliced from Safeway deli that morning. Hard and rubbery.<br/><br/>Caramelised onion- cold and strong in flavour. Definitely from a jar. Couldn't eat it.<br/><br/>I'm not going back to eat- the coffee was good. Definitely go for the coffee.

LOVE THE DUCK. Been many times , and always feel welcome , food tasty and arrives on time ( if busy i can wait, its busy i understand ) i love the duck ))

Food was great and the service was excellent and maybe I'm hung over but it was just too busy.

Been here twice, very highly recommended. Staff are polite & helpful, service fast. Food is fantastic, the best bacon, eggs & roasted tomato on crisp grain toast today. Coffee in big mug very good. Love the decor & it's very clean, no dirty uncleared tables. Best cafe in an area of great cafes.

Loved it! Attentive, friendly service, good food and great coffee. More importantly, even on a busy Saturday, the food came out quickly. When you have kids they hate waiting for food. I have officially said good bye to Two Bob's painfully slow kitchen and found my new weekend cafe!

Been twice fantastic food, coffee and service both times. Dill crepes with salmon very tasty and generous portion size. Corn fritters (contrary to a recent review) also very good. Excited to have a good new local option - and the rubber ducks and yellow accented decor makes me smile :-)

Had breakfast/ lunch there today second time I have been this time all was good food good coffee good most of staff good except for when it came time to pay the manager (young male who seemed to be in charge) told our group that we couldn't split bill even though the other waitress had already started to split it and was told cash only even when he just received a card payment from another customer he kept insisting on cash but took card we all commented on how rude he was and said would be better in another eatery in the area

My mum and I went to rubber duck this morning for brunch and were really happy. The service and food were fantastic and you don't feel rushed to leave if you want to relax and take your time here and so refreshing to come somewhere where it's not full of indie hipsters wanting to be seen! Great choice f music too guys whilst having the speakers fixed you played great tunes I will be back for more

Wow what a fit out! Looks keep up with the food, Cool new place in Clifton Hill ill be back ...

A local in the area I thought this place looked great. It was packed to the rafters which should have been a good sign. Unfortunately not- I had the corn fritters which were so overlooked they were in edible and I was picking hard corn out of my teeth for the next 40 minutes. My bf had the omelette which was more like rubber. No good. Not returning. Il stick with Two Bob across the road