Review Wilfred Smith - Essendon

The Chef catered to my request. The staff is awesome and friendly. They have great coffee and single origin coffee. Some organic ingredients on menu. Great spot. I go there regularly although I'm a cafe hopper. They got my attention!

We came here this morning and the food was fantastic. I ordered a triple shot large latte with a brioche French toast with honeycomb, mascarpone and maple syrup. It was a great breakfast dish with well balanced flavours, not overly sweet and fresh. Highly recommend trying this place!

I've just come from the Wilfred Smith and I have to the say it was a joy. Firstly, the coffee was bang on and served with a smile - always a plus. I then ordered myself the gammon with bubble and squeak and I must say, it was exquisite! Lovely, friendly staff and a chilled out vibe. I will be hitting the place up again very soon. Cheers guys!

My favourite coffee in Essendon and surrounding areas. Always order a Magic with a two-cheese toastie and they never disappoint (I recommend a crack of pepper on top). Staff are welcoming, courteous and professional. Do not expect to be judged for not having a beard, tattoos, piercings and labelless clothing. This gem is no Seven Seeds and is better for it!

Best coffee around that area hands down. You can really taste the true flavours of the roast and definitely not the excess milk you find at other cafes.

Great breakfast, place is nice and cosy

Great service, food and coffee. Their donut dessert also goes really well with the coffee when you're feeling a little puckish.

Very nice breakfast after a long ride one fine morning - coffee good also (very important) Baked egg was lovely and hit the spot.

Used to go here all the time. Turned up for the truffle eggs this morning on gluten free toast. I got some cheap - ass Coles white gluten free bread untoasted and soggy. And was charged $13. Never going back. So very disappointed and still hungry. Thumbs down W &S

Rubbish service: 3 confused staff with 2 customers in whole cafe, rubbish coffee & extortionate pric+20cents to use payWave .

Not sure what happened but this is not the same Wilfred Smith it used to be. The customer service has changed, the new menu I really don't like it, I miss the old scrambled eggs with truffle oil or the hot cakes ... many of the wonderful things that used to bring me here every weekend .. very disappointed.

Fabulous cafe! Food and coffee delish and lovely service!

Lovely staff in primo spot!! Make a mean long black mocha!!! Thanks team

Best northside coffee, quirky and pretty decor, really friendly service and truffle eggs to die for

Great cafe. Staff great food fantastic coffee great

Delightful cafe in Essendon. Relaxing, light-filled environment. Excellent breakfast - the ginger hotcakes hit the mark.

Delicious breakfast with some fresh, unique twists - will be back to try the lunch menu which looked amazing too!

Lovely little cafe set inside the front of an old house. They have made good use of the space that they have. Really would have like to have tasted their coffee, but they were having water issues at the time :( The meals we ordered were super delicious though, so we will have to make the effort back to hopefully enjoy the coffee too.

My friend and I visited Wilfred Smith over the long weekend and my goodness it was completely worth it! <br/>I ordered the Chia Granola Pudding, it had pink pear, fresh strawberries and mango puree delicately placed on top of toasted muesli and chia seed pudding. Honestly, it doesnt seem or look like much in the bowl but in this case looks are indeed deceiving!<br/><br/>My friend ordered the Salmon Waffles. There were two small waffles under a generous serving of salmon, served with fresh pesto. The plating of the dish was amazing! They used so many colours in their garnish and again, although it looked small my friend said it was really filling!<br/><br/>I will also commend them for their coffee, it was perfect and even the latte art was amazing! The staff were lovely, our waitress was happy to have a conversation with us when we initially arrived and even as we were leaving, they asked us how everything was and if there were any improvements they could make.<br/>The ONLY improvement: the chairs need cushions :D<br/><br/>Overall I was impressed with the customer service, we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and the perfect coffee really was the cherry on top!<br/><br/>Ps. Please don't forget the cushions hehe

Coffee is delicious! Their food is great just wish there were more options to choose from! Staff are friendly and it's a really nice place to go to relax!

| CRUMPETS | <br/><br/>This was an alright little dish, although not very filling and the crumpets were barely luke warm. I wouldn't order it again. Some very interesting items on the menu though, my partner enjoyed his meal.

You know im an easy goin kinda gal and not overly fussy (ok so maybe with food I am, cos ya know I love it and have experienced quite a bit food wise) but when customer service is unfriendly it REALLY IRKS me. Its not hard to smile and be nice. The waitress plonked cups and forks down, its cool. I was served food without any word. I still thanked. I did hear a "here you go" and "hi there" to a few others. Dunno maybe because Im Muslim I didnt suit the decor? Maybe the two ladies broke up with their boyfriends. No idea. But I wont be back. Too many awesome cafes with awesome friendly staff. Oh and better food bruv 😁

So glad to have stumbled on this fantastic cafe. The coffee is great (Humble Harry beans), staff are friendly, service is fantastic and I loved sitting at the bench just watching the world go by while enjoying a great piccolo. Definately coming back to have a bite to eat next time.

A great local stop in.<br/><br/>Small courtyard frontage with more dining inside. Staff are welcoming and attentive with breakfast or lunch dishes being full flavoured and delicious.<br/><br/>Coffee is good and consistent which is always key in the local area.<br/><br/>We will soon be hearing more and more about these guys as they deliver scrumptious treats to us all

You know that Wilfred Smith gives its dishes lots of care and attention with each dish coming out looking like a piece of art. Unfortunately the dishes themselves do not meet the same standard - the salmon waflax was too salty while the crumpets, while good, were more normal than expected. To be clear, the food wasn't bad, however seeing beautifully presented dishes sets expectations that you are in for an amazing treat so you are left feeling a bit underwhelmed when the taste doesn't meet the same level. All in all, Wilfred Smith has its own unique vibe which is evident from the dishes on offer and the staff who work there.

Came here for a spot of lunch, found very Englishy options including a Ploughmans with an accompanying craft beer. Unfortunately it was a menu error and they don't have their licence yet, but the Ploughmans was still pretty awesome. Good coffee and friendly prompt service, we will definitely be back...

Please. No folks, being in a suburban area, wearing a nose ring (two wait people) and wafting bad attitude as if you are a trendy or top notch eatery doesn't work if your food doesn't deliver. Baked eggs, pass. Reuben sandwich, salty and inedible, staff attitude.... rude and indigestible. Take a hint and improve

This cafe is super cute and quaint. The staff are friendly and attentive. Coffee is great and good is delicious. Nothing here I could fault. Keep up the good work!

What a surprise to find duck okonomiyaki (Japanese omlette) on the menu of a little suburban cafe - 2 of us tried it and it was devine ! Really impressed - as we have tried a number of okonomiyaki variations years ago when travelling in Hokkaido Japan. Our other friend tried the baked eggs with salmon which he enjoyed. Equally impressed with the nice touch of the fresh cucumber and mint infused still drinking water on our table - very refreshing and tastee - don't mind if I do at home now.

Wildred Smith used to be my regular breakfast cafe before I moved house so it had been a couple of months since I had been. Upon returning I so happy to see that it was still the amazing cafe it always had been. They menu has been updated and updated well! With classic menu items well modified and new items too hard to choose between! Safe to say I will be returning to Wilfred Smith again shortly with so many new and improved breakfast and lunch choices as well as their always amazing donut selection! Oh, and coffee as good as ever with my favourite friendly barista.

The place is really nice! I love the idea of a house transformed into a cafe, really cosy. <br/>The staff were super friendly aswell. <br/>Okonomiyaki was seriously the tastiest I've tried!

Venue: Kinda like going to someone's house 😅 it's a corner block didn't think it would be a house turned into a cafe. Very small not much room to move around and tables are quite close to each other. <br/>Good effort can say it's your friendly neighbour cafe.<br/><br/>Food: Baked eggs - a little over cook and bland not much flavour. Just a little disappointed as the hype was to see how good it was. <br/>I really like the orange juice and the granola parfait was pretty impressive. With the right amount of granola and creamy texture.<br/>Though the strawberry doesn't look fresh. <br/>

<br/><br/>Breaking one’s fast from a restful night of sleep with nourishing foods charges all body cylinders. <br/>on a cold wet Saturday morning one needs a hearty breakfast<br/><br/>Sat by the window and feasted on beautifully cooked scrambled eggs and bacon and the two mushroom croquets, <br/><br/>The staff were friendly, they use single origin coffee here, I also noticed at the counter the homemade donuts, decadent morsels are packed with butter and sugar and a slew of other ingredients your doctor advises against, will try them on my next visit<br/>

Not sure why the 2 specials we had today weren't on the menu, might have them every week if so. Waiting staff very nice and a nice quiet spot for a Sunday brekkie. Nice coffee too. Simple things are great like the herb garden inside and lime wedges in the bottled water at each table. Get around this place at all costs. Back for sure

Love this place! The staff are super nice and make a bang on coffee. The specials are always scrumptious and those ginger pancakes are my jam.

A popular, yet lonely little café nestled between regular houses on a surburban street. Would never have just passed by, unless actually looking for this café. Coffees are good and food is delicious, although they do require a bit of a wait. Would recommend if in the area. Cool water jug  . Cappuccino (regular) $3.50

Have been going here a lot lately and we love it. Pleasantly surprised they have a new menu this morning looks great and lucky they have left my fav Truffle scrambled on menu. Best coffee in the area too!

So disappointing. Coffee was ok. Food was misrepresented which is so annoying. Ordered the granola parfait which ended up being a sundae bowl with a yoghurt blob on one side and museli on the other. Nothing "parfait" about that and no toasted museli is not granola folks. Reason I'll never return is simple after not touching that runny watery yogurt and boring museli which you couldn't eat cause every time you touched it with the spoon it feel out of the bowl. I thought I'd have the manners to let someone know that it was not enjoyable and not a parfait and was told "it will be off the menu next week" as if I wasn't the first one to raise the issue and too bad basically. Left hungry, no care factor, would never recommend this place. Get a clue customers have options.

We had a real nice breakfast. Coffee was great and the salted caramel donut was lovely. I had the Wilf. Great poached eggs, bacon and beans but the highlight was the two mushroom croquets. Do yourself a favour and order extra croquets from the get go because others will steal them from you! And it had homemade potato crisps on it too, very scrumptious. We'll definitely be back again because I saw people eating more dishes that I wanted to try. Very reasonably priced too.

This cute cafe has friendly staff and consistently good food. They have set the bar for the Albion St cafes. <br/><br/>Service: you are welcomed when you arrive and they do table service - hallelujah! They are dog-friendly in their front courtyard and curb-side table sections.<br/><br/>Food: They have a solid menu with some interesting options and also offer daily specials. Their food is consistently good, even during busy periods. Their food is really well priced and I usually can get a coffee and full breakfast / lunch for $20.<br/><br/>They've achieved a good balance here, I think these guys are here to stay! This gem will remain my local go-to cafe.

This is a quite a nice place for breakfast or lunch. The coffee is decent and the food is also of a very good standard. The only issue is the service, though the staff are very polite the food took way too long to arrive. Not reccommended if you're in a hurry.

I keep going back. Great food with quality ingredients. Friendly staff. Single origin coffee. The homemade donuts are awesome. My favorite is the breakfast salad and the fish taco.

Amazing coffee! Have to say its the best in the area!<br/>You have to try the hot cinnamon doughnuts! OMG they are just superb!<br/>I think the breakfast and plating could do with some improvements. The mushroom croquets aren't always cooked well... The toast is generally over toasted and hards.<br/>Overall worth a visit!!!

What a lovely little spot for Sunday brunch! .. or anytime brunch for that matter. Absolutely enjoyed my brunchtime visit to this cute little cafe a couple of weeks ago. <br/><br/>It is a little while away from the other main cafes/shops in Essendon, but it is truly worth the short journey. <br/><br/>It is a small venue, but we were able to get a table shortly after our arrival, despite the cafe being quite busy. It didn't feel too crammed either!<br/><br/>They serve lovely complimentary table water infused with cucumber (refreshing - particularly for a hangover!) ;-)<br/>I ordered the baked eggs and was not disappointed. The eggs were creamy and the yolks a perfect runny - exactly how baked eggs SHOULD be! Very satisfying and comfortably filling. My brunchtime companion ordered the scrambled eggs, and commented that they were the best scrambled eggs she'd ever had.<br/>Upon paying the bill, I noticed they also sell a selection of gorgeous looking donuts (including nutella donuts of course) - I didn't ask whether they were house made or ordered in, but all the same I grabbed a strawberry and pistachio one for take-away, and must say it was the BEST donut I have ever had in my life.<br/>Would highly recommend and will most definitely be back :)

Friendly little cafe that has great coffee. A good vibe, fitout make it a good spot to relax. Homemade donuts look the goods! Definitely worth a visit.

Tried this cute little place over the weekend with my sister. Really friendly service from the all the staff which was really lovely. I personally love when you can have a laugh with your waiter!! They had my favourite Chai so I was already won over and my sister said her coffee was perfect. Food was delicious and pretty. I had the fish tacos...Yum yum and my sister had the baked eggs which were that good I kept stealing. When we went to pay they had these awesome donuts on display obviously who says no to a donut?!!! Have to say they were the BEST donuts I have ever had. I cant believe my sister had not taken me here sooner! I am not local to this place but will try to visit again.

Absolutely love this place. Food is amazing and a great price. The granola is my favourite and only $9.50. Coffee is on of the best I have had. Been here quite a few times now in the past 4 months and never fails.

A cute cafe with hearty, good quality food and friendly staff. This place has a bright decor, giving it a pleasant atmosphere. The food is good and fairly priced. While the menu is not extravagant, I would return here for the breakfast classics.

Had a beauty of a feed at this joint the other morning with my missus. Was gonna hit up Maccas for the usual but my car is still in the bloody impound! Instead we walked up the road for a bit to get the heart pumping and we came across this place. Smashed down some killer scrambled eggs and beans. A sick feed, will come again<br/>5 stars

It is beyond my expectation. Reasonably priced and very good service. I will definitely come back for more. The food is creative and carefully prepared. <br/>

Quality and little touches a stand out

LOVE!. Wilfred Smith is wonderfully refreshingly and delightful. Its both the little touches and the big picture that differentiate Wilfred Smith. They are true to their food and honest in the delivery. Table water is served in a generous bottle, with beautiful fresh mint and other good things. A good way to tell the sincerity of an eatery is their water. Too many cafe's will not even have bottles but fill the glass sparingly so you order a drink. The most important thing, the food was DELICIOUS. I had so many good things. Eggs with pickled veg and citrus, cured salmon...wow. So clean, so good. I also love the attention to detail that they drain the water from the poached eggs properly, nothing is slap dash. There was one tiny thing that I didn't love (although it seems to be popular among other good cafe's) there was some exposed muffins or something that weren't in a cabinet. I know it looks cute uncovered, but I didn't love that.<br/><br/>Thank you Wilfred Smith I will be back!!! :)

The friendly service is instantly welcoming. Smith gets what the locals want – he lives just around the corner – and it shows in good coffee by Allpress, the Supremo blend, and solid, varied breakfast and lunch menus. Matthew Smith. Chris Hopkins Start with the delicious combination of g

Best in the west. A group of six of us decided to try out Wilfred last weekend and we were more than pleased with what we found. We all couldn't fault the place, food, coffee and customer service were all bang on! I had the Truffle oil scrambled eggs which was amazing and decided to try one of the croquettes off a friends Wilf. Next minute all hell broke loose as we were raiding each others plates for a taste of each others meals. Between us we had the Wilf, Fish Tacos, Truffle eggs, Meat ball sliders and duck pancakes. We then all proceeded to order a second coffee and some how get one of the donuts down. We pigged out! When the food is that good it's hard not to. Definitely be back, Cheers legends.

Nice Time. My family and i were driving down Albian st in Essondon when we came past Wilfred smith today.<br/>Despite being a small place and seemingly busy the lovely staff managed to find a seat for the 5 of us to sit down<br/>and have an early lunch. Choosing between an all day breakfast and lunch menu we were able to be flexible with what <br/>we all wanted to eat. My daughter had some granola parfait that she said was delicious, wile my 2 boys got to share <br/>the meatball sliders that surprisingly had fresh hand cut chips along with 3 mini burgers. (naturally they were fighting over the last one)<br/>so i asked if i could have one more made up that arrived in a timely manner and satisfied my son. <br/>I tried the fish tacos with lime that tasted fresh and aromatic and my husband had some poached eggs with bacon. <br/>We also had 2 rounds of lovely the coffee and ice chocolates. The service was great and efficient and we all left very satisfied. <br/>On receiving the bill we were amazed at how cheap the price was for 5 people.<br/>I will be paying another visit soon. Kathy.

90% misleading. Visited wilfred smith today at 11am all i can say is we feel totally ripped off. Ordered the wilf with scrambled eggs and the meatball sliders with coffees. Firstly the good the coffees were spot on. Now the bad waited 40 mins for our substandard meals. The wilf came with dry rubbery scrambled eggs that reminded me of the powdered eggs you get in the usa, the bacon that accompanied was dirty and clearly cooked in a pan/hotplate that had not been wiped down in a long time the mushroom croquettes were ok but jad a weird texture. The meatball sliders were awful 3 flavourless meatballs with an even more flavourless red sauce absolutely nothing good to say about this meal even plying them with salt and pepper could not save them so they were left behind along with the scrambled eggs and dirty bacon. If you want good food and coffee venture down to lolo and wren at least the wait will be worth it

We love this cafe. Consistently great food and coffee. We had to once wait a little longer for our food because it was busier than they had planned staff for - the wait wasn't even that bad. They gave us a free coffee and dealt with everything respectfully.<br/>Highly recommend this place.

OMG so lucky to have moved around the corner!!!. Just moved to Essendon last weekend and walked past this place on my morning walk yesterday and had to try it this morning. It was bustling! Greeted warmly staff were super. Coffee awesome.... Menu was a problem because I just wanted 5 different things!, After hubby got annoyed with me for taking so long I decided on the Truffle scrambled. OMG it was delicious and he had the Wilf. I had food envy. Definitely going back for the gingerbread hot cakes ( with a side of Truffle scrambled). Hubby loved the mushroom croquettes. Just another bonus to our house move. Will be back..... A lot!!

Second time unlucky. I came here about 6 months ago and had lunch. The service was ok, a bit slow, food was great though. I then came again a couple of months after the first time and I was completely dissatisfied! The restaurant was pretty packed which I think didn't help anything to go right. I ordered the fish tacos after we had to flag a waitress down to order. It took about 40 minutes to receive our orders. The manager came over explaining that our order was forgotten about and offered us a drink for waiting but we declined and just wanted our food. I got my taco and the salad was delicious but that was it. The tortillas (yes, not actually tacos) were completely soggy and inedible and the fish wasn't cooked properly. The manager took our plates and noticed mine was hardly eaten yet I still had to pay in full for my meal! I'm definitely not going back to this restaurant and will tell others about my experience!

Bright and Refreshing. Came for coffee, so good, the best. Service and atmosphere is wonderful. Had the home made waffles what the heck they were so good will stay for lunch and more coffee

Great little find!. Stumbled across this little gem after being turned away for lunch at three different venues. Instantly felt welcome, lovely coffee and the fish taco's were filling. Next time I'll try the pancakes. Service was a tad slow, but all tables were full - so can't be too harsh on the kitchen. We'll definitely visit again!

Duck Okinamiyaki is sensational. Dropped in one Sunday for a coffee and really liked the coffee and the atmosphere. Went back the following Sunday for lunch. As the heading suggests the duck okinamiyaki was sensational and can't wait to go back and try it again. Everyone's meals looked nice and I can't wait to go back and have the duck again (and try something else on the menu). Staff are pleasant and helpful. A very pleasant lunch had by all.

A haiku. Gingerbread hotcakes<br/>countless tears shed in pursuit<br/>there is but one choice

I L-I-K-E I-T !!! Great.... I L-I-K-E I-T !!!<br/>Great atmosphere; fantastic twist on modern food; great tea/coffee; great service. Though a fly zapper in the main room would be nice!

Cafe with a difference:Wilfred smith. A fabulous atmosphere and excellent layout. Service is impeccable. Great selection of food to choose from. Have visited three times and cannot fault the food in any way. Every dish is extremely well presented with the most appealing flavours. Serves are very generous. Perfect for catching up with friends. Service was of a very high standard. A must for your next coffee, breakfast or lunch. One of my favourites.

Somewhat disappointed - food was a little bland and no fresh juice at a breakfast and lunch place , come on

One of my fav coffee places. They don't mind me setting up my computer as I make my way through coffee and their menu. Baked eggs , duck dish, braised beef burger all highly recommended.

Fish Taco is the BESTTT EVER. Best Fish Taco going around - really generous size! loved every bit of it! really creative and tasty....

Great little place with a great buzz. Quality food and service with the biggest toilet around. Thanks team Wilfred!

Tried it out for first time today. Scrambled eggs cooked perfectly with just the right amount of truffle oil. Loved the pecorino shavings on top, just wished there was more. Partner had the meatball sliders. Very tasty. Crisps were awesome. Coffee perfect. Service very friendly. Will definitely return. New brunny fav.

Quaint and eclectic. Visited today impromptu coffee stop, we all found the coffee perfect , awesome banana and fig bread and the service was impeccable .

Amazing! Best breakfast in the west.

Very impressed. Great service, good coffee, good friendly and fast service, yellow cups. What more do you want? My new favorite place in moonee ponds.

I was walking passed & I decided to check out this new cafe and am so very pleased that I did! On my first visit I tried the duck pancake which was phenomenal with the Ice Tea of the week (Raspberry & Rose hip) which was a delight! I am now a regular at Wilfred Smith & am always pleased with their service!

Awesome service, awesome food! Will definitely be back! Try the raspberry tea everyone, great stuff!

Hits the spot. Great cafe space-clean and relaxing, the service just right and the food yummy. Had to have two coffees.

Refreshing!!. Service was fantastic, the staff were super-friendly and attentive. Coffee was superb (and quick to arrive), and the menu was refreshingly different (fish tacos = amaze)! The place was pumping too, must be a hit with the locals :). Will return! Well done Wilfred Smith!

Great food and drink Wilfred. Truffle scramble AMAZING and definitely the best coffee in Essendon and Moonee ponds ill be a regular for sure!!!!

Lovely and accommodating staff who serve DELICIOUS food. The gingerbread pancakes are pretty much the best thing I've ever eaten. All 4 times I have been here I have thoroughly enjoyed my meal. "Thames" how about you review the food the serve, not just a crappy one line about their water- which is free.

Babychino brilliance!. These guys are great on so many levels. Awesome food and coffee great service and in a well designed but small cafe very child friendly. One of the best surprises was the epic quality of the babychino which my son loves and makes every trip to W&S a treat.

Lovely coffee, service with a smile and an inventive menu that is well executed. We'll be back for sure!

New fave local breaky spot! Only word I can use to describe the coffee is perfection! Service is great and the food is so delish!!

Friendly service but I think we maybe ordered badly. The fish tacos lacked flavour, the coffee was good and Japanese pancake was ok. The menu looked good though just not executed very well. Maybe just a bad day.

All these years I had been religiously going to lolo wren place for the weekend place for brunch or lunch. But this morning after so much hearing from the neighbours. I could believe the experience!! The menu was so different to traditional breakfast which made the reading go wooo yummy. The ice tea of the week was unreal the wilf breakfast with mushroom croquet and avocado was so flavoursome and tasty that I wiped the plate clean!!! The best part is that I felt so relaxed in the atmosphere cosy and certainly busy.. Which is great!! Looks like the next monthly family do has to be breakie @ Wilfred and Smith.

Excellent, friendly and cosy atmosphere! food was spectacular! ice tea of the day is a definite winner, definitely going back!

When we first walked in, we were greeted warmly and shown to a table. I was very impressed with the colourful, modern and vibrant decor, the herb wall-garden and the prompt and service. <br/>Naturally I sampled everyone else's food in addition to my own including the delicious mushroom croquettes, the tasty meatball sliders with those superb crispy chips!<br/>Everything was excellent but my absolute favourite would have to be the distinctive gingerbread hot cakes which were absolutely heavenly!!<br/>Very reasonably priced, excellent coffee, great service, friendly staff and superb food .. will definitely go back!<br/>Highly recommended.

Went there fire lunch today. Meatball sliders were delish!

Moonee Ponds?. Hey Urbanspoon! File Wilfred Smith under "Essendon", not "Moonee Ponds". That's "inner" snobbery.

Horrible service and attitude. We tried Wilfred smith like we do most of the new local cafés and was very disappointed. The decor and look of the place make for a good first impression and the menu interesting, made up of traditional cafe lunch and breakfast meals with a twist. The coffee is also decent, not the best in Melbourne but still good and one of the best cups if coffee in the Essendon/Moonee Ponds area. After a promising start we ordered poached eggs on toast and the granola parfait, simple fare which really shouldn't take long to prepare. Just under forty minuets later the food still hadn't arrived, at this point we were annoyed but still willing to wait for the food if it was on its way. However, when we asked the waitress how long she proceeded to make excuses about how busy they were, with a table of six and a table of five to serve as well. After specifically asking her to check on the progress and her coming back with 'it won't be long' we decided to leave without having the food. The barrister then made more excuses about how if we had told him from the start we were in a hurry he could have done something. Although I don't see how he thought making it our fault was a good idea, what I really can't imagine is walking into a cafe and announcing straight off the bat that we were in a hurry and if they wouldn't mind jumping us to the head of the queue. Being a regular cafe goer and an avid coffee drinker this wasn't the first time experiencing poor service or waiting for food, however I was shocked at the attitudes and response of both the waitress and the barista who both were aggressively defensive and ready to blame us rather than understanding of client service and simply apologising for the wait and checking on the food, regardless of the reason for the delay. I shudder to think how they cope on a Sunday given the service we received on a Tuesday lunch time. I am sorry we missed the food as by all accounts it would have been delicious. I will not be returning.

Winning!. Just down the street from my place, I've been busting to try Wilfred Smith! I wasn't disappointed! The place was bustling, and we waited 10 mins or so for a table which was fine - the barista took our drinks order in advance so by the time we got a table, our drinks would be ready. The staff here are really fantastic, and you can tell they are passionate about this place. <br/>I had the breakfast salad, which was topped with a perfectly cooked poached egg. I also tried the Japanese pancake, with duck and that was amazing! I'm keen to try their Meatball sliders next time. Great drink options - the rooibos and vanilla iced was very refreshing! My new local!

Delicious breakfast with some unique twists. Great atmosphere tucked away from the hustle and bustle - wish I stumbled across places like this more often! Will definitely be back to explore the lunch menu which looked amazing too.

Great food, coffee ok. On the pricey side but will be going back.

Cannot get enough of this place!. Went back today for round 2 and really tried my best to order something else off the amazing menu, but I still can't go past the Scrambled Eggs with truffle oil! I'll definitely be back. This place never lets you down. The food is always awesome and the atmosphere is really cool and laid back no matter how busy they are. Loving it nice work guys!

Neville & Vicki. My Husband and I went there the week it opened and had one of the best <br/>breakfast meals we have ever had. We frequent different places each <br/>weekend and can highly recommend this place not only for breakfast but <br/>for their great coffee and lunch menu. The duck number and the <br/>gingerbread pancakes have to be tasted to be believed. Give it a try. <br/>The new owners are also so attentive and accommodating. Will definitely be going back.

Mushroom croquettes!!!

Great set up, friendly staff, outstanding food & coffee. First impression will impress. Highly recommended for Breakfast or Lunch.

Great food and coffee with endless options to chose from. Very friendly staff, who you get to know by name quickly. New local...

Great food, awesome coffee and friendly staff. Highly recommended for breakfast and lunch!

Well, it appears that the Brunswick explosion of good food & drink has finally commenced its migration down Albion St, towards Essendon. Needless to say, it is soooo welcome!<br/><br/>Wilfred Smith follows in the footsteps of Form, with a formally dead part of Esseendon now playing host to two delightful cafes.<br/><br/>The cafe is refreshing- from the decor to the window stools & the smiles of the staff... It's sings of a positive, happy place where one could happily while away an afternoon if they so wished.<br/><br/>The menu is equally refreshing- not just your standard cafe fare, but enough to keep the most conservative & liberal foodies well content.<br/><br/>My order of fish tacos was exactly what I was after- a light & clean dish, large enough to keep me satisfied but small enough to keep me from gluttony. The herby, crisp Asian slaw was a welcome addition, however some salt would not have gone astray. My only other criticism would have to be the price- $16 for two tacos does seem excessive (even in Melbourne & especially in suburbia), if I were the owners I would consider reducing this by 15% to bring it more in line with metro prices.<br/><br/>The only other issues I encountered were most probably of the teething variety- my food was brought out with no cutlery or napkin & the only sugar available was of the refined white variety (& in sachets no less!) Please, keep the sachets for take aways & bring in some REAL sugar- I implore you! This is Melbourne, after all...<br/><br/>Besides this, the cafe was a delight- I especially liked the fresh mint, cucumber & lime that was added to the water vessels. This is something I personally do at home & it's wonderful to see cafes picking up the habit.<br/><br/>All up, a welcome addition to the Esssendon scene. Can't wait to return :)

Awesome. Torn between the "The Wilf" & the Gingerbread Hotcakes with Lemon Curd. Finally went with the Gingerbread Hotcakes with Lemon Curd & meringue pieces WOW, a great choice. Will be back to try "The Wilf" What a great find, the menu is unique, delicious coffee and very friendly staff. Our new local drop in spot for brekkie or lunch.

My new local. Wilfred Smith Food & Drink has delicious food and great coffee all served by friendly and attentive staff.<br/>Recently opened my friends and I are enjoying working our way through the menu. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

Great tasty food at a good price! Coffee, chai and hot chocolates are also best in Melbourne. Will be back soon!!

Wilfred Smith offers a relaxing, cosy and friendly and the staff were chatty and polite. There was something very warming about Wilfred Smith and I must admit that the menu had piqued my interest. Wilfred Smith is a small but inviting venue and worth giving a try if you are in the area.