Review Rustica Sourdough Bakery & Cafe - Fitzroy

Decided to have breakfast there because they offered a gluten free option. I enjoyed the hot chocolate, absolutely delicious however the the scrambled egg on gluten free toast was disappointing. Three pieces of shop bought gluten free bread arrived cold with two tiny knobs of butter. Not enough butter for the toast and to add insult to injury the butter wouldn't spread because that was also cold. The scrambled eggs were okay. I wouldn't eat here again.

Nice cafe bakery with sourdough bread takeaway, and attentive friendly staff and great breakfasts and toasties. Special coffee for $1 with any toastie before 11am. Coffee was great soy latte and fresh baked goods and tasty healthy all day breakfast options 😎 our egg & bacon roll was terrific.

I have tried this coffee many times, and it used to be pretty good. Unfortunately, today I asked for a loaf of banana bread, which was terribly disappointing. It was dry as a brick, and when I complained about it, the answer was that they were going to check with the chef. No discount and no interest in keeping their clients. Never again!

Must visit, best brunch we had in Melbourne! Friendly staff and food was amazing! Big portions, go hungry. I had the avo smash, and others had the breakfast board. Both delicious! Bonsoy milk for our coffees was yum, also best coffee in Fitzroy we found! Everything was great!

Best avocado toast I’ve had in Melbourne so far! So simple yet so well done! FOOD: We ordered the ‘Avocado Toast’ and the ‘Chilli Scrambled Eggs’ and they both were delicious! The avocado toast had the perfect balance of pleasant tartness from the pickled vegetables and the cheese but had the phenomenal miso hummus that was so exotic and made it taste really different. The chilli scrambled eggs were really good but I would have appreciated a little more bacon versus being loaded with scallions ☺️ But of course, Rustica being known for their bread had phenomenal sourdough! The portions were also MASSIVE so you really are getting a bang for your buck! SERVICE & PROTOCOL: Pleasant and although, they were understaffed they were still pleasant! The menu had alot of unavailable items (totally justified) but they were pleasant and apologetic! They also did have a quick protocol and wore masks at all times! HYGIENE: I would say this was my biggest blunder 😰 When I asked for sharing plates, my plate had 2 non washed stains and I would not usually make a big deal out of these but due to COVID being around, I would appreciate higher levels of hygiene! Overall, Rustica is a wonderful cafe with good food! Although the cafe is slightly small, the food portions and quality is great! I would return but I definitely hope next time the hygiene would be stricter! ☺️

By chance my 20yo daughter spied this place as we drove up Brunswick Street and insisted we explore for lunch. Initially we sat outside but today was a tad too warm so we retreated to the temperate environment indoors at a large shared table with one other diner and plenty of newspapers. The iced chocolate was superb - not your coffee syrup and ice cream - no this was real coffee with real coffee beans. Superb. Our order was simple - raisin toast with butter and for me, the bruschetta. While we waited for our meal I could peek through to the bakery at the rear of the cafe and was entranced by the bakers making wheat treats. The food arrived fairly quickly and have to say the staff were delightful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. Now down to the food - raisin toast is raisin toast right? Wrong. This was fabulous. Not cut too thick. Perfect amount of fruit. Toasted to perfection. The bruschetta was a whole new ball game. This is both a breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. Despite having to google a few of the ingredients from the menu (see photo) I was optimistic and wasn’t let down. Everything about this bruschetta was right. Portion size. Taste. Presentation. Taste. Freshness. Taste. Big call here - best bruschetta I’ve ever had. You can eat inside or out. Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Clean toilets. Good parking out the front (of you’re lucky) and great staff. Highly recommend. Shout out to Carmelo (hope I spelt it right) who is the manager.

Great coffee made well, but the killer was the lobster eggs bene'. There was a good amount of lobster on a fresh made bread roll topped with 2 perfectly poached eggs doused in a zingy hollandaise. I haven't even mentioned the excellent baked goods made in house like breads, pastries and the like. Excellent bakery come cafe!

The absolute best cafe. Danny and Vincent are lovely, they use Ona beans (top roaster in Australia), and the cauliflower toastie has changed my life.

Their breads and pastry are great, but the service is horrible. I ordered one of their breakfast menus online. It was supposed to be a surprise for a special occasion. Not only it was not delivered for breakfast, but they couldn't give me any information on the delivery status over the phone. We received everything at 3pm, the day was completely ruined and what was supposed to be a nice surprise turned into a disaster. I didn't even get an apology when I called for the third time to ask for an update. It was a very disappointing experience and although they might be good at baking, they really have a lot to learn about customer service. I won't be ordering from their website again.

Firstly they let a customer behind us in the queue slip ahead and take the outdoor table that we were waiting for.<br/><br/>Secondly we had to eat the granola on our breakfast boards with a fork because despite asking, we were never brought spoons. “They’re being cleaned in the kitchen at the moment” was the response we received.<br/><br/>The avocado, egg and sourdough on the board was nice but the hash had an overpowering parsley taste. And the cold pressed juice “Tropi Cool” flavour just tasted like mint. <br/><br/>The cronut was the highlight, probably won’t eat breakfast here again but the takeaway baked goods are always a hit.

Lovely coffee and pastries but the service from the floor staff was woeful. Had to ask for a menu, ask for order to be taken, ask for water. And It wasn’t like I was being impatient or was in a rush. Seriously it was like they have blinkers on and wander around in a daze.

Bought a loaf of sesame sourdough to take home. Given that the word sourdough is in the restaurant name, we had high expectations and they did not disappoint.

Great bakery, cafe and brunch spot in Fitzroy! Great coffee and delicious food all round 😋 The lobster eggs bennedict is a personal favourite! 🦞

This place is popular so be ready to wait for a table! I had been craving Okonomiyaki all week and while this wasn’t the best breakfast version of the dish I’ve had in Melbourne, it still hit the spot!

Went to Rustica purely to try their famous cronuts. To be fair I’ve never had a cronut before to compare them too but they were pretty delicious! So flakey and light. Cost is a bit rich $8-9.25 depending on the flavour choice and one doesn’t fill you up. As we were leaving I ordered a coffee to go which cost me $5.60 making it probably the most expensive coffee I’ve had, took a bit longer than it should and when presented with it my keep cup was 2/3 full and completely flat. However it wasn’t bitter so I can give them that! Overall an average experience, but I will probably be back because I’m unaware of another place that does cronuts!

Visited Rustica cafe on Saturday afternoon. I ordered Avocado toast with extra trout. Love the combination of crispy toast, mashed avocado, fresh tomatoes and pickled red onion. Definitely come back :)

Love this place! Their baked goods range is off the charts! Hot tip - get the savory muffin that’s stuffed with cream cheese! The waffles with caramelised banana were also a hit!!

By chance my 20yo daughter spied this place as we drove up Brunswick Street and insisted we explore for lunch. <br/>Initially we sat outside but today was a tad too warm so we retreated to the temperate environment indoors at a large shared table with one other diner and plenty of newspapers. <br/>The iced chocolate was superb - not your coffee syrup and ice cream - no this was real coffee with real coffee beans. Superb. <br/>Our order was simple - raisin toast with butter and for me, the bruschetta. While we waited for our meal I could peek through to the bakery at the rear of the cafe and was entranced by the bakers making wheat treats. <br/>The food arrived fairly quickly and have to say the staff were delightful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. <br/>Now down to the food - raisin toast is raisin toast right? Wrong. This was fabulous. Not cut too thick. Perfect amount of fruit. Toasted to perfection. <br/>The bruschetta was a whole new ball game. This is both a breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. Despite having to google a few of the ingredients from the menu (see photo) I was optimistic and wasn’t let down. <br/>Everything about this bruschetta was right. Portion size. Taste. Presentation. Taste. Freshness. Taste. Big call here - best bruschetta I’ve ever had. <br/>You can eat inside or out. Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Clean toilets. Good parking out the front (of you’re lucky) and great staff. <br/>Highly recommend. <br/>Shout out to Carmelo (hope I spelt it right) who is the manager.

Bloody amazing. Great friendly Baristas, good tunes and amazing brekky. But please bring back the mushroom breakfast! It was the absolute best and the thing that brought me back time after time.

One of the loveliest danish I have ever had. Amazing flavour with the passion fruit and pineapple danish.<br/>For more foodie goodness follow my ig: emptystomach

It was almost closing time, I happened to find the nice place on the way home.<br/>Ordered strong latte and bought coffee beans 'First Love'.<br/>It was light roasted coffee 50% Guatemala 50% Tanzania.<br/>The coffee was so smooth and deep flavour. My favourite taste.<br/>The coffee beans also smell wonderful and very strong aroma even next day.<br/>The barista said it'll be different blend of Columbia, Tanzania this week. I can't wait to try some more.

😱Lizzie’s first impression: I love that there is a bakery at the back where I can see the freshly baked croissants and pastry come out of the oven! <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: The lobster Benedict is like no other I’ve tried at other brunch cafes. The lobster is delicious and the buttermilk bread is not too oily. <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: their matcha lattes don’t have sugar in it so make sure you ask for a sugar or it might be different to what you’re used to. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: I love that there are no lines even on the weekends but enough people to make the cafe a lively one.

Been here a few times for take away sandwiches + coffee which were lovely so I decided to try the dine in menu for brunch. <br/>Think I made a mistake. <br/>I ordered the chili scramble for $20 and after a long wait received a meal that consisted of half a piece of toast and a hand full of scrambled eggs covered in spring onion. No chili element to speak of.. Disappointed is an understatement..

Went earlier today, paid for 3 items - egg & bacon roll, peanut butter croissant and apple crossaint. Didn't realise until I get home that I only got 2 of the items - the egg bacon roll and peanut butter croissant :( CRY T_T

The cake display 😍😍😍 <br/>One of the best porridge’s I’ve had over the years! <br/>Loved loved loved it <br/>The food here is epic! Everything is beyond bright and colourful to make you happy 🙌🏽 <br/>Such an intsgramable cafe! <br/>Very modern <br/>Great coffee <br/>Can’t wait to try the cakes <br/>

Walked in the first thing grabbed my attention was the cake display. So many different options and they all looked so good. Sat down and couldn't resist my sweet tooth self wanting to have a french toast for breakfast. Really good dish not too sweet with fresh fruit and an ice cream scoop balanced out the flavour. The only thing was that candy thing that jump around (not sure about the name) splashed on my white top which was a bit annoying. Other than that a great experience at this small cafe.

Absolutely amazing!!! I keep thinking of the food here. I’m obsessed!!! The food looks beautiful as well as tasting beautiful!! Clever cheffing 😊

This is one of my absolute favourite cafes in Melbourne! Their breakfast and brunch menu is superb, the chilli scramble and smashed peas are particularly good. And the pastries, if you’re a sweet tooth, will make you very happy. Try it!

The Melbourne foodie hub was lucky enough to have some of these sensational croissants catered at its 1st birthday party. Rustica is absolutely renowned for its pastries and these divine creations were even more exquisite then ever with an indulgent rich chocolate topping and delicious berry and banana filling. Seriously stunning to boot and the perfect addition to any party!

The pâtisseries here are absolutely brilliant. You can see the pastry chefs rolling croissant dough through big glass windows and their bread is good. Their menu and coffee is also good however the queue at the door for bread and coffee makes eating there an unpleasant experience, it’s obvious that the bread and patisserie are their main concern.

Needed some good quality bread so popped into Rustica late afternoon to grab a couple of loaves. Sadly, but I really should have expected, the stock levels were way down so we were somewhat limited with our choices. Nothing plain so ended up with a pumpkin loaf and olive & basil loaf. Both loaves were lovely and soft. Sadly I disliked the basil loaf... I felt it had to many whole olives through it. Kelisi and I disagreed over this. She loved this loaf. I did however love the lightness of the pumpkin loaf which was a hit with me.

We loved the coffee there. Cheesecake and vanilla donut were excellent. Friendly staff and efficient service. We will come back for the coffee and freshly baked bread.

Delicious croissants and pastry. Coffee was terrible during my last visit and got charged $2.50 for a babycino? Was too shocked to say anything...

Nothing like really good toasted grain bread, poached egg, avo and Hummus for breakfast. The best brekkie I've had other than my own. You know it's good when you can't stop thinking about it.<br/>

Shopping in Fitzory, passed on this cafe. $50 for two. Beautiful food presentation. Lots of brunch/cafe in this suburb, this one is a little higher than average.

Awesome little cafe and bakery in Fitzroy. They do run out of things, so I don’t recommend going in the afternoon. I went in Saturday around 10:45 and most of the tables were full and there was a short line at the cash register. I had a delicious maple pecan and lemon curd croissant ($6.5). It wasn’t overly sweet and had a lot of flavor. I really want to try more of their selection. They have cronuts, croissant sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, eclairs, tarts, etc.

Loved the breakfast board, love the idea of savoury and sweet. My friend had the greens and really enjoyed it. The staff were very friendly would most definitely be back to try more on the menu

Have been to two locations of this cafe, Hawthorn & Fitzroy and would love to check out the city one soon! <br/>I ordered the greens + seeds dish which was full of greens & was super tasty. It left me feeling full & healthy. My friend had a sandwich from the window which she enjoyed and they had many options to choose from, including pastries as well. Will definitely be back to try a sweet dish as I have only had their savoury dishes so far.

Came late to this cafe but glad they still have 1 ispahan croissant left.. 😊 We ordered ispahan croissant, strawberry vanilla cronuts and latte, we love the pastry.. will coming back earlier next time to try other pastries.. ☺️☺️

Great Atmosphere. Great Food! Staff are friendly. It does get a little busy, but its totally understandable the food is just too good! Got a matcha latte and a cronut! Loved them both. A friend of mine ordered something off the brunch menu. It looked and smelt great. Prepared fast. I will definitely come again!

With an appetizing array of baked goods on display, this place is open, clean and always busy. The brunch/breakfast dishes are typical of what you would find in the scene - micro herbs and flowers, freeze dried fruits, charcoal buns and chilli scrambled eggs. This price point is pretty much the norm for a typical brunch nowadays.<br/><br/>Although they look good, I'm always wary about doughnuts out in the open on display - doughnuts don't have a long shelf life, and if you get them at the wrong time could taste bready.<br/><br/>Rustica Canteen in the CBD have awesome sandwhiches.

Loved the chestnut eclair and would goback to try more of their pastries. Its berry jam & cream filling was a bit inconsistent i sometimes got a bite of just jam. Also had some pistachio rhubarb tart, was pretty awful imo, dry and boring. Felt like the tarts were just sitting on the display shelf to look pretty rather than actually taste good.

The scramble was cooked amazing, one of the better ones we've had in Melbourne- super flavoursome. The donut sweet dish was also super interesting and nice to share as a dessert. Wouldn't get the brisket roll again- the meat didn't have that soft pull apart effect id expected. Cronuts, donuts, croissants and other tasty looking pastries available at the front.

Great bakery and cafe. Savoury and sweet loaves between $5.50-7, small rolls and pastries. Tarts/pies about $7.50. Vegan options available.<br/>Awesome brunch menu.

I had a wonderful experience here! We got a table straight away as it was early on a weekday. Service was friendly and prompt. I loved the interior design and being able to look into the bakery as the bakers made croissants. My soy chai latte was perfect. I had the smoked ham hock with crispy potatoes which I could not fault- every element worked so well together and was truly delicious! My husband had the French toasted doughnuts and they were just as good - had a lot of interesting elements like fig, toasted walnuts and toffee. After our meal we bought some cronuts to take away and they were so fresh and tasty. Would love to try more of the menu- if I can go past the amazing ham hock dish!

Fabulous delicious and wholesome breakfasts, coffee is average but the most amazing pastries and breads.  I have seen many cafes around CBD stick their foods :-) i will travel far to get to Rustica.

I had to choose a cafe close to where we were shopping today and came across this cafe/bakery. I can now confirm eating bacon and eggs on brioche is the absolute best, the egg yoke oozed but not to the point where you look ready for some serious finger panting. You will never go back to eating muffin lol. We also got the chilli scrambled eggs which was divine.. small complaint which was perhaps alittle salty considering it also had bacon and manchego cheese, maybe over seasoning(?) but definitively still a good dish.

OK so the staff are lovely but the menu is so over the top experimental Hipster that my housemate and I both struggled to find something we liked...and what we ordered left us disappointed. It was just too much. Sure, go nuts with the odd Hipster food but give us at least one normal breakfast option and maybe some actual plates too? A flat stone looks good but it's pretty hard to keep things from rolling off it. Awesome bread and staff thankfully.

The food and coffee were delicious. We ordered French toast: Strawberry, vanilla ice cream, fresh flowers, chocolate. Breakfast board:yogurt, healthy sth.

Second time visit in over 6 months, menu hasn't changed dramatically but that's a plus great variety and choice for all tastes or for the more educated palate. Last time I had the Eggs Benedict with lobster which impressed this time I was persuaded away from lobster by the lovely staff to the Smoked ham hock on sourdough. Sprinkled with chapped potato and topped with a poached egg makes the dish a nice cross over from breakfast to lunch. But they are renown for their artisan sourdough breads, you have to take one home for later! The coffee is carefully made with attention to detail which reflects in the delivered product. Well worth the visit or many visits!

Love this place. Fantastic coffee and amazing selection of baked goods/bread. If I wouldn't put on 20kg from eating cronuts everyday I would be more than happy to have one from here. Fantastic toasties as well , very filling. Buy a loaf and slice it yourself concept is fantastic!!

Brunch dates are starting to pick up from my end, enabling me to try out various brunch spots that I have not even thought about. Small cafe with an impressive front counter filled with delectable pastry goodies ranging from caramelized doughnuts, miniature savoury tarts to glistening fruit danishes. Also worth taking note of the sandwiches neatly arranged, ready to be toasted upon order.

This cafe is probably well known for their bread as their name suggests. (I'm only speculating here.) Had a pretty standard breakfast here, scramble chilli egg and smashed avocado. All dishes are at a good standard, toast was crispy and soft inside, nice bread always make a difference. I was also given a sharp knife which made it very easy to cut the toast which I really liked. Nothing worse than getting a butter knife and toast that are hard like rock. Coffee is acceptable, wouldn't make me come back on purpose but would visit again if I happen to be around the area.

Very popular cafe, but generally have to wait as it is quite busy. Friendly staff but on a few occasions, the service has been a bit slow. Happy with the quality of coffee although a little bit more expensive than other places. Food quality is a little restricted and reflect seasonal produce, but decent.

French toasted croissant and Ham. Looks really lovely and really tasty～Open kitchen and warm friendly staffs～Good place to go with friends in winter,Definitely gonna visit here again.

Go to for fresh mouth-watering just-out-of-the-oven baked goodies, pastries, croissants, cronuts not to neglect the great coffee and tempting breakfast dishes on offer! Always busy and packed with diners and lines for take-aways. Check it out and you'll understand why.

Absolutely love this place! If you are looking for a delicious and good looking brekkie, this is the place! Food is packed with flavour and The presentation is unreal!

Nice little cafe, perfect for brunch. We had the smashed Avo and the chilli scrambled eggs. Both definitely had a kick. Loved the food and coffee. Also grabbed a sourdough to enjoy at home which wasn't too bad either.<br/><br/>Went again for late lunch, however were disappointed as the kitchen closes at 3pm even though the website advises 4pm as closing time. However still stopped for their coffee and croissants, which were quite nice.

Oct17 update - went for a weekday breakfast and took the pumpkin with fruit toast and the breakfast salad. Not convinced by either of the dishes. Flavours weren’t amazing and a bit randomly put together.<br/><br/>Apr17 - Went for breakfast with four people on a Sunday 11.30-ish. Were seated on the corner of a big table and able to move on to our own table pretty quick. Coffee was good, service was good, meat is free range. Beef brisket burger was superyummy and the potato things that come with it, so nice!! Ocean trout was good as well. Our friends had the chilli scrambled eggs and keiserflesch. Had a taste and loved the keiserflesch!! The scrambled eggs were ok, but they are my friends absolute favourite and therefor Rustica is his favourite breakfast spot, so they must be good! Loved it and will definitely be back!

Went with baby and toddler early Sunday morning. Tot loved her hot cross bun (though ours was served pre-buttered which wasn't ideal) and I thought my scrambled egg croissant was pretty good. The sandwiches looked fantastic. <br/><br/>Staff were friendly and accommodating of our pram but space was pretty squishy. Not pram friendly unfortunately. <br/><br/>Tried their matcha latte but was disappointed to find out they use a premix that contains vegetable oil (read: palm oil) and was also high in sugar. Would love to see a higher quality matcha option in future.

the spicy smashed avo is perfect, also the croissant very good. It s definitely my favourite place in Melbourne. The staff is friendly and present for any request.

With central Brunswick Rd dominated by vegan only restaurants; it's reassuring to know there's still great establishment for mixed affair brunch if you are prepared to walk the extra two blocks down. Rustica serves a large range of crafted bread both dine in and takeaway. But the real attraction is the delicious, creative breakfasts and consistent lattes. Recommend trying the breakfast board and French toasted hot cross buns.

A bit of a let down... I've been here a few times since I live locally and I must say, the bread and desserts at the counter look beautiful! Unfortunately though, my experience wasn't great. I found a piece of little something that looked like a tiny bone in my breakfast, but I thought it might be a piece of a pit or a seed of some sort so I didn't say anything to the waitress. However, when willing to pay and split the bill with my friend, the guy on the till told me, abruptly, that "we have to split it ourselves" cause he couldn't do it. In all my experience splitting the bills in the cafes/restaurants, waiters could at least offer to help with a calculator? That same person was quite rude in general on other occasions when serving coffee and once I got a flat white with over heated milk, which wasn't nice at all. Take away orders were also never given a priority in my experience at this place, which is just a bad practise. I did hear lots of nice things about this place though and I might give it another go, but in Fitzroy you're really spoilt for choice...

We've been here twice separated by few months. First experience was pleasant. We enjoyed their lobster brioche - although they are quite expensive $22 in a small serving. Service was quick and friendly customer service.<br/><br/>On the second visit, we ordered French toasted donuts and somehow we were confused with the flavours. The presentation was pretty but shame that we didn't enjoy the food... Service was quite slow this time, although they were only serving few tables.<br/><br/>They do serve good coffee.

Went today for crossiant and coffee, it was around 1pm , the cafe looks quite busy . Although I missed those cronut which might be sold out already , but instead I had the mushroom galette and a crossiant. Definitely delicious ! Love it !

Had a cronut and croissant from here today along with some coffee. We took a sourdough home to enjoy as well. Everything was divine!!! Will definitely be back!

A small Sour Dough Bakery in the heart of Fitzroy<br/><br/>A pretty impressive sight and smell of baked goods as you walk in the door. We were greeted with a smile and a table for 2. Starting with a flat white each as always and the menus arrived. A pretty good one at that and it was a difficult decision on what to choose.<br/><br/>Matt decided on the lobster eggs Benedict, charcoal brioche poached eggs, greens, saffron hollandaise + crunchy prawn cracker and I decided on The Crushed avo, heirloom tomato, Meredith feta, beetroot crisps, herbs + olive basil sourdough finishing with Grandmother sliced ham. <br/><br/>They were both great choices maybe the lobster a tad to salty but lots of flavor and texture.​​<br/><br/>After finishing up on the mains it was time to head out grabbing a pastry on the way of course. I thought it would be a bad idea but decided on the lemon meringue croissant, and I was right it was dry and the texture pretty bad the lemon just making it not enjoyable 2 flavors that should stay apart. <br/><br/>Matt Decide on the passion fruit and mango Cronut, it was greasy but not too bad. Overall we would say go for the brunch but avoid the pastries.

Noice little hipster cafe. We tried some of their premade baked treats, which were Awesome! Two coffees, two brioche donuts and two Ispahan Croissants later we had to skidaddle (for the airport) but I think I will have to come back and try some of their other stuff!<br/><br/>Visited Nov 2016<br/><br/>Verdict: cute little place to stop and refuel.

I arrived at Rustica Sourdough on a Sunday morning around 10.30 and was there with a group of around 10 people. We waited for around 20 minutes before we were seated which was not long given the minimal number of tables. There are two large tables for big groups and then several tables for couples. It's got a very lazy vibe with many young couples (some with babies) and a family of four. The staff doesn't try to rush you out and due to the selection of yummilicious baked goods, there's a decent number of people getting takeaway coffees and pastries or loaves of bread.<br/><br/>Our table was set before we even sat down and our coffee orders were promptly taken. My extra hot skim cappucino was hot but sour and not to my liking. One of the guys in our group who had been to the sister Rustica cafe said that the coffee was better there. I guess it all depends on the Barista and the day!<br/><br/>Our orders were also promptly taken and arrived fairly quickly. By now I was starving and despite the difficult selection I had to make as all the dishes sounded amazing, I went for the eggs benedict.<br/>The description for my eggs benedict was "lobster eggs benedict, charcoal brioche $22.00<br/>poached eggs, greens, saffron hollandaise<br/>+ crunchy prawn cracker"<br/><br/>Brunch menu descriptions are quite innovative and what is sometimes described as prawn cracker is not really a prawn cracker. So, I was quite keen to see what I would get.<br/><br/>When my meal arrived, everyone on my table went 'WOW' because what arrived was a massive charcoal bun loaded with goodness. The cucumber(?)/greens was quite mild and went well with the creaminess of the hollandaise sauce. The eggs were deliciously poached and complimented the butteriness of the charcoal bun. The charcoal bun didn't taste smoky or "charcoally" but was sweet, fluffy and east to cut into. What I like about rustica is that they gave us sharp knives to cut into our bread which made eating easier. The prawn cracker was more like salty crackle with a slight sea flavour and was atop a lettuce leaf. Very refreshing. Other than that, the dish didn't have much flavour. It was nice and creamy and the lettuce was refreshing but I felt that it lacked a punch. Oh and I had massive pieces of lobster. Yummm<br/><br/>The man sitting next to me gobbled up his beef brisket burger that came with tater tots. The smashed avocado toast was massive and again devoured by my brunch companions. The girl sitting next to me got the "kaiserfleisch" dish and though it sounds fancy aka "king of sausage", it is just bits of bacon which the girl said was not very nice.<br/><br/>Points to the cafe for service, presentation and innovative options, but the dish I had just lacked some "oomph"<br/><br/>Will definitely go back to try some of their sweet selection i.e. peanut butter croissant, matcha cronut.....mmm..

You can't beat a place that bakes their own baked good really can you? <br/><br/>Awesome muffins and other baked treats, wonderful breakfast menu and great vibe. My only fault would be my girlfriend's soy latte which was slight curdled. But other than that I would totes recommend.

Yum, yum, yum! Finally got my butt to Rustica today and glad to finally get to join in on the hype. I had the Beef Brisket burger with tater tots and it was delicious. Meat was juicy, tender and full of flavour. The burger didn't look huge but was soo filling. My friend's dish was also super tasty. Coffee was really good, I had both a hot and iced version and loved both. The staff were sweet too, let us switch to a bigger table to do work later and gave me the wifi details without me asking for it. Unfortunately donuts and cake were pretty much sold out by the time I finished my lunch otherwise I would've got a few - they looked divine! Also: Happy Australia Day, folks! Will be back Rustica gang 😌

Service took a while although it was peak lunch hour on Saturday and I think I set my expectations too high for the food so when it was average it felt disappointing. The Matcha Latte was delicious but the Eggs Benedict with Lobster was just okay - the prawn crackers were nowhere to be seen; the lobster was a little over done and lost its usual sweetness in the sea of overpowering hollandaise sauce. Usually the more hollandaise the better but in this dish it tasted like hollandaise with a side of everything else. Wouldn't get it again but would still return to try out the other menu items

I've frequented this cafe a few times over the Christmas break as my usual cafe has been closed. Poached and scrambled eggs were cooked well. Coffee was nice. Breads were delicious and the sweet treats were flying out the door.

Disappointed second time around. Came for lunch and many of their breakfast items were unavailable from the menu. The matcha was a fail and utterly disappointing. We ended up getting the chia Bircher which was average and donuts which wasn't very memorable. I think I'll just stick with their take away baked goods.

Okay, so the sourdough toast placed under my chilli scrambled eggs was delightful, and the coffee very good... I expected that... but all in all the eggs lacked chilli heat and were on the watery side. <br/><br/>Portion size and price taken into account, I would probably give Rustica Sourdough another go. The staff were friendly and i did enjoy my meal <br/><br/>

Easy to be seated at 11am Sunday morning, and get a free sour dough for moving from a big table to a smaller one! First time receiving bread because of that! Having the sweet potatoes and egg on sourdough, and I really like the combination of the flavour. Having chai cronount take away which is delicious. Definitely will go back to try different things.

Picked up a few afternoon treats & was not disappointed with our choices at all.<br/>We got the pistachio custard danish, heavenly.<br/>We also got a few of the gorgeous looking donuts - matcha, salted caramel and creme brûlée & vanilla.<br/>Extremely tasty, but slightly on the pricey side.

Quite nice cafe although it is a little bit small. The sautéed mushroom is so great which has garlic purée truffled eggs and ricotta. Honestly I never thought about garlic being puréed and being included in brunch but rustica made it so well! I will be def back for pumpkin dish and chai latte again!

Disappointing experience ! Had the crushed avo at the city location and it was delicious however at the Fitzroy menu was quite disappointing. Have to pay extra for the poached eggs which isn't required at the city location, asked for my bacon well done and it was literally like rocks I couldn't even pick it up with my fork and had to use my hands, and the cheese was not mixed in with the avo!! Really disappointing that the menu/food is not as amazing as what I experienced at rustica canteen in the city!

Chilled out cafe with welcoming and very helpful staff.  Coffee is fantastic and the food... holy moly. I ordered the greens + seeds and my boyfriend ordered the lobster eggs benedict.  Both were sensational in flavour and very generous portion sizes.  The menu is great and we honestly didn't know what to order as everything looked AMAZING! So the awesome waiter helped us out and we were very happy with what we ordered.

Shouldn't this place be closed already? I went here a couple of years earlier and will never (I repeat) NEVER go back there again. Here's the story:<br/><br/>My girlfriend and I went to eat there because the selection of bread/drinks looked nice. Sat down with no one greeting us. Ok, a little strange but not a big deal. Waiter came over and gave us our menus after five minutes trying to get their attention. Another five minutes trying to find a waiter to place our order. 20 minutes later, got our first drink (orange juice which was bottled, not freshly made). Feeling like second class citizens, we tried yet again after another 10 minutes trying to wave down a waiter asking if they had remembered our food - to which they responded with complete apathy every single time. 5 minutes later with no response/no food, I left a 5 under my barely drunk juice and left. <br/><br/>I am incredibly generous with my reviews and leave a little leeway for restaurants since they are busy and all, but boy was my experience at this place awful. Us leaving the restaurant didn't even seem big news to them. <br/><br/>All the best Rustica.

Rustica Sourdough is not exclusively for doughnut enthusiasts. Indeed anyone with a sweet tooth will cry Marly and Me-style over their glassed cabinet of pastries, tarts and doughnuts.<br/><br/>My favourite doughnut: the chocolate and cherry in-bred cronut. Although not technically a doughnut, it’s absolutely delicious and oozes chocolate like an edible pimple, making it totally worthy of top spot. Excuse me while I wipe this cinnamon-covered smile off my face, and the thought of an edible pimple from my brain.

I've had a few things accompany my long black on its plate to my table. Things like chocolates, or small biscuits. But this is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever encountered, a slice of lemon. Not that that's any reason to not head down to Rustica. It's otherwise normal. The cafe is on the amongst the hustle and bustle of Brunswick Street where you can sit and watch just about every different style of fashion walk past.

Loveeeee everythang about this place! Choosing something from the menus was a task purely as it was all so yummy!!! <br/>But definitely the French Toasted Nutella Doughnuts :D

Nice bakery, noting you want more but patisserie and bread. Ok coffee there...busy cafes, not recommend for a long stay. Breakfast are so so, best option for short break or branch. Crossiant is nice and crispy even its slightly pricy...but worth to try!!

Almost spewed at the long line outside Lune around the corner at 8am on a weekday. Already had my eye on Rustica for ages and so so happy I went. The chilli scrambled eggs are *excellent* and super filling. Coffee is also solidly good and I'll come back to try some of the good looking donuts.

Expected more from this cafe. 10 minute wait for a table at 11am on a Sunday which was fine. Service was inconsistent and not very friendly. Coffee was mediocre. I had the Bircher which was bland and not filling. The strewed Apple and few walnuts were the only positives of the day.

came on a Saturday morning at 11am, had to wait about 20 mins for a table. ordered the lobster egg Benedict & mushroom toastie. lobster egg Benedict wasn't great, couldn't really taste the lobster and the wish as a whole was a bit wet. toastie was good, nothing special. flat white was average, matcha latte too.<br/><br/>I know the sweet pastries are awesome but didn't try this time. this review is purely for their brunch food.

After a 6am wake up call, Rustica hit the spot.<br/><br/>Luckily, breakfast was 8.30, so it was still quiet and the food came quickly, which is always an added bonus. <br/><br/>Had the kaiserfleich, sweet potato, sourdough, a poached egg and a bunch of other stuff. It was delicious. I think it's grown on me, the idea of having different textures, flavours and not having a single flavour throughout; and I think this was the embodiment of that. Great synergies all around.<br/><br/>The only downside is the acoustics make it quite loud when there's a lot of people, but the window pane is great! Especially when they temper chocolate right before your eyes...

Passed by the store and only tried their cronut, both my friend and I almost lost words.<br/>It's crispy and sweet outside. But there's yoghurt in it which gives it a sour taste. These two flavors perfectly balance with each other. <br/><br/>Absolutely love it. Will definitely return for more delicious bakeries later.

Rustica is amazing! The food here is incredible and the service even better. Never had a bad experience at this place, service is always on point!

Freaking delicious and fast! Had the chilli scramble with a side of Avo and they give you half an avocado!! The sourdough bread it was served on was also delicious. Coffee kinda meh, but with food like that I really didn't care! So good can't wait to go back

The presentation of our dishes were wonderful and well portioned. The breakfast board is perfect for someone who wants a sweet and savoury breakfast. It had a little of everything which could also be ideal for sharing. The salmon croquettes are a must! The strawberry granola was a little salty but everything else on there was terrific. The coffee was great too and the staff were very friendly.

This place was a nifty idea, a cafe and bakery in one! With a large cake display and a window into the bakery kitchen what a fresh idea. I really enjoyed my passion/mango donut which was overflowing with filling, so much with every bite I spilt it every where....So worth the extra washing though....

I had the steel cut oats porridge for breakfast and they were filling and delicious, although so much banana that I couldn't finish it! The chai was great, and my partner enjoyed his coffee and the breakfast board. The service was friendly, although they don't do split bills, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The cabinet food looked amazing as well, as did the bread!

Would come here for the bread alone! One of my favourite brunch spots in Melbourne's north. It's one of those places where you find yourself coming back to try something new from the menu. Best part about it is you rarely have to wait for a table unlike many alike places in the area.

Got here early for breakfast on a Sunday, got a table easily but by the time we were leaving there was a queue to get a table. I had the avocado with ham on olive sourdough and my fellow diner went for the French toasted jelly donuts. Presentation was excellent, both meals delicious. You know what else stood out - they give you nice sharp knives to cut through your sourdough! That is a pet peeve of mine when Cafes serve you sourdough but the knives don't stand a chance cutting it. They won points for this! Coffee here is also spot on. Service was not memorable and lacks a little vibe.

Poached eggs were slightly over cooked, but was still a delicious meal regardless. Sautéed greens were great, and I loved getting an entire half an avocado, it was a huge one too! Great coffee too and yummy cakes which are beautifully presented. Nice freshly baked bread too!

What's the fuzz is all about ???????<br/><br/>Greatly presented cafe/shop/bakery, can't get a better address amongst one of the cafe centrum in Melbourne, albeit closer to the Alexander Parade end.<br/><br/>You've got to give them A+ for their presentation, however C- for their care in preparing their food, just check out my burnt Ham & Cheese Croissant.<br/><br/>Good coffee though.<br/><br/>They've done well with their marketing and creating the buzz, unfortunately consistency and Quality Control is not there.<br/><br/>Trust you can do better with the price that you are commending.

I know, I know, a place that specialises in buttery baked goods is not the most vegan friendly joint but I feel like it deserves a review on the basis of the bread alone. Rustica is, without a doubt, my favourite bakery in the 'hood. And with much more amiable staff than D. Chirico, where I'm sure "being a miserable misanthrope" is a requisite for being employed. <br/><br/>The roast pumpkin sourdough, vine fruit and rosemary and wholewheat seeded loaf are particularly outstanding. As an ex-chef patissiere myself I really appreciate the time, effort and love that goes into making beautiful breads and pastries. There are definitely no shortcuts taken here. <br/><br/>The rotation of unique seasonal flavours are a delight to behold and give me pangs of nostalgia for early mornings spent in the patisserie experimenting on my colleagues with new flavour combinations (sometimes with less than favourable results) and for childhood Sundays when my mother (who loathed cooking but was actually very good at it) used to lure me out of bed with her homemade croissants. I have it on good authority that their Ispahan croissant (almond frangipane filling with tart raspberry, rose and lychee topped with dried edible flowers) is a thing of wonder. If only there was a vegan variation!<br/><br/>One of the things I love most about Rustica is that for all the voracious hype surrounding Lune and Gontran Cherrier they just keep on quietly doing what they do best, letting their gorgeous creations speak for themselves. You do you, Rustica. Don't go changing.

A delightful bakery that serves fresh delicious delights and consistently has a line out the door for take away and full tables for most of the morning, is really saying something. It's a good place to be. Rustica is a modern and quaint little bakery that is bustling with local trade. Surprised in our luck we were able to stop in and grab a bite to eat and we were very happy we did.

Loved the sautéed wild mushroom but the serving size was a bit small...(or maybe just because I have a great appetite?😂) The lobster Benedict was okay. We also bought some sourdough loaves which taste amazing.

Amazing pastries as always! Tried their new menu item - donut sliders with salted caramel ice cream and raspberry jelly. Unfortunately the jelly was frozen, the flavour was still there though, just not the texture!

Main Branch of Rustica Sourdough<br/><br/>Went here on a Friday afternoon. Its quite full. But we easily get a table.<br/>This place has a high ceiling on the half front which they use the long hanging big lights and the other half of the place has a low ceiling which i find it a bit dark on the half back. So i dont really like the place especially because i sit in the middle of the section (middle of high and low ceiling). <br/><br/>Ordered lobsters egg benedict, sweet potato with dukkah egg, walnut wild mushrooms, and 2 flavours of croissant (matcha and ispahan). <br/><br/>- Lobsters egg benedict. So-so taste. But i think the amount of lobster was quite generous. <br/>- Walnut wild mushrooms. It has truffle oil in it but its also so-so. <br/>- Sweet potato with dukkah egg. Love it ! It has salty and sweet elements in it. I say its a wonderful combination. Really love it !<br/>- Ispahan croissant. It has lychee and rose water. Feels like eating macaroons ? Well i dont really like the taste of rose water. So i dont really like it. But despite of the rose water, the croissant was so-so. <br/>- Matcha croissant. It was sprinkled with sesame seeds on top. Its also so-so. <br/><br/>Well, overall, everything was so-so. However, I am really interested with their breakfast board !! It looks really interesting.<br/><br/>Hope you guys enjoy your meals here ! Cheers ! 😁🎉

Spotted rustica sourdough at the flour market today and omg! Such a delight they were. Great servers - friendly and efficient. So many to chooose from also! I ended up getting two donuts with them - strawberry shortcake and cookies & creme - they were so soft and doughy with heaps of filling! And then also got an almond croissant which was sweet and buttery. I die!!<br/><br/>

Lovely breakfast, had the lobster Benedict such a sexy dish and my friend was going for Kaiserfleisch and pumpkin dish so tasty. Worth the trip from the south side.

Went on a Saturday afternoon for brunch. It was very busy but got a table straight away. <br/>The food was delicious I ordered the breakfast board because I can never decide whether I want sweet or savoury. The egg was perfectly poached and the salmon croquette was delicious! <br/>The muesli was good and the pineapple mint juice was to die for (if you like juice tangy)<br/>My super fussy friend ordered the sautéed greens which she enjoyed. <br/>Downside is there isn't much room and the service wasn't the best. <br/>Overall the food and price was reasonable would definitely return.

The place doesn't serve Brioche French Toast and croque monsieur no more, they had been always my favourites. Other dishes are tasty, but wouldn't be the reason for me to come back again.

Had an amazing brunch with my friends today, loved the sauteed greens with the trout not to mention the coffee cronuts 👌 we all will be returning 100%

<br/>Some people always need to have the most luxurious and decadent of everything. me I keep it simple. take this Ispahan croissant I had today at Rustica sourdough it’s just your basic billowy mound of buttery-rich pastry, finely glazed, sprinkled with candied rose petals, and filled with an exquisite rose pâte. Like I said very basic and no-frills. But upon the first bite, one finds it difficult to resist its rose and almond paste delicious flavour highlighted with raspberry and litchi compote. It's all topped off with rosewater glaze and a sprinkling of small raspberry pieces. This croissant will have lovers of Ispahan melting with pleasure

Beautiful bread and pastries! I had the crushed avo with Meredith feta and Beetroot chips on olive bread and the bread was delicious. Chips were a little greasy, but that wasn't unexpected. I finished the meal with a matcha cronut (croissant/donut) which was a gorgeous balance between creamy (in the strawberry and vanilla creme) and crispy (in the actual croissant). Would like to come back and try some more of their pastries

Not at all a sweet tooth.. But my goodness!! That French toast is not only super Instagram worthy, but tastes absolutely delicious! Perfect combination of sweet and tart. <br/>Not to mention all of the pastries and quality baked bread stocked within Rustica too. Would go again and again and never be disappointed

Excellent service and an excellent burger. The food was fantastic, great flavours with the lobster burger. Beef burger was also great with exciting flavours and potato gems to top it off. The cronuts for dessert are amazing. Definitely come back here!

I loved this place! From the beautiful pastries to the coffee this is one of my fav routine brunch places hands down! I cannot recommend it enough! Everything was amazing for me and my sweet tooth! Big thumbs up

Rustic Sourdough Bakery would have to be the best cafe on Brunswick street housing the most aquatinted and helpful friendly staff, creating a family friendly relaxed environment. Rustica delivers perfection on every level, from tremendous coffee, comforting atmosphere and dishes that will send your taste buds in to heaven creating for a truely enjoyable cafe experience. Upon entering the cafe one is immediately drawn to the amazing assortment of pastries offered that fill the glass cabinet next to the counter. Attention is also driven to the scenic glass panel situated at the back of the cafe showing off the factory where Rustica’s famous breads and pastry’s come to life. Came to this tremendous cafe after finishing an exam for lunch with a friend and where seated immediately in the small modern interior. Ordered the usual long soy mac that was served steaming hot to perfection as well as a soy mocha that was creamy with the perfect ratio of chocolate to coffee flavours. The only hard difficulty one may encounter whilst at Rustica is what to order from their mouthwatering menu offering cheap largely sized dishes that will leave you more than pleased. After coordinating recommendations with the amazingly chatting staff decisions where made and we ordered the newest addition to the menu being the Chia,coconut and quinoa bircher with roasted apple, walnuts, lemon balm and winter fruits as well as the crushed avocado, heirloom tomatoes, beetroot crips and herbs served on olive basil sourdough with an additional side of mushrooms. The bircher was sensation, presented like a flower garden, provided creamy fruity textures accompanied by traditional winter flavours. The large baked apple that positioned above the mound of creamy goodness was the true standard out, delivering spicy cinnamon aromas. The addition of walnuts offered crunch and the freshly served figs balanced the dish ensuring that it was not to sweet. The classic of avo on toast was enlightened with crispy salty beetroot chips delivering an equally divine dish with Rustica’s signature bread being obviously the undermining key to the dishes success. Overall I can’t express how great this cafe is and I will certainly be returning as well as recommending it to several others.

Very friendly staff and a nice atmosphere for a coffee and a good book. Came here midday during the week and it wasn't too busy. Ordered the french toast which I cannot stop thinking about. Also got the croquet monsieur take away for a friend. Even after a 30 minute drive it was still delicious! Definitely one of my favorite places.

Have just popped in for take away coffee and cakes, I ordered 1 half full latte with a sugar, a piccolo with a sugar, lemon/passionfruit tart and slice of cheesecake. $23 later I got two coffees that aren't what I ordered and two sweets also not what I ordered...? Mind you the cafe was empty and no excuse as to why a little more care or concentration couldn't have gone into our order. Not impressed at all with service. Can't comment on coffee or pasties as they're in the bin now.

great customer service from the wait staff but we waited for about 35 mins for our food to arrive. had to run across the road to feed the meter halfway. and this was on a Wed late morning with only 3 other tables besides us. food was great but will be hesitating before coming back anytime soon.

Waitress forgot to put in our order so we waited 1.5 hours for our food. But they were really apologetic about it and gave us a free box of desserts and a loaf of sourdough, so no hard feelings! The food was good, the sourdough is amazing!

A lovely but busy cafe in the middle of brunswick st.<br/>Fantastic vibe overall and pastries that flew out the door during a sunday morning.<br/>Food was great, with the croque monsieur being the dish of the morning so light and so rich it was one tasty morsel.<br/>coffee good, but will need to return as there current batch of beans were reacting to the soy which made it unpleasant drinking.<br/>Overall a great place to stop by.

The decor and location is great for a weekend morning breakfast. It is never too busy so you're likely to get a seat immediately. The coffee is great and the breakfast board is delicious. Sometimes an inconsistency with portions depending on when you go but still overall, one of the better breakfast places in Melbourne!

Had vine fruits + Rosemary sourdough. The bread was full of flavour with the aroma of rosemary and vine fruits. Their sourdough was very light, and it had deep taste. Want to try other sourdough next time.

Went a bit later in the afternoon so unfortunately a lot of the stuff I had Instagram stalked were sold out 👿. However I scored myself a couple of cronuts - one was a vanilla Chantilly one which was freakin amazing and a chocolate mousse type one which was amazing minus the freakin in front. Peanut butter and chocolate croissant - I'll get you next time.

Similar to other Rusticas, Fitzroy’s Rustica served delectable pastries and brunch meals. The last time we had lunch here however, a few items on their menu were not available so we ended up ordering the buttermilk fried chicken burger (sans brioche bun) and the breakfast salad. Both meals were delicious, though not as outstanding as their pastries. Service wasn’t as friendly as it used to be.

Had the french toast there ... Omg that was massive !!! And delicious ! The fresh fruits and toast was perfect . The only bad thing was the ice cream which one was very crumbly. But once i put it aside it was so delicious ! Definitely come back !!

Perfect every time. This is such a little gem of a bakery/eatery, pastries are always yummy and fresh. This is my new go to for brunch on a Saturday morning, food is delicious and staff are friendly and welcoming. Great set up with being able to see staff working their magic through the glass windows. Highly recommend

What a fantastic brunch spot. Great, friendly service with good coffee and delicious chilli scrambled eggs. Their cake/pastry display makes your mouth water in preparation for your meal before you even sit down. Reasonably priced and good portion sizes.

Came here 3 months ago for dine in breakfast and I told myself I have to be back for their pretty ispahan croissant next time. Finally I got my chance today. I had their lobster egg benedict, matcha cured salmon and the cronut last time. The lobster egg benedict with the Brioche bun was really yummy. I like the matcha cured salmon too but the bread was abit hard and crusty for my liking. The ispahan croissant is definitely a must try pastry. Love the almond paste with some zing in it.plus,it is so pretty that I just can't resist. Will try to get their bread and loaf next time if I get a chance again.

My mates and I just randomly stumbled upon this simple and modernly set café for a post-brunch dessert time. With a whole load of tempting sweet treats that Rustica Sourdough displayed, it was a serious, distressing decision to choose one of them. After contemplating for quite a time, we decided on two treats to share.

Love'in it!<br/>The croissants here is beautiful! I cannot tell which one is the best because all of them are very good. <br/>It's also a good place for brunch. The French toast is fantastic. Love the toast topped with various fruits and cream. The lobster egg benedict is good except that the pickle is too sour. The coffee is good.

I have a thing for good bread. Freshly baked loaves of warm, soft sourdough, with a crunchy crust, and perhaps scattered with grains of some sort, and lathered with butter is one of my many weaknesses. Cheese is my other weakness, but let’s not start with that…. Rustica Sourdough has long been on my list to try. Social media has been full of people raving about not only their bread, but also their delicious breakfasts. Located on Brunswick St in Fitzroy, is the original Rustica branch, where we decided to indulge on Good Friday morning. We got there relatively early, as early as one should wake on a public holiday, and headed down there only to be faced with a queue. Luckily we didn’t have to wait too long, as long as we were happy to sit on a communal table. This was no issue for me, infact I quite like the communal table because it means I can perve on everyone else’s meals!

service was good ... so was coffee ... chicken burger was average ... wide selection of delicious pastries but they sell out early on weekends

A mixture of a traditional bakery and a cafe. Breakfast was good but the eggs were a little under cooked. Picked up a fresh nutella donut on the way out. Not sure if I would come back for breakfast but I would for the donut.

Had breakfast here this morning and left hungry. The scrambled eggs with chilli was ok very creamy though and not a lot of food. Partner got the breakfast board and again portion very small but good concept to try a number of things for breakfast (the granola was yum). Flat white coffee wasn't string almost tasted like warm milk.

My friend and I visited this place today for brunch on Easter Saturday and really enjoyed our meal ^^ <br/><br/>My friend ordered the crushed avocado and I had the chilli scrambled eggs. <br/><br/>The crushed avocado came on an olive sourdough bread which was fresh and soft (I could really taste the flavour of the olive pieces mixed in the bread 👍🏻).<br/><br/>The chilli scrambled eggs were soft and fluffy however it needed more seasoning and the bread was not as toasty / crispy as I have expected. (I've had the chilli scrambled eggs at rustica canteen and really loved it there 5/5 but the ones served at rustica sourdough tastes different and the bread is more soggy). Nevertheless both dishes were enjoyable to eat and came in a generous serving.<br/><br/>We also tried the cronuts; the dark chocolate & hazelnut Easter cronut was amazing! The rose & raspberry one wasn't as good but still refreshing and tasty 😊 <br/><br/>Overall I would recommend this place and would come back for the pastries!

Went here for breakfast and it was nothing amazing. Service was average and borderline rude. Bread is overpriced. Probably wouldn't recommend.

Staff are really lovely, coffee is great, baked goods are delicious, especially the pumpkin bread and the nutella donuts with the caramel.

Came here today for brunch and despite being busy, the staff were very quick and efficient. We ordered the brioche French toast and the lobster benedict. The French toast was plated so nicely that I felt bad for digging in and eating it! Both dishes were really good and they were enjoyed thoroughly. I would definitely return if I was in the area :)

Walking in the cafe and the feel was just perfect. Had lots of awesome desserts on display. Food was well presented and looked very nice and fresh, it was great! Loved the coffee. Loved reading the menu, there was so much variety. love the view of the bakery kitchen absolutely awesome!

Came here awhile ago... Got seated straight away but when it came to order, the staff were very slow.. Behind the counter talking to each other. Not very attentive. Food servings are generous we were soo full! Managed to grab a few sweets. The Milo eclaire... I will be back for you! It's quite a small place, not many seats. Definitely worth checking out but get in early or I'm sure it will be a long way!

Nabbed a couple of treats from the bakery to take away - a donut and a cronut, and the guy threw in a danish on the house! The pastry for all of them was amazing - soft and puffy and crispy. They were all consistent and on the whole not overly sweet. In terms of flavour combinations, we actually liked the blueberry danish the best, but they were all lip-smackingly good. I'm sure it won't be long before I'm back to try more pastries and maybe the brunch menu.

I have dreams about this place. Food is so delish and the serves are enormous. The croquettes aren't too fishy and come with this mustard sauce which tastes heavenly. The triple stack croque monsieur is huge - photos don't do it justice. Could eat at this place every day and never get bored.

Yum, yum, yum...... I frequently visit Rustica for their savoury muffins. They are absolutely delicious. Be warned they sell out super quick so get there early. Seriously guys you need to make more of these. <br/>Try and get a seat towards the back of the cafe where you can see the pastry chefs at work creating their magic in their open style kitchen.

Nice place to go if you're in the area, decor is comfortable and brekkie are cooked with fresh ingredients. Staff are not very attentive, either chatting behind the counter amongst themselves or looking airy that you can hardly gage their eye contact for service.

Great breakfast menu offering both savoury & sweet options. Opted for a savoury breakfast & went with the Matcha cured Salmon with sourdough. Beautifully presented, fresh & extremely filling.

Rustica was very busy on the Friday morning I visited. Nevertheless staff service and food service were timely and not delayed. Their smashed avo was unique in that it's not the usual you typically find elsewhere, and I would recommend it. Also tried their famous cronut and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downside was that their pastries were almost all gone even at 11, so there wasn't much to choose from. All in all a lovely brunch and will return!

I checked out Rustica with my boyfriend after searching for best bakeries in Melbourne. We visited Sunday a little before closing time (about 2pm) and it certainly delivered. We were seated immediately, and all the waiters and waitresses were very friendly and accommodating. I had looked at the menu online and was set on the matcha salmon, which was absolutely amazing and definitely worth the trip. The waitress talked my bf into the croque monsieur and he was very glad he did; the dish was decadent, rich and delicious. Both of the portion sizes were very generous. We took some pastries to go (eclair and cronut), which were incredible. I also bought a loaf of bread and had another loaf thrown in for free. This kind of customer service is fantastic to see and I will definitely be back soon. I have already recommended this place to my friends, keep up the great work!

Have been to Rustica Sourdough Bakery many times and it has become a staple Sunday morning staple. Unfortunately the standards have been dropping dramatically.<br/><br/>Attended a couple of weeks ago to really slow service and, thinking it was a flash in the pan, returned only to have a worse...

The perfect combination! You can come here for a well made coffee and then order a delicious sweet. Perfect place for a cuppa in the afternoon. Next visit will be for breakfast.

I checked this place but they were already closing in. It really was unfortunate. I end up just getting the mango lassi donut and madeleine. The lady behind the counter was so lovely and helpful. I will definitely return to eat here.

To say I LOVE this place is an understatement! What's not to love!? The food...my faves are the smashed avocado, the croque & the sautéed greens- a must have with a little extra holumi on the side & two eggs! The shop...busy little hub of energy! From the awesome tunes taking me back to days gone by to the hustle of people either slurping coffees & eating their delicious food or ordering treats to go or waiting for a spot at a table. I have only had to wait twice for a seat at Rustica & even so it wasn't that long a wait in the grand scheme of things. (Be patient, everyone is their just like you, you are not the only people in existence!) I love sitting and watching the kids out the back roll pastry after pastry & then the food roll out to the waiting mouths! The staff...what a lovely bunch of eclectic people! There is Tom who is such a busy bee flying from table to table helping customers in anyway he can, to the lovely Mitch who is funny, witty & makes you feel like part of their little family all whilst bringing me my coffee. The breads & treats...one word DELICIOUS!! Try the ALL!!! Cannot wait for my next breaky/brunch there! Thanks team Rustica!

It was a TERRIBLE experience!! We ordered a french toast and roasted lamb, and we had been waiting for an hour still haven't got our meal! When I asked the girl where is my food! She said they made a mistake that they forgot to pass out order to the kitchen! I am so upset and I think they so irresponsible! Just ruined my day!

Wow!!! And Wow... Top notch French inspired brunch menu. I absolutely loved their matcha cured salmon w rye sourdough. Fantastic soy chai latte and house baked bread and cakes. Generous portion, great service and added to my favourite list for brunch.

Do: Any of the amazing pastries and coffee. But the chilli eggs are a must.<br/><br/>Don't: Leave without taking a few pastries to go. <br/><br/>Tip: careful of the parking signs out front.

The service took ages! We waited for over 40 minutes for the food to be delivered out, it was a simple poached egg and sliced avocado on a toast, and the cafe wasn't even busy. Although the food was very nice, tasty and presented well, the wait was on the lengthy side. Customers coming in after us received their orders way ahead of ours. Other than that, the flavored croissants were delicious! Service by the male was excellent, attentive and helpful, but the girl who worked at the counter was snobby and rude! Bad customer service is always a turn off. Low rating.

Lured in by the delectable photos posted online, Rustica was a must try. My expectations were high, and first impressions did not disappoint. The front display was filled with incredible looking cakes and fresh bread. <br/><br/>The cafe was quite full, which isn't hard to achieve considering its location and small size. There was no front of house to organise a list, so we joined the bread queue and asked for a table. We were given menus and told it would be about 15 minutes. After 10 minutes we were seated. In that time, many people tried to steal our table, either not realising that you had to ask to be seated, or not caring. However each time the wait staff told them that this table was taken and that they would have to wait. <br/><br/>By the time we sat down, we already knew what we wanted to eat. However no body came to take our order for a while. A couple that sat down long after us was served before us. I wasn't sure what the point of giving us menus before being seated was if it took longer to take our orders. But this was a small hiccup in the scheme of things. <br/><br/>It didn't take very long for our meals to come out. However we only received three meals at first, and the fourth took so long to come out that one person had almost finished their meal. This is a huge annoyance, and something I feel comes down to lack of organisation. Perhaps that last dish took longer to prepare, in which case it should be started first. This is something I hope doesn't happen again next time.<br/><br/>Despite that, the food was incredible. Each dish had many great features. The crushed avo with ham was amazing, the French toast was delicious despite the icecream being a little overpowering, and the potato hash was one of the best I've ever tasted.<br/><br/>As for the feel of the cafe, it was very relaxed and fresh. The air was a bit too cold for the type of day it was, and by the end of our time there I was frozen through. The music was also a little loud at times, which made conversation below a low yell impossible. But the staff were friendly enough, and overall it was a nice experience. Angry I didn't get the blueberry Danish I was drooling over, so I'll definitely be back.<br/>

We ordered the breakfast board and the chilli eggs. I'm pregnant so asked for my egg hard poached (and yes, made our waitress aware I was pregnant) it came soft poached, so swapped it to my partners plate. Not sure if that was the waitress forgetting to ask, or the chefs decision. Thankfully the chilli eggs were divine! The homemade granola was a bit overdone. Service was ok. Waitress returned to out table twice to confirm my partners order. My partner loved it, I thought it was ok.

Really impressed with Rustica's brunch menu! Had the tea-cured salmon, friends had the lamb with lentils dish and both were absolutely delicious. The breakfast board was okay. Didn't have the coffee, but also bought croissants. Croissants had nice unique flavors, they weren't as nice as Lune but they were cheaper and I appreciated not having to wake up at 5am and line up for 3 hours to get decent croissants!

Allured by the incredibly tempting photos online, I finally decided to try out Rustica. As you can already tell from the photos, Rustica's selling point is the presentation of their food, and i am glad i was able to witness the beauty of it in person. Brioche French Toast ($16.50). Fresh berries, compot, pecan + choc brownie ice-cream, vanilla marscapone + pop rocks

Went there just to try their brunch menu as I've tried their pastries before (in the CBD one). Ordered the matcha cured salmon, lobster eggs Benedict and the chilli eggs. The matcha cured salmon really amazed me with its unique taste (a must-try dish I reckon). Lobster eggs Benedict was the most expensive dish on the brunch menu but I don't really think it's as impressive. Coffee's 4/5.

Tried the French toast and breakfast board. The French toast looks very pretty. The portion of the dish is quite big that I couldn't finish the whole. Also bought some pastries for take away. The twice baked almond croissant is nice.

Rustica is heaven for sweet tooth and bread fiend. Once you walk in, you are greeted with the visually stunning display of croissants, cronuts, eclairs and tarts and rows of house made loaves and buns. The breakfast and lunch dishes are not too shabby either. My order of the buttermilk waffles with PB ice cream, maple bacon, banana and fried pickles was a hot sexy mess and I mean that in a good way. Every elements of the dish came together beautifully - creamy ice cream, crunchy nuts, sweet maple syrup, salty pickles. Although the waffles were a bit overdone, I personally don't mind the crunchy exterior as the inside was still soft. My partner's dish of the lobster Benedict was equally delicious. The brioche was toasted to perfection and the Lobster was fresh and juicy. The tangy apple slaw acted as refreshing palate cleanser between bites. Coffee was strong and bitter, which was good as it helped cut through all the sweetness that I was putting myself through. Service was charming and relaxed; a highly enjoyable breakfast experience.

the melbourne food scene is passionate about artisan produce! we love to celebrate a finely-honed craft; a dedicated or unique chef; or a boutique establishment that stays true to a unique and special food offering. enter rustica sourdough… the word on everyone’s lips when it comes to finely baked bread and boutique bakery-cafes in melbourne. this brunswick street bakery has been open since april 2012 and offers freshly-baked artisan bread, cakes and mouth-watering pastries seven days a week. sourdough breads are baked using traditional techniques and almost everything on the menu is cooked onsite. our visit a few weeks ago has us sitting at a table right against the large open window looking into the baking area meaning we were able to watch the delicate touch and care taken in preparing finely decorated eclairs and pastries.

I just walked past this place while wandering through the streets of Fitzroy and actually turned back to go inside..I don't know if it was the smell of the yummy bread or possibly it was just the donuts staring at me from the window, but I knew I had to go inside! I got myself an oreo donut and a coffee for afternoon tea and I was one happy girl!! Definitely check it out if you're in the area!

Personally I'm not a big fan of having sweets for breakfast however both me and my friend were attracted by how good the pastries look the minute we walked in the bakery 😜 ordered the lychee frangipane croissant, chocolate almond croissant, passionfruit cronuts and the matcha red bean cronuts! They definitely taste as good as how they look on the display. Great place to visit for some freshly baked pastries!

Love this bakery!! 😘 The baked treats not only looks good but are tasty as well. A friend and I couldn't resist over ordering...almond croissant, Ispahan croissant, passionfruit cronut, Matacha maiden raspberry cronut and coffee!! Major sugar overload for a breakfast hang out but definitely worth it 😁☕🍩🍰

Bread lovers rejoice, Rustica is a beautiful cafe specialising in artisan breads & pastries which is bound to get your mouth watering. We had organised a brunch date with a group of our favourite people that day, and the boy and I were the first to arrive. The cafe is small, inviting, with crisp and clean lines. It was busy when we arrived, so the friendly staff popped our name down for a table. Whilst we waited, the boy and I joined a steady stream of people wanting to get their hands on Rustica’s baked goods. We examined the shelves and cabinets with joy and given we were about to have brunch, I begrudgingly chose a single cronut to share. Sigh! If only my stomach was bigger…

Came here for the Nutella French toast. Unfortunately was a little disappointed. The toast was okay but the "Nutella ice cream" was just vanilla ice cream with Nutella swirled in it - and the Nutella had hardened. Coffee was decent though :)

These dishes look small but they sure pack quite a punch. I got a lovely broccolini and almonds on toast with haloumi cheese (#die) and my friends got the chilli scrambled eggs. We were so hungry that we decided to also get a French baguette to share. The French baguette made me reminisce about all the bread I ate when I visited last year... But overall, we were very full by the end of our meal and for a reasonable spend!

Lovely pastries! Eat in brunch menu is good too. Wasn't too impressed with the lobster eggs benefit but the banana pancakes and sautéed greens were amazing. Friendly service and coffee on point too. Will be back to try the pies and donuts

Food and coffee great - but on occasion the service is absolutely terrible. Not even on busy days, staff forget they've left your sandwich toasting or forget your coffee you ordered before the meal and before the people sitting next to you. If you can't remember things write it down and if you forget an order just apologise and prioritise it first, not after everyone else's!!

One of the best brunches in Melbourne and we have had a lot. The service can occasionally be a little slow, but if you aren't relaxing and taking things slow you shouldn't be out for brunch in the first place! Every dish we have had has been awesome. And don't even get me started on the breads, pastries and cakes you can buy to take away!

My go-to for Sourdough bread and hooked my friends and families on their pumpkin sourdough, hahaha!  Every time I come here I have to struggle to buy just 1 thing!! Great cakes and breads, can't go wrong with anything.

Such great service! The staff are lovely and the bread is so tasty. Enjoyed our meals, coffee and the loaf we took home. The staff were extremely friendly. Will be back!

Really pretty and delicately pared dishes. Food was delicious!! Generous servings and great friendly staff. Most of all customers were given bread to take home afterwards!! Not sure if it was because they had too many, or if it was a special day (o Ly a normal Sunday) but it was very generous!

So yummy! Came here for breakfast and had previously walked past to purchase baked goods and the breakfast was so big a delicious. Had their savoury muffin before too and it was soo delicious. Definitely coming back for their croissants and cronuts, they looked so tasty!

Absolutely love coming here whether it just be for some delicious pastries or bread or for a lovely brunch. They do everything to perfection!

Cronuts are THE latest food fad sweeping Melbourne. I stumbled upon one of THE greatest cronuts in my gastronomical existence one fine Wednesday morning, between the hours of 9 and 10 am. I was quite aware that it wasn't quite dessert-o-clock, but it felt indecent to forego this glorious mound of chocolate, and cream and sugar and butter and pastry.

Absolutely yum! Rustica has just opened rustica canteen on guldford lane in the CBD and it's a must try. This is a smaller place compared to the one in Brunswick but the quality is still the same. The breakfast salad was awesome fresh hit of flavors and perfect to welcome your palate first thing in the morning. The quinoa and coconut pudding is another delight which is not too sweet. We got there on their opening day so it wasn't too busy but go check it out don't miss out!

Really enjoy coming here. The staff are friendly and the food is always fresh and fantastic! Even though everything on your menu is great, I must say my all time fave is your French toast with peanut butter!

Rustica Sourdough Bakery is a bakery/cafe in Fitzroy on Brunswick St, easily accessible by tram 11 and close to another place I've blogged about in the past, Vegie Bar. The bakery is best known for its artisan breads, house roasted coffee and contemporary menu, and its rustic industrial feel atmosphere.

We ventured out to the bakery-cafe that is Rustica Sourdough at a time that I didn’t know existed on Saturday mornings.  Front of shop houses the mouth-watering artisan breads, pastries and preserves.  Browsing the shelves and glass cabinets is a joy, especially on your way out as you imagine ordering one of everything to go. Rustica pride themselves on preparing and baking everything onsite out the back and you can watch them in action through a giant window.

Rustica sourdough make beautiful artisan breads and pastries on site that look spectacular and taste amazing. Lots of care has been taken to create these beautifully hand-crafted delights and you can taste the love. Their menu highlights their traditional breads in a unique and modern way.

We loved this place and could not recommend it more!<br/><br/>We were there on Saturday morning for breakfast. <br/><br/>What we ate:<br/>"Rustica breakfast board-house made granola with sweet labna, seasonal fruit, salmon croquette, poached egg on sourdough, crushed avocado + organic juice"  <br/><br/>and  <br/><br/> "The scrambled chilli eggs with spring onion, coriander, bacon + shaved pecorino on sourdough"<br/><br/>The food is fantastic, well flavoured and presented. The staff are friendly and helpful. The decor is lovely, we sat at the big table at the front with the bread cutting board and large toaster. I honestly think all bakeries should do this!<br/><br/>Find us on instagram @thereddressmelb<br/><br/>We also took home a few delicious treats. If you haven't tried the Pina Colada Choux Bomb then it is fair to say that you are missing out so hurry on up and get one!@

Love this place. Solid coffee, friendly staff and amazing bread. I get the Reuben sandwich 2-3 times a week. Heaps of sweet treats on offer, although not really my bag so haven't tried them as yet.

Really lovely little bakery, on the pricey side but worth a splurge every now and then. There's al fresco dining which is fab for a bit of people watching.

The food was lovely. Really enjoyed the scrambled eggs and bacon, coffee was spot on. I would have tried squeezing in more food from the cabinets as it looked amazing but I was stuffed. Will have to go back.

Always friendly staff, delicious breads and pastries and coffee is always amazing - the manager gave us a free pumpkin sourdough because he's a legend

In preparation for a birthday get-together, I had scoured the internet for places selling good quality slider buns in Melbourne.  I was referred to Rustica by Northcote Bakeshop (who do great slider buns, but a small operation therefore didn't take larger retail orders) and I'm very glad I made contact - the buns themselves were perfect and quite light for brioche buns so weren't overly rich when teamed up with a little roast pork & coleslaw.  Rustica were very happy to take my order a couple of days in advance, the price was very reasonable and they even threw in a few extra buns when I picked them up - great service all round!  While I was waiting to pick up my order, I also spied their savoury muffins (pic attached) and thought I'd give them a try - they were exactly how I aspire to make them myself; dense and cheesy whilst somehow still being light and airy with a nice cream cheese surprise in the middle (sorry, I guess it's not a surprise anymore).  Would recommend and will absolutely be back.

I heard about this place and decided to try it this morning……$4 dollars for lipton tea and $4.50 for a really small doughnut….TOTAL ripoff…over rated

I came here with a friend as we were eager to try the Insta-worthy French toast. It was overall quite nice - definitely not your normal take on French toast! The stickiness and crunch of the peanut butter worked in synchrony with the fresh strawberries and sweetness of the strawberry jam. I would recommend digging into the Nutella ice cream straight away, as it can otherwise be rather dry. My only critique is I wish I had more ice cream!! Overall, the flavours worked well together to formulate a somewhat savory take on French toast. <br/>Food: 3.5/5<br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Environment: 3.5/5

I am a massive sucker for a great bakery. I mean seriously people, who doesn’t love great bread, delicious donuts and a big buttery Danish? Yep, I’m standing here waving my hand high in the air, I love them all. It takes great restraint to walk past a bakery and not pick something up for the road, and if you follow my Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that restraint isn’t really something I possess.

I really like their french toast with peanut butter and nutella ice cream. The best french toast ever. The strawberries balance out the sweetness from nutella ice cream. It is really perfect dessert for swotvac (stress from exams). Will come back for it.

Went here just to taste the famous french toast because people said it is amazing. And yes, not regretting to come here in the middle of rainy weather of Melbourne. Try the Peanut Butter, Nutella French Toast and it was AMAZINGLY delicious! Not to sweet like I imagine before, but the flavour was just there. Love their peanut butter! One of the best in Melbourne! Try some of the bread, such as the baguettes and the croissant.

Last Friday before I submitted my last assignment of this semester, I had brunch in Fitzroy. It was gloomy day in Melbourne, yet suddenly it turned into a sunny day. Yeay!. "Rustica Sourdough is the hippest new kid on sourdough-loving block."- Broadsheet. They offer not only sourdough, but also freshly baked artisan bread, pastries and cakes, along with specialty coffee.

EveLovelle was invited to dine as guest at  Rustica Sourdough Courtesy of ID Collective Question, what's better than a local cafe? One that is also a bakery!  Rustica Sourdough is a cafe slash bakery hybrid who does a fantastic array of sweet treats from breads, small pastries and cakes. Jan and I were more than happy to be invited to Rustica Sourdough on behalf of ID Collective. Absolutely ecstatic with high expectations as I did my research and drooled at pictures on Instagram and photos on fellow bloggers' blog post. And guess what? They did not disappoint! These breads are fresh baked daily.  Many come in just to purchase breads and pastries. The selection is plenty and even if I were to try one everyday, I know I won't be bored. A girl like me chooses carbs over diet, eeks! The layout is pretty basic and we loved its simplicity of having just white brick walls and painted art do the talking. Jan is not one to appreciate art but he said he loved the unique drawings and it was quite captivating. The place was also warm and inviting especially when the outside winds were out to kill. Mocha + Cappuccino We had ourselves a cup. The Mocha was darker than expected with not much chocolatey taste. Jan was not a fan because he does not like coffee, but to me it was great. My Cappuccino on the other hand was extremely robust and it kicked start my senses this morning. Yes, now I am awake! Brioche French Toast, 16.50AUD Isn't this just the most gorgeous holy mother of french toast?! This smexy one had a mix of fresh peanut butter and strawberry Jam sandwiched in between two gigantic brioche. Topped with Nutella ice cream, hazelnut sprinkles, chocolate cookie crumbs and a good amount of strawberry slices. My favourite part was the dried flowers that elevated the stake. Sure it made plating even prettier, but the dried flowers were packed with perfumed aroma that makes the dish fresh and balanced. Overall it was a really tasty dish, but we could use with a little more jam, p

Favorite place for award winning cakes.. The doggies and I stop here most days for extremely nice coffee and cakes.<br/>You will find great breads, good coffee and cakes, and friendly staff.<br/>Dog friendly with three tables outside.

I’m such a stalker, I am always stalking my foodie friends on Instagram to see what new cafe/restaurant they have recently visited and Rustica Sourdough is one that has been coming up on my feed quite frequently. But my ever growing ‘to-go’ list, it simply slipped my mind. Hence, that’s why I jumped up in joy when I received the email from ID Collective to visit Rustica Sourdough cafe.

Holy hash. Came here fairly early for breakfast - like any bakery they have a range of quick things to take away but it's also a cafe here so ate in. Had the Rustic croque monsieur. Overall had expected more from the croque monsiuer - the ham hock didn't have much flavour and the mustard bechamel was a bit tame. Overall super impressed by the potato hash which really had flavour to it which I can't say for many hash browns that are straight from Birds Eye. They have a smallish range of sweet offerings mainly for take away - got a salted caramel donut and wandered down Brunswick Street. The dollop of caramel was being lost on the top of the paper bag (as is often the case) so downed it - small but pretty good.

Rustica Sourdough is on Brunswick St in Fitzroy, a brunch hot spot. There are so many choices I almost find it intimidating and end up going to the same old place time and time again. Although I love my ole faithful cafe’s, if I didn’t try new things I would have never eaten at Rustica Sourdough and I would be 4 pieces of crusty multigrain sourdough less plus a wonderful meal and some pastries to take home. <br/><br/>Jackson and I arrived bright and early on a Saturday morning, the air still crisp and a hankering for a hot coffee in tow. We walked from our house which was a nice, brisk 30 minute walk which may or mat not have been a tactical decision on my behalf to ensure our brunching appetites were in full swing.

Rustica sourdough make beautiful artisan breads and pastries on site that look spectacular and taste amazing. Lots of care has been taken to create these beautifully hand-crafted delights and you can taste the love. Their menu highlights their traditional breads in a unique and modern way. As I walked in I was already drooling over the breads behind the counter and pastries on display, they looked amazing. There were shelves of different breads, which are all made on the premises so they are as fresh as can be. Sourdough, seedy wholewheat and rye, oh my.

Over the weekend I was invited to try out Rustica Sourdough Cafe and Bakery and decided to take my friend and fellow blogger Maggie. When I arrived, the place was pretty packed with people coming in and out to buy their pastries and bread. After being seated, I waited almost 10 minutes until a waitress asked whether I would like to order anything – in which I replied that I haven’t received a menu. She then promptly brought out a menu, before coming back in a minute asking whether I was ready to order. I guess as the place was quite busy when I arrived, they have forgotten to bring me the water and menu. Once Maggie arrived we both ordered a skinny flat white each. Having looked at their menu the day before visiting, I was excited to order the french toast. The French toast their had on the menu made me even more excited, as it was screaming out peanut butter and nutella! When the dish arrived it looked very epic, with nutella dripping and was made very pretty with chocolate cookie crumbles, micro herbs and red sprinkles (don’t know what they are sorry). After moving the top slice to the side to examine the insides, I was delighted to see poached strawberries and what I initially thought was ‘scrambled eggs’, boy was I wrong – it was a VERY thick smear of peanut butter. Now don’t get me wrong – I love my peanut butter, but I found the amount smeared on this French toast to be exuberant – which made it very sticky and caused the peanut butter to the top of my roof and teeth – giving it a strange sticky texture in my mouth. After removing the peanut butter however, I found the dish to be better with the smooth nutella clotted cream. I did find the dish to be rather rich and I struggled to finish it. Maggie on the other hand was sensible and ordered the scrambled chilli eggs with spring onion, coriander

Amazing food but bad customer service.. Two weeks ago, i had the chance to discover the Rustica. I went for lunch, and i ordered the smoked salmon with poached eggs and asparagus. Fantastic!!! the quality of the meal was just perfect, but the quality of the service was not the best. The waitress were very nice but not the blond man with long hair at all. After having finish my meal, i was waiting for my coffee that i order in the same time to my lunch. It came only when i ask and obviously the blond waiter wasn't happy about me. Of course i'm such a bad person asking for a coffee! then at the time to pay the waiter, he asked me if everything was all right, which is very professional. I told him that i enjoy the meal but the coffee was horrible, like this next time maybe if he cares, he will taste his own coffee and don't serve it to his customers. His answer was: " it's ok you just didn't like it ". It's shame for him that he apparently doesn't like his job. I will come back for the amazing food but not for the customer service.

If you're a fan of sourdough at all, I am confident you have come across Rustica Sourdough's artisan breads. Baked using traditional sourdough techniques and using only Australian produce and ingredients, it's not hard to see why Rustica Sourdough's breads are a popular choice among cafes all across Melbourne.  But little did I know that they had a café of their own. Oh, the shame. You can imagine how eager was to be invited to taste their award-winning, mouth-watering menu. Eek ! Skinny Flat White Sautéed Greens I was instantly drawn to Rustica's dish of Sautéed Greens - a sweet medley of broccolini, beans, snow peas and grilled haloumi (squeak squeak) on a bed of luscious smashed avo and pesto. Of course, all layered on a crusty slice of their famous sourdough. Topped with an oozy poached egg, this wholesome and nutritious dish was flawless.

A little gem on Brunswick Street, the Rustica Sourdough bakery is just fabulous, producing amazing sourdough breads for cafes and restaurants across Melbourne, the cafe is heaven. Breakie or brunch and a fine cup of coffee, what more could you want? Browsing the menu you can enjoy the Rustica breakfast board with house made granola, organic yoghurt, seasonal fruit, poached egg on sourdough, crushed avocado and juice. You can go sweet with french toast with apples, ricotta, fresh berries, butterscotch syrup, pistachio mascarpone and praline WOW!! There is a Rustica croque monsieur or the house cured salmon with baby beets or the Rustica lunch board …. brace yourself. Pulled pork, house made pickles, cabbage and mint coleslaw, seeded mustard aioli and fresh baguette – Sensational. Pulled pork has been done to death recently but this was some of the best I have had in ages. Plenty of flavour, real depth, not too sweet – just right! Hubby was thoroughly happy and it took him a while to break the back of this one!! I went for the super healthy Moroccan breakfast salad with chickpeas, pomegranate, spinach, coriander, pine nuts, dukkah, rice and a beautiful poached egg. It was a huge bowl of gorgeous, fresh, touch of spice and one of those dishes you feel better for eating. The staff are super lovely, the environment is welcoming and the tunes playing were brilliant, the resident music blogger was thoroughly impressed that finally somewhere realises how important the music is and how it can make the experience so much better. Even better than enjoying an amazing breakfast, you can take Rustica Sourdough home with you, our gorgeous bag of goodies included the best hot cross buns, remember to stock up for Easter. The olive loaf with big, fat green olives was the best I have ever had. The pumpkin loaf covered with seeds was incredible but it was the lemon curd cronut that had me hooked!! Oh and the passion fruit dome, oh and the chocolate croissant….. oh the gorgeous, yummy p

The thick, golden slabs of brioche were coated with sticky butterscotch cream. From the top of the pile tumbled a cornucopia of ripe summer berries, garnished with flower petals and sugary crushed praline. Despite its indulgent appearance however, the dish was actually a rather balanced affair. The richness of the butterscotch sauce combined well with the cool pistachio mascarpone, whilst the poached apples, sandwiched by the fluffy brioche, were ripe and wholesome. But in the end, we were defeated by the sheer size of it.

This is a follow-up post after having brunch at Hammer and Tong. We walked a few blocks up and back down to make the most of our lunch time this weekend. I really like the shops on Brunswick Street, there's that hippie cool atmosphere and I like looking at some people with quirky fashion sense. Now, I always wanted to try a cronut ever since I first read about it at Eater.com. And yey! I finally got my first bite of cronut from Rustica. Here's my verdict. I like the crunch. Oh, I can taste that it's deep fried because it has a crunchy and flaky exterior and doughy interior of a croissant shaped like a donut. The top was coated with chocolate icing (which was a good idea but I prefer to have it dusted or sprinkled with sugar). But I love what's sandwiched between this pastry - raspberry jam and marshmallow! That's the reason why you have to get this at Rustica. I would like to try their doughnuts, cakes and breads too. Perhaps on my next visit. What a good foodie day! You must have this at least once in your life just for experience. I'm pretty sure I won't have another one of these except maybe if I get to visit New York again. I got the food trend behind me now and I can go on looking for the next.  

If you’ve eaten sourdough in one of Fitzroy’s cafes there’s a really good chance it was Rustica Sourdough’s, they supply to about 80% of cafes in the area. But my guess is you’ve probably not actually eaten at Rustica Sourdough . I lived in Fitzroy for two years and occasionally popped into Rustica for a loaf of bread but never thought to try the menu. You see the problem is that most of Fitzroy’s buzz is centred around that little strip of Brunswick Street a few blocks either side of Johnson. I had been to just about every single cafe in that strip in those two years but never though to venue just an extra block or two North. Big mistake. Huge. When I was invited to try the menu I thought “Oh that’s cool, they built a cafe”. Turns our they ‘built’ a cafe three years ago when they first opened, while I lived in Fitzroy. Yep, I’m embarrassed. Let’s move on. The menu is fairly concise with a few breakfast dishes, a few lunch ones and a few that swing either way.

Large, woody, new-looking, earthy, rustic. The place is very laid back, perfect to get your computer or gadget of preference and sit there for hours. I loved the music as well. The display of breads for sale was also very inviting.<br/><br/>I was for an early lunch. I looked at the pastrys section and I thought that it wasn't that interesting. I changed my mind when I ate what I ordered.<br/><br/>The three things I had were all terrific. I had the best ever, EVER, feta and spinach pastry the other day. Packed with the basic ingredients, and very moist and tasty. The pastry was good and golden, and enveloping a big heart of spinach and fetta. So rare nowadays as the contrary has become the norm - too much pastry barely any filling. Their vegan breakfast bar was also yummy, packed with goodness, very moist and easy to eat and not too sweet. It made a perfect mini-desert for me. Their coffee was good, but their serving cups are the size of those in kids playhouses. I feel cheated when I find that sort of mini-me cups. I am maxi-me, mind you.<br/><br/>Service was very friendly

Bizarrely, for a bakery, my party's toast was burnt and required excessive effort to cut - understandably tasted bland and dry. Service was slow, music so loud at 9am that all tables speaking so loudly it was near impossible to hear. Bacon and mushrooms pretty bland, scrambled eggs nothing to rave about. The pastries looked nice, so may return to try, but off the breakfast list.

Like most artisan breakfasts it sounded very nice and looked very nice, but wasn't really convincing in the taste.<br/>We actually came for the cronut. My verdict: a croissant in the shape of a doughnut. Nothing to write home about.

Went here Saterday. I know saterdays are always busy at any cafe, but the flamboyant waiter was patronizing and rude.<br/>He did ask of we wanted coffee, or juice or anything we had to keep hunting him down for attention.<br/>I hate being made to feel I'm a burden and then hand my money over for sub-par service.<br/>Lucky the food makes up for his narrowsightedness.

Great food, atmosphere and warm hospitality. In downtown Brunswick St Fitzroy, Rustica Sourdough Bakery serves all sorts of delicious delights. Our lunch today : a pretty picture of sauteed greens on sourdough, and the breakfast board with a selection of very tastee delights (see photos). Check out the ever changing selection of house baked pastries and cakes, and of course the shelves of amazing sourdough to take home. Also the selection of sourdough sandwiches available are also a winner if you need something on the run. So nice to see the lovely Nicole and Tom again who are always so warm and welcoming, its been a while, we will return again very soon.<br/><br/><br/>-----27 Jul, 2014-----<br/><br/>YUMM. Ticks all the boxes. Finally we visited ... and savoured a delicious lunch involving amazing rustic mushrooms and chorizo on olive and basil sourdough ... sitting in the sun ...and the coffee is YUMMM ... thank you local Brunswick Road, Fitzroy and the wonderful staff, we felt so at home ... what a wonderful meander on a rare winter sunny day

Visitor from Sydney. As a regular visitor from Sydney to Fitzroy, Rustica has quickly become my favourite local cafe. The breakfast is fresh and delicious; the bread and cakes are amazing and the coffee is great. Equally impressive is the service. The staff is always so warm, friendly and efficient. I can't recommend this place highly enough!!

Local who could take it or leave it.. Good points: <br/>Walnut fruit bread is amazing!<br/>Sandwiches are tasty<br/>Bread is fantastic and fresh<br/>It was offspring so it must be cool<br/>I've had their coffee once - takeaway and it wasn't bad<br/><br/>Bad points:<br/>Bread is expensive - about $3-$4 more than babka just down the road which is better bread IMHO<br/>Pre-made sandwiches are practically stale by lunchtime after sitting around in a cabinet. And at $10.50 for takeaway, you'd expect them to be fresh. Especially from a bakery. Babka makes their sandwiches to order for less. Toasted - Rustica's sandwiches are great. <br/>Service is very hit and miss - mostly miss. I avoided going here for a long time because every time I went they didn't seem like they wanted to serve you. Recently they seem to have improved and are slightly more friendly but only just.

Nothing rustic about it. Just kinda average crap.

Hands down best service I've had in Melbourne, was welcomed warmly by the lovely guy (who had such a way with words and charm) behind the counter. He was recommending dishes left, right and center, I went with the pine mushrooms on olive and basil sourdough. Up there with the best I've ever had. I'm going to dream about this dish. I can't believe there was not more people in this cafe. Cannot wait to come back and try more dishes from here. Coffee was also perfect, and hot, which was a refreshing change from the majority of coffee places around. Well done rustica! See you again soon

Not a bad word. This place is going to become a regular. Love everything about it. The food is outstanding and don't get me started on the coffee... To die for, probably the best i've had on Brunswick Street. Took home a cronut on staff recommendation and can't wait to tuck in for dessert!

TERRIBLE service. absolutely terrible.. I cannot explain how terrible the service was. I walked out of the restaurant without saying a word. <br/><br/>After waiting 15 minutes for an orange juice (bottled, not made) it finally came. The hot chocolate nor our food came though. 45 minutes later we had enough and left a 5 dollar note and left. We told the waiter that we had waited a long time and she said sorry. <br/><br/>What was worse was that people around us were getting served and received the friendly treatment that this restaurant should be famous for. <br/><br/>I certainly will never go back. It's a shame because I'm sure their food is great - something that I did not and will not experience.

B-e-a-utiful!. Love this place. It's my usual coffee dig and having been a barista for 5 years I appreciate good coffee! Tom is a delight, always happy and cheery and the rest of the staff are lovely too. <br/>I've had breakfast on a few occasions - always lovely - and many a pie. Delicious!<br/><br/>Oh, and I adore the beautiful pastries when I indulge my sweet tooth. Cakes are to die for!

Absolute favourite! Love going here for coffee and breakfast. Always head home with a variety of bread and pastries. The staff are all lovely too!

My toast was burn..poached eggs overdone.I had my dish returned and came back the eggs are still overdone. They obviously don't bother about their quality. Worst breakie place I ever had in Melbourne

Calorie and carb laden delicious pastries. Horribly slow and confused staff. Had the strawberry CRONUT with apple jam and custard. Could really taste the deep fried - ness at the bottom of it. Big serve. $4.90.

INCREDIBLE!. Had breakfast here this morning and both the food and coffee were delightful! The avocado crush was delicious as it was mixed with mint and had the creamy feta just sitting on top, it was refreshing to have a bit of a twist on the usual avocado and feta smash! The bread was also perfect, as it was soft and dense and I couldn't resist taking a loaf of the wholewheat seedy sourdough home too! Will definitely be returning and recommend Rustica to all!

Great food, bad service. Good things: The sweet things here are incredibly delicious. So far I've had the jam donut (fluffy, generous oozing of real raspberry jam), lemon tart, passionfruit curd tart (both super good) and a strawberry cake (moist, light, A+). Last time I ordered something savoury-- a smoked salmon, white polenta breakfast dish, which was also ace. <br/><br/>Bad things: Every single time I come to this place the service is poor. It could not be clearer that the staff want to be anywhere but at their jobs. Plates are often dumped on the table with no eye contact, one waitress in particular seems to have an aversion to talking, full stop. Eg. "Where could I find a menu?" *points to the menus, looks at me straight faced*. Maybe it's persnickety but a smile and *some words* can go a long way in making your whole dining experience a whole lot nicer.

Great coffe, friendly staff and good bread

Love love love this place what the hell are the others complaining about? Generous servings tasty fresh food and staff are wonderful and friendly I walk here with my bub from collingwood happily much nicer than many places with attitude around this area I reccomend this to everyone now

I tried but I just don't. Hard to put my finger on it. Coffee is fine. All the wood panelling still doesn't make it warm to me. Pastries look nice, but mine have been dry. Staff.... Meh. In the morning it's like they had a late night. In the arvy like they've had a long day

Randomly popped into Rustica for brunch with friends as our intended venue wasn't open on the public holiday. Although service was a bit hit & miss, the food was great! Generous serves, very well priced & each plate that came out of the kitchen gave us each food envy. The smashed acocado was lovely and so were the different combinations of poached egg and sides my friends ordered. Will be back again Ristica!

Consistently good coffee. Tried 3 dishes ; succulent lamb burger, creamy avocado and Persian feta ( ask for scrambled eggs instead of poached), the vegetarian pumpkin sandwich tasted sooo good..... my boyfriend demolish the passionfruit curd tart and licked it clean..<br/>Worth going back for.

I had the best bircher, ever, yesterday. And tasty coffee too. Well played rustica, we shall return.

Great sat there for 10 minutes not even a good morning. Is there no table service

Nice. What a pleasant spot. Didn't know where to go for an early lunch date until we stumbled upon a window full of delectable looking sweets which was the window of rustica sourdough. Went in and decided to stay for lunch. I got the breakfast bored which was lovely. Will be coming back for coffee and cake very soon. Only bad side was un-cleared and un-wiped tables even though it was quiet and staff were standing around but that is being extremely picky!

Fantastic breakfast. Went back two days in a row to have the avocado and Persian feta on seedy sourdough. Perfection! Husband thoroughly enjoyed his mushroom ragout and scrambled eggs. Coffee not great but raspberry custard cronut was!

Tick tick tick. Indulged in some takeaway goodies - amazing coffee, hot and flavoursome. Savoury muffin that was packed with beautiful ingredients - incredibly delicious, loved the big dollop of cheese/sour cream(?) on the inside. Can't wait to tuck into the pumpkin loaf! Will be back for more.

Went there for Sunday brunch and syprisingly wasn't that busy. Great value for money, the fresh bread definitely makes the dish. Would be a great place for cake and coffee as the desserts looked amazing! Only downfall is that we had to wait a while for our coffees

A hidden gem. Yum yum Yum. A hidden gem.<br/>Yum yum<br/>Yum<br/><br/><br/>-----13 Jun, 2013-----<br/><br/>First time at rustica this morning and the experience with the breakfast muffin thingy was beyond words,melted in my mouth(heavenly).<br/>The service by the young lady was superb ,she was very knowledgable about all the products and very very helpful and kind.<br/>And then I tried some custard Portuguese tart(omg)speechless .<br/>Can't wait to go back:)

Hidden Treasure. I don’t even know where to start...<br/>This is defiantly one of Melbourne’s hidden treasures. <br/>The weather’s cold now, so I decided I wanted somewhere quite to enjoy a warm meal.<br/>I stumbled across this bloody beauty - I’m glad I did as it is located in of Melbourne’s busiest streets. <br/>The Main thing that caught my attention was their funky layout/design I just had to go in & see what this places was about. <br/>Anyways...First I was greeted by their warm welcoming staff (which is quite rare in this day & age...) <br/>They presented me with their new menu. (Great variety & well priced)<br/>I ordered a coffee – made to perfection.<br/>Then ordered their soup of the day which was ‘Thai pumpkin Soup’. – SCRUMPTIOUS! <br/>I am a celiac so it was excellent they could off me fresh made GF bread, this is almost impossible to find & if you do it usually tastes like concrete. <br/>This Gluten Free bread was to die for. <br/>They also have a HUGE selection of other house made sourdough breads available. <br/>I brought the Pumpkin Loaf to take home to my daughter. Her quote: “Mum what is this? I could live off this” – that’s saying something coming for a hormonal 14 year old ha-ha<br/>Honestly I could not speak highly enough of this place.<br/>I think Rustica will become my new hang out – when I’m looking for that ‘Me Time’.<br/>Keep up the fantastic work guys - I will be spreading the word :)

Excellent coffee! We had a double espresso and a soy flat white. Friendly barista. I would come back to try the food.

10/10 - great service! Great food! The best sourdough I've ever had, the fig and fennel is my favourite!

I enjoyed my coffee but the staff were very slow and rude.

Went for first time today. so delicious. had an amazing mushroom tart and bought some olive bread...scrumptious. staff were lovely and gave me a mixture of rolls to take home and try. want to go back tmw. a winner for me!

We've been going here for the last couple of weeks to get away from bluebird on Johnston st as it's always to busy although it is really good so we have high standards with cafes and this definitely delivers, near Perfect coffee every time and the food is always cooked to perfection. A

I come across this place a little while ago when i was in the area and it's become my fave for bread and pastries, I don't even mind having to come to fitzroy for it. Their sourdough is the best iv ever had. The Vinefruit, Fig and Fennel, Olive and Basil are all amazing! Then for the pastries, their Croissants are to die for!! So light and buttery. <br/>Defs somewhere worth checking out if you are a sourdough lover!

Great coffee and good simple food. Will return.

Mediocre food and awful service. Came here for lunch with a friend and had a beef pie, salad and what looked like a Portuguese tart. The food was pretty substandard and it wasn't cheap. The pastry of the tart tasted like puff pastry you get from the supermarket. On top of that when I was given my salad and asked whether my tart was coming the waiter became very rude and dumped the plate with the tart on the table and left in a huff. I've never seen something like this from anyone in hospitality and it was overall very strange. Would not recommend.

Best breakfast so far in Melbourne!!! Big shout... But backed up! Simple menu, great coffee and amazing bread! Would recommend the poached eggs and chipolatas on their sourdough bread. Delicious!

First time here today, great find! Service was friendly but not in your face & my breakfast was really good!

Ordered a long mac and it was great. Will definitely come back. Highly recommend.

Yay to RSB. Just around the corner. Lovely people, good product. Coffee is nearly always of high standard. Not going to re-write the books. But better than most on Brunswick street. To be frank. I'm not always impressed by the overall product. But for a new venue. That is almost in direct competition with babka. I choose to go here without hesitation. I think once they settle into a groove. This might be a place to watch. Hopefully!!! It's just so close

Neighbourhood delight. Finally there is somewhere that does good coffee in the north end of Brunswick st. Lovely cafe, nice people, great bread, nice breakfasts and lunch. Love their porridge, soups and sandwiches.

Such good coffee!! Favourite in fitzroy so far. Very impressed, and they don't charge any extra for soy :)

My new local. This place is my new local for my bread and coffee. Absolutely beautiful range of sourdough bread. The guy behind the counter is always lovely and knows me by name already. I highly recommend their Fruit Loaf and Corn Bread. The range of fresh sandwiches are beautiful too especially the roast pumpkin and gruyere cheese

Amazing!. Been to this new little addition to Brunswick street a few times now and don't have a bad word to say about the place. The breakfast I had was amazing. Poached Eggs (cooked perfectly) with the best mushrooms I've ever tasted and their home brewed chilli jam on their house baked Sourdough Bread. Great old fashioned customer service. The coffee was great also really good. Definitely worth checking out and giving these guys a chance.

Amazing food, staff are friendly and know their coffee. Reccomend the bacon and egg roll to take away.

Bread is good but it is all very overpriced. Babka provides a similar product.. Only better. The coffee is not great and the cakes are average

Great food, bread and friendly staff. The bread is fantastic, on the weekends they have a hazelnut and fig rye which i loved! Also the olive loaf, pumpkin bread and corn tin loaf are all delicious. <br/>Pizza's are great for a lunch or afternoon bite on the weekends, I have been there for brunch several times and never been disappointed. The chilli jam is AMAZING, also the braised pork dish is worth every cent! Its the new kid on the block that u wont regret trying out :)

Lunch. Amazing pumpkin pizza, lovely wines with a nice selection and I took home amazing bread. Try the pumpkin bread and the dark rye both are incredible. I would highly recommend for lunch and for takeaways

Happy Customer. Delicious coffee, flawless customer service and most importantly my eggs and bacon were cooked to perfection. great atmosphere too.<br/> I recommend this gem of a bakery to everyone and will definitely be returning.

Great food, coffee, wine and service. Have been for both breakfast and lunch, and both times have left very happy.

RUSTICA SOURDOPE!. Noticed that this place had recently opened, and I love sourdough breads so I stopped in there yesterday to check it out.....Firstly the coffee was amazing! Best soy cap I have had in ages. Food was great, I had the white beans with chorizo and parsley salsa and my boyfriend had poached eggs with chili jam. Both were really tasty, for me the beans stood out the most, and of course both of the brekky's came with delicious sourdough! They also had heaps of yummy looking gourmet sandwiches..... which i'll try next.<br/>Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, well worth a try. I also got a loaf of the pumpkin seed sourdough to take home and there is only a quarter left, it is the best!! Definitely my new fave for bread and coffee.

Rustica Sourdough is a sublime artisan breadmaker and bakery recently opened on Brunswick Street that is surely a standout in Melbourne. Come here for a superb cafe/restaurant experience as well as some of the best bread in Melbourne, as baked by Brenton Lang (ex Phillipa's) and his team. Rustica Sourdough serves up a cracker breakfast or lunch with a menu brimming with foodie options. I was invited here to sample some of the wares.

Everything served is made onsite in the back bakery from cake to cronut to almond croissants to fig ficelle to chili jam. The beautiful range of artisan breads are exceptional, a credit to Brenton’s use of time-honoured techniques of crafting bread. The café cultivates wild yeasts and nurture cultures that become the flavour base from which a selection of classic and contemporary breads are crafted.

Rustica Sourdough started in April 2012. In many ways it is a bakery with a café on the side. Everything is made or baked on the premises. Brenton Lang heads up the baking team and is the owner of the bakery. Brenton’s passion for artisan breads is what the place is all about. There are a number of breads available for tasting. The one I liked the most was the Seedy Wholewheat. This naturally drove me to order a lunch of Smashed Avocado on Toasted Seedy Wholewheat ($12). This was a simple dish but beautifully put together with perfectly ripe avocado, Persian feta, lemon and olive oil. This was a meal in itself, but I decided to follow up with the Passionfruit Tart ($5.50). The tart was quite sublime. Lots of places make passionfruit tarts, but this seemed to be in a class of its own with a light and crisp shortcrust pastry and a light but intensely flavoured passionfruit curd. The curd was topped with a thin layer of passionfruit glaze and dusted with icing sugar. I finished off the me

Then we have the cronuts (yes, you can find cronuts in Melbourne these days - yay!), which I would describe as doughnut-shaped flaky layered pastry. Despite their deep-fried nature...

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the cafe When I think of a cafe in a bakery, I normally assume that the menu will be bread driven, with plenty of croissants variations, and delightful spreads…but not so much hearty and wholesome meals.  Well Rustica Sourdough was certainly out to prove me wrong.  I had walked by the lovely shopfront quite frequently, always making a note to Brad that I’ll have to visit some other time when I haven’t just had breakfast, as I know I’ll be far too tempted by the sweets. However, I didn’t actually realise there was a full cafe waiting inside to be explored! The shop/cafe is bigger than I expect, clean and crisp, but quite inviting as well. There’s a lovely with locals popping in and out for their bread requirements and coffee fixes, couples sitting quietly over the tables and reading their newspapers, families fluttering in and out in happy eruptions, and the little girl on the table next to us smiling over her babychino topped with a colourful sprinkle of hundreds and thousands.  There’s no hype here, just attentive and personal service, which has clearly resulted in local love.  Oh and great bread. And great food.  I can’t stop gaping at everything that comes

My choice though was the lamb burger, herb infused lamb on a brioche burger with pickled cucumber, gruyere, roasted garlic aoli and rocket. The lamb was nicely pink in the middle, and the cucumber cut through any possible over sweetness from using a brioche bun with a burger (something I find happens all too often). Not a traditional old school burger like I generally prefer but still meaty goodness on a bun.