Love this place! Great menu, great coffee, friendly staff, nice vibe.
I usually go there for the eggs in purgatory dish and the little courtyard in the back! Great coffee, friendly staff , I’v never bern disappointed! It’s a little cafe so it’s best to check it out during the weekdays or early mornings!
The food was really great, though I thought the portion sizes could have been a little bigger, I wasn't even full after buying lunch, coffee and a lamington treat (though definitely willing to come back and try some of the other dishes on the menu)
Elizabeth Laura Donald
+5
I’ve been back here 3 times since first trying their bacon sandwich! It is delicious and so are the other items on the menu. We also got caramel slice and coffee which were great. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed and the outdoor garden was lovely to relax in while we enjoyed our food.
Simple, but excellent quality in everything they do. The sandwiches, particularly the ruban and the chicken are a menu highlight. The ruban is less traditional, but it is the BOMB - made with slow cooked beef brisket, beautiful condiments and a flavoursome cheese. I love mine toasted . The cafe is cosy and ambient, with a lovely courtyard.
Tried this place for the first time last week. Nice little cafe with a really charming courtyard.
Had the granola and it was excellent. Really nice staff and excellent coffee. A lot of the menu was also organic which was a nice touch.
Would definitely return.
Lovely quiet cafe hidden on Brunswick Street (it had limited signage so keep your eyes peeled). Great place for weekend brunch. We had the eggs in purgatory which was a delicious combination of a tomato based chutney with goats cheese as well as the vegetarian omelette. Great stuff.
One of my favourite cafes. This place is definitely geared towards authentic, honest food as opposed to dishes that prioritise looking good on Instagram - you will not find flower garnishes here, and the majority of ingredients are organic and high quality. Favourites are the beans, porridge (so generous, varied seasonal poached fruits, organic yoghurt, candied nuts and a big serve), and chicken sandwich, which is always very nicely balanced. Coffee is great and service reflects the food - genuine. Is a small cafe and can get pretty busy on the weekend!
I find this is a great place to enjoy a quiet breakfast/lunch alone or with friends. The food is quite simple and good, my favourite being the porridge. The coffee is pretty good too.
The place is very cozy and warm. The only downside is that's too small making it feel a bit crowded sometimes, especially at peak hours. The service is okay, not particularly welcoming but fine.
Great place, very relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. I dropped by on a lazy Saturday afternoon for a terrific coffee. Would love to come back to try the food options, which all sounded very enticing.
We had the eggs in purgatory and the pumpkin pie! They were both delicious! Portions were a little small though.
The staff was super nice and accomodating as well. The place has such a nice quiet ambiance.
Welcome to Cards and Cafés! Located in Fitzroy, Slowpoke Espresso is the perfect café for a lazy weekend brunch with friends, or for a quick cup of coffee on your way to work. With its simple, yet rustic feel (including a wood fireplace and timber features), this cosy little café is your one stop place for all things delicious....
Amazing coffee well made. Great quick and easy service. It was just perfection. I really wish this place was closer to home as i enjoyed the coffee so much
I bow down to your crispy bacon and cheddar sandwich. Bacon-crispy AF. Cheddar-the real deal. Maple mustard mayo-no clue what it is but im all about it. Yes, just yes!
Anonymous Hungry Hippo
+4
They are honestly so lovely here. If you're after a decent breakfast or just a coffee and a brownie or carrot cake (I am a carrot cake fiend and theirs is amazing), slowpoke is the place to go!
Super nice cafe with friendly staff. Tried their cheese and pickled beet sandwich which was done superbly! Give it a try :)
There's also a courtyard out the back and they do their best to support local producers.
Friend and I walked by last week and gave this place a shot. Wow. Totally understated little cafe. Tried their chicken sandwich. It was that good. Real nice people. Real nice courtyard. And the coffee was excellent!! Will definitely be back.
Lovely brekkie lovely coffee. Mac n cheese so good as were the eggs in purgatory. Nice hit of chilli would be good with a bit more. Porridge a tad sweet but good balance with the yoghurt. Coffees took forever to arrive but were very good when they did.
Decors & atmosphere 0.5 - the decoration is nice but it's a very small cafe! It's just too small 🙁
Service 0.5 - the table service was friendly but at the counter was bad... The guy was a bit grumpy (with me?) 🤔🙄
Coffee 1 - good coffee!🤗
Food 1.5 - good food! Lamb stew was so yummy ... Porridge was good too.😋
Popped in for brunch whilst waiting for our laundry washing next door. Great little find, small but warm & cosy with lovely courtyard out the back. Staff really friendly and inviting, coffee was really good and the porridge and the chicken sandwich were both worth returning for.
Always amazing coffee, quality organic food,and a gnome. What more do you need?
I almost always order the avo on toast (I'm nothing if not predictable), and it is a generous, delicious serving. Every so often I get brave and branch out to another dish, and I'm never dissapointed. And now they serve booze, this is my go to!
Super friendly staff and very accomodating. The place has a great atmosphere and decor; perfect for a catch up over coffee. I had the eggs in purgatory and I thought it was quite good. Would go back :)
It's a very cool place to chill. They've got good coffees (flatwhite comes in a generous amount)
We ordered eggs in tomato sauce and omelette with mushrooms. I like the tomatoes tho they were a bit sour. But I was quite surprised when I found the poached eggs were over cooked. Maybe it's just me and there's such a thing as solid poached eggs??
We loved everything else. (And they got a courtyard)
came here on Sunday morning for a brunch with friends. I picked this cafe purely just because it has high rating of 4.5. it cafe itself had good atmosphere, warm and cozy and really nice staffs. The coffee was just ok, five of us thinking it was too weak. we tried five dishes and all of them were no surprises at all. overall it was a just average cafe.
Small but cozy and warm on a cold morning! I had baked beans and sourdough and a good latte. I asked if I should add the pulled ham hock to my dish and the waiter told me it was probably filling enough on its own. Good job not encouraging me to order more than I needed because I could barely finish the beans, potatoes and carrots on their own! They were warming and hearty.
We visited Slowpoke Espresso for breakfast on a slow weekday morning, but there's a steady stream of customers filling in throughout. Not surprising why, as we found out that they do serve good coffee and wholesome food.
HIGH COURT OF CONSUMPTION
BETTY COCKER CJ
SUMMARY JUDGMENT
1. Now THIS is a HOMELY place. The food is great. The vibe is great. And the people are GREAT.
2. SLOWPOKES ARE PEOPLE, TOO!!!!
Came here on a Sunday morning and love the atmosphere, ordered a ham cheese toastie and a chicken sandwich. Liked the bread but not the ham and cheese☹️
Yes they have a real fire! We enjoyed the "hades" baked egg with Chilli and beans here together with the smashed avo. The food was good but the ambiance topped it for us. Their coffee was great, staff friendly and most of all we were seated immediately on a Sat for brunch without the all-too-often 30 Melbourne-Weekend-Brunch-wait
Had an awesome coffee and porridge here this morning, friendly and efficient staff. Great place to stop by for breakfast, check out their homemade almond milk!
Wonderful Slowpoke is the perfect example of what makes Melbourne cafes world class. Great coffee, delicious brunch menu in a characterful but unpretentious setting. We had poached eggs a couple of ways, beautifully presented and cooked. The courtyard is a lovely spot. You could happily wile away a few hours here on a warm morning. Attentive service. Will be back.
The food was delicious and well thought out. It's nice knowing that they use organic eggs and local produce- I can feel good about eating here. Service was friendly and efficient. Coffee was good
Best shakshuka I've had in Melbourne!
Coffee is excellent. Really delish. Staff are friendly and genuine. Fitout is homely and approachable.
Didn't eat, so no review on food. Will go back for coffee.
Came Here to meet a friend for breakfast/brunch. A false start in that I had a coffee out the front before I even realised there was seating out the back and that's where we were meeting!
The front part of Slowpoke isn't much, but the seating out the back is lovely and you don't feel at all rushed. Had the croissant and the shakshuka (egg well poached) both were pretty good, and the coffee (as you would expect) was up to code and really hit the mark. Not a bad little place, and the peeps that work there seem like cracking fellas.
Popped into this lovely tiny cafe for a catch up coffee with a friend on my uni break and we sat out the back in the courtyard. We enjoyed a perfectly creamy soy latte and a fruity dark brew of a long soy macchiato. This cafe has a lovely relaxed feel about it with great staff. It is very small so it would not be ideal for a large party to be seated comfortably but other than that this place is great. Will be returning as the coffee is good and the vibe of the cafe is even better offering an escape from the busy atmosphere of brunswick st.
Quaint little café with friendly service and delicious food. Small menu but what they do they do well. Definitely love the specials too! A must try café.
This Diner Is Anonymous
+5
The menu here is limited but considered, with fresh and local produce sourced to make the dishes absolutely pack a tasty punch. The beans here are outstanding, and the service is spot on. Reading other reviews, I had no idea there was a courtyard. I'll definitely be checking this out with the pooch in tow soon.
Is there such as thing as late brunching? Well……I say there is. So yeah, that obviously makes it official. LOL. Annnnnyway……brunching/lunching/partaking in food, whatever you want to call it……I was eating at a cafe today. Enter Slowpoke Espresso. With a menu emphasising organic and local produce, this adorable little cafe impressed right from the start.
Very friendly staff and yummm coffee. Fast if you're in a rush in the morning. Croissants are flaky and fresh. One of the best on Brunswick St.
Lovely café, nice staff. Had a coffee that was ok. Wouldn't go back for the coffee. Milk structure was good, but could've been more silky. Coffee had nice latte art. Cappuccino was served in a too big cup to my liking, which makes the flavour too weak.
Hidden gem!. Fantastic cafe, friendly staff, great service, cozy fireplace, what's not to like. The food is great, the coffee is great! Sitting by the fire eating the most delicious porridge ever is something not to miss!! oh and the 90's music!!! so good :)
Everything is spot on except the food. Now, I'm not saying the food is bad here - it's still very good - but the atmosphere, interior design, coffee, ambience, level of service and value for money are all EXCELLENT. If the food was excellent, instead of very good, then I reckon they'd be on 100%.
Andreas Charlie Nicolaou
+4.5
Great food great coffee A++ service.. What else can I say!
What a fantastic find in Fitzroy! With gorgeous interior, amazing coffee, friendly staff and beautiful food you can't go wrong! Honestly the best gluten free bread I have ever had in my life. I highly recommend the "chicken sanga" and am looking forward to going back and making my way through the menu!
Mel. Such a funky cafe with great service and delicious food. The avocado mash and latte is a great way to start the day.
I love this little cafe it's so cute and cosy. The coffee and food is always delusions. The homemade banana bread is a particular favourite of mine! The staff are all lovely and very friendly. My favourite little cafe in Melbourne!
We were greeted with warmth as soon as we walked in. The coffee was good and as I ordered. We shared an avocado mash with feta and two boiled eggs with soldiers. Generous servings of both and excellent bread. The mash was chunky and tasty with lemon juice as a perfect topper and just the right amount of mint and feta.
Quaint courtyard. Coffee at slowpoke is a given whenever we are in the area. Just found out yesterday that they have a lovely courtyard area, it's kind of like finding that hidden door in the closet which leads to Narnia. Exaggerated slightly but it has enhanced the feeling i have for this place.
Great local place. Great coffee, great staff, great atmosphere
Worth a visit. Service was pleasant and quick. I had the avocado smash, good size portion and tasted great. will return.
Great coffee with friendly service. Make sure you try the smashed avo with feta and chilli...delicious!
New developments in the south end of Brunswick street in part echo the café culture of nearby Gertrude street but definitely have their own (albeit small) thing going. Grabbing a bit of toast and coffee with a quick read of the paper seems more complicated than ever in these parts. So i was rapt that despite its impressive menu, slowpoke afforded me a simple croissant and jam with a coffee and a selection of newspapers. The croissant w/ jam was exquisite and affordable and the coffee excellent - as expected here. The service was understatedly superb. The efficient simplicity here contrasts sharply with many breakfast joints on the gertrude strip. Try the croissant- plain!!
Got a take away coffee (skinny decaf flat white) here yesterday & it was yum! Will be back for the food next time too.
Delicious coffee and food. really friendly staff. delicious
Slowpoke has been our local now for a year... the most consistently good coffee and food we've had anywhere in Melbourne. Staff and service are the best we've experienced in the WORLD.
Not only are they attentive, professional and friendly, but as regulars we have found everyone to be genuinely kind and thoughtful. The staff seem relaxed... so the customers feel relaxed... its just a lovely place to spend time! There are a lot of cafes and restaurants in Melbourne that could learn a LOT from this lovingly run little gem.
Bean There Done That
+4.5
We had coffee. M (chai latte): Pretty good, yeah, delicious. Yes, I don't know how to quite phrase it. Speechless.
J (skinny latte): Ahem hot. Too hot. I scalded my fingertips as well as my tongue. Other than that the coffee was good. Was strong.
H (latte): It had a rich taste, Very strong. For the coffee lovers I suppose. I liked the look of the place.
A (sugar latte): What really stood out for me was the nice atmosphere and customer service. It was really comfortable and not wanky. Coffee was quite nice too.
Muffin - Coffee Combo. Every now and then i have to wait for my tram too long so i walk up to Slow Poke and buy a coffee and a Muffin. They are just awesome! What a cool little place with very fresh things out of the oven and lovely strong coffee.
This is one of my 'go to' favourites. The food is simple and tasty and always good. The service is excellent and the coffee great. More dinners please???
Brunswick Street's Best. I love everything about Slowpoke and it is by far my favourite Brunswick St spot. The coffee is great, food delicious, decor cosy, and service friendly. All you could ever want!
Finally somewhere that serves smashed avacado on fresh bread! So much nicer than wrestling with tough toasted sourdough for every bite. No more bicep workout over breakfast while the toast keeps skidding half off the plate! Very enjoyable :)
Really cute little cafe on brunswick street. Great coffee and great service.. I haven't tried the food but will definitely be back to try one of the croissants and more - the food looked great!
Good coffee. cute barista. excellent caramel slice!
On friday mornings after visiting the chiro I venture out of my way to slowpoke for the coffee. The lass behind the machine knows how to pull a cracker & has a beautiful smile to complete the transaction. The boys darting about are pretty tasty however I can't comment on the food coz I've never sat down to feed. I find tables are usually packed and to be honest there's always kids about (which as an advocate for voluntary extinction is usually a bit much for me) Overall it's totally worth braving the awkwardness of hanging about a crowded counter for that bean tho, the black gold is superb.
Simple and yum. Small little cafe that we almost missed if not for the unit number right above the door. Simple place with a simple menu. Excellent service and great coffee. What? No scrambled eggs and bacon? Fortunately the avacado smash with feta and chilli, and the smashed egg with chilli jam and jamon on turkish bread more than makes up for it. Simple ingredients, great combination of flavours and a warm fire place perfect for the winter mornings. Just not a place if you're after fancy craftful breakfast or even meat! Honest, healthy and yum.
Fantastic. We love this place, the staff are so friendly when I came in with my kids for early morning breakfast while we were staying nearby. It's so cost, friendly, good food and coffee that we came three mornings in a row! Only discovered the smashed eggs on the last day, they were sp delicious! And that open fire in the back room was the best.
I have just discovered Slowpoke and I love! The smashed egg on Turkish bread with the chili jam is amazing. Can highly recommend the orange and coconut muffin which I was lucky enough to buy as they came out of the oven YUM! They also do by far the best chai lattes. Since my discovery I've been in every day for my chai fix.
Great genuine service! The menu is a bit hardto read on the chalk board when it's busy but the 'smashed egg' Turkish sandwhich is delicious. The hints of Europe are a big bonus: jam that reminded me of applestroop from home and the croissant was one of the best I've had here: full of taste and NOT dry. If you're up for a relaxed and fantastic breakfast without making a big scene: this is THE spot.
Friendly staff. Interesting ginger beer, a very refreshing drink.
Great coffee food and friendly staff.Will definitely go again
Wow! We enjoyed a beautiful breakfast this morning. Slowpoke has a homley but sophisticated atmosphere. Lovely calm and service. The best pick for breakfast in the area! A must do !
Great little place with lots of natural light. friendly and patient staff. Good coffee and food! Had the avocado smash, the hint of chili is great, healthy and delicious. Porridge with rhubarb also received compliments at my table. Lovely place for laid back weekend relax or catch up!
Delicious delicious ginger beer. Highlight is the exceptionally lovely staff- you don't always get such friendly service in Fitzroy!
Victorian Dinner Critics
+4.5
Lovely place went for breakfast which you order from the blackboard, ordered smashed eggs on Turkish bread with chilli jam, being a vegetarian was shocked to find proscuito inside when I queried as it was not on the board was told it was named as "jamon" Spanish for proscuito?? Think they should write proscuito on the board as by the time you stand and read the board and then wait for staff to take your order you have forgotten every ingredient. The food was lovely though. Only other gripe was ordered a latte and got a flat white and the coffee was only warm not hot. Would eat there again good menu and prices.
Delicious with lovely staff
Great coffee service and amazing avocado smash!
I visited two weeks ago on a Sunday for breakfast and had the porridge with blueberry and rhubarb. It is all I have craved for breakfast since. Visited again this morning to fufill my craving and certainly wasn't disappointed! The question is will I be able to wait 2 weeks for my next bowl?!
Great service, good coffee, and best of all: close to home! Their menus are worth trying~
Good coffee, .... ... nice breakfast (love the avocado and feta toast) and welcoming staff. What's more to it? Long life slowpoke!
Loved it!. Great little new cafe on Brunswick Street!
I tried the avocado/feta/chili on toast and was very nice, will definitely go back to try out some more of the menu. Coffee was great and the staff very friendly:)
In addition to the food and drinks, I LOVE the design, its small but so very Warm!
Would recommand to everyone to stop to check it out:)
Welcome to the street!. Great addition to Brunswick st, in an otherwise boring sea of crappy bog standard cafes! Awesome coffee - so much so, we've seen the staff from De Clieu drinking coffee there.
Simple breakfast menu but 100% tasty.
Nice staff. And a great place to wait whilst your clothes are washing/drying a few doors down at My beautiful Laundrette!
The sandwich was good, the bread was very fluffy and fresh with a crisp crust and various seeds scattered throughout. I was heartened that the ham was organic as I always feel guilty eating ham if I can’t be sure if it is free range, I hate the idea of a pigs being caged. The homemade mayo and mustard went w
Slowpoke had a great looking menu and provides a quiet relief from the hustle and bustle of the main drag of Brunswick St. Should we live in the area Id say it'd become a local, for sure!
I'm a kid of the nineties. I liked Pokemon. I still buy every new game that comes out. So when 'Slowpoke' Espresso opened up, the name gave me giggles and stirred up the primary school girl in me. For those not so in the nerdy loop as I, 'Slowpoke' was the name of a Pokemon. That was pink. Source: http://knowyourmeme.com/system/icons/128/original/slowpoke_pokemon.gif Fortunately Slowpoke Espresso does not take it's cues from Pokemon (although quietly, I would totally be down for a pink cafe...) and instead, is a very, very small but quite adorable little cafe on the Gertrude end of Brunswick Street. With a little bit of a DIY vibe with a patchwork wall of random strips of wood, although a small space, Slowpoke Espresso still felt quite open and somewhat spacious. Once you were seated at least anyway! I suppose it also helps the lovely, large windows let in lots of light in to the space. We were seated on the communal table, which was quite low, Brad had a tad issue with squeezing his l
Slowpoke is a small, intimate cafe with a small area to dine at the front and a courtyard out the back. It's a very relaxed and quiet place to chill, catch up with friends and easily work from. The staff are friendly and helpful. Coffee here is nice and smooth. The food menu includes beautiful Sandwiches and brunch offering. The green eggs and ham is a must try! Balanced, light and we'll thought out. Worth a visit
Wonderful, unpretentious place with very friendly staff, delicious food and amazing coffee. The secret courtyard out the back is especially lovely. Would definitely recommend!!
Excellent coffee, nice food, nice to have a fireplace going on a cold rainy day.
Coffee incredible. Scrambled eggs cooked perfectly on lovely artisan bread. Loved my visit here.
Fantastic food, great service and a very nice atmosphere. Definitely will become my local spot.
So good to see this little cafe still going. The staff were lovely and the coffee and food was great. I had the green eggs and ham which can be a pretty simple feed, but someone's gone to a lot of trouble to make it a really delightful breakfast.
A very sweet cafe with a beautiful courtyard and a cosy indoor space. We stopped here by chance on a freezing cold day and had a delicious breakfast and coffees in a cosy nook by a gorgeous warm fire. The staff were so friendly and welcoming, we are so glad to have found this place! We will definitely be back again.
Beautiful hole-in-the-wall cafe with a very cosy indoor/outdoor garden set up. Coffee is the best in Fitzroy in my opinion with fantastic brunch/lunch meals also, and the staff are always lovely and welcoming
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