Three Mugs Canteen & Espresso

There's been quite a few owners changing hands; the food for a good while lacked a lot of flavour. Since William and his team took over the variety and flavour now exists! Fridays are my favourite with the chicken vermicelli salad drenched in delicious fish sauce. Service is slow in particular when it is busy but this husband and wife couple will go above and beyond to ensure you are happy with your meal. Great customer service and great food (coffee questionable)

Keeping it simple, Three Mugs keeps their customers happy. The standout here is the warm and welcoming team of staff running around looking after their customers.

It's the small things that are memorable. During our lunch, they came out to chat several times, one of the staff brought out a shotglass sized sample smoothie to try out and the owner, William, generously gave each of us a bottle of chilled water on the house as the weather was warm. I'm sure they don't do this regularly but the spontaneous gesture is what makes people feel welcomed and not just another order.

Perfect place for a relaxing pitstop if you're in the area, rather than it being the destination. Will happily keep supporting this family business.

SERVICE: 4.5/5
Greeted by all 4 staff members as we entered. Service was friendly and although a slight wait on the main food items, it was worth it for FRESH and FLAVOURSOME baguettes. Drinks come out quick so you don't notice the slight delay with the food.

They are very friendly, generous and actually ask for specific feedback which is not common these days.

FOOD: 3.5/5
Simple and humble menu items such as foccacias, sandwiches, sushi rolls (made fresh), fritatas, pies, and the delightful baguettes.

Our table of 3 all had the Vietnamese baguette which was recommended by our friend who works nearby. Now I enjoy a good banh mi down in Springvale so I wasn't expecting much here but WE ALL LOVED IT. Baguette ($7) was so crunchy and not as bulky as the original version (saves me from looking like an ogre shoving it in my mouth)! Chicken was marinated perfectly with both sweet and salty notes. Julienne veggies were sitting nicely on top. One of us ordered a 2nd one and chomped it down in minutes.
The tuna baguette also comes recommended so will try that next time.

Two of us had the smoothies ($6), chocolate and the other banana. Good take away size cup and both smoothies finished off to the last drop.

Croissants ($3.50) are supplied by Noisette so you know it will be decent. Probably more fresh if you have it in the morning though.

We are told coffees are not the best here, hopefully they change beans (currently Mio) and improve on this.

DECOR & AMBIENCE: 3.5/5
Bright and airy with a refreshing breeze coming through. Simple decor with industrial style tables. Seating both inside and outside. Noise levels are comfortable so it is a great vibe to sit and enjoy a chat.

KID FRIENDLY: Yes - welcoming of children and spacious layout.

This cafe is on a busy corner and probably not the place to have a dining experience with friends. However for decent coffee and a quick bite to eat before catching a tram or train, Three Mugs is perfect.