Review Monkey Can Fly Cafe - Highett

A disaster… I waited and I waited at the table. A young boy went past I asked for a menu. He said wait a minute… got me a menu. I asked him to take away previous persons cups and glasses!! Then I thought someone would come and take my order!!! Guy making coffees didn’t even look in my direction. I thought oh maybe i have to go up And order. But there is a sign saying if you are dining in then table service. I waited another 10minutes. Then that is enough.. poor service young boy not trained properly to at least wipe the table. I got up and left. I looked back and the woman was washing cups!! Hello!!! You want our custom. Then give us service.. I won’t come back again.

Patient and helpful. Good one. Good vegetarian and quality food as well as drinks. Been going to this restaurant for about 10 years, and if anything it's improved.

I came here for breakfast. The atmosphere was warm, the service was friendly and prompt, and the meal was delightful. Possibly my favourite cafe in Highett

My go to for great coffee and delicious smashed avocado for the past 4 years. Great seating options with indoor and outdoor (covered or uncovered) and a very relaxed atmosphere.

One of my favourite coffee places in Melbourne. The latte is excellent. Also recommend the Chai latte.

Absolutely amazing breakfast, awesome little cafe as well. Food was sensational and prompt service!

We’ve been coming to Monkey Can Fly for years and it’s still our go to, favourite cafe. You’re guaranteed delicious food and great coffee each time - we’ve never been disappointed!

Warm and welcoming staff. Plenty of seating inside, outside or way down the back. Food tastes great and the best part of all, there is pancakes my daughter loves who is very fussy.

Discovered this little gem on Easter Sunday. Ate a delicious and satisfying breakfast of smased avocado on toast with poached eggs and roasted roma tomatoes followed by the best coffee I've had in a long time.

Been coming here for about 18 months, today the coffee was crap and is enough to make me never come again! Pretty sure it was the owner that made it, perhaps she needs to stop bagging her batistas and learn the trade herself!!

Good food, friendly service. It’s hard to find a basic traditional breakfast menu these days which this cafe has. We have eaten here a few times and had different items off the menu and the food has always been great, haven’t had to wait long and the staff are friendly. They have a big menu. Definitely recommend.

This place appears to have shunned the typical Highett trendy vibe and gone for the baby boomer crowd in terms of name, interior, menu and food presentation. I’ve tried many things on the menu as well as coffee, chai and smoothies. Everything has been okay (except the feta) but it’s just not to the high quality of other cafes in the area such as Diplomat and Sons of Mischief (despite similar prices).

Went there for dinner with a few friends. Didn’t look like a dinner venue to start, it looks more like a cafe. Dishes seem inventive and good value. Although they were not as good tasting as they seemed. And overall confusing experience. Might try it again

The local for me and my boyfriend. Love the chicken focaccia or some crispy bacon poached eggs. Have taken the family there for birthday brunches and the big brekky is the winner - all rave about the mushrooms and the hashbrowns are always perfect! Coffee is great too!

3.8🌟<br/>I went to the coffee shop few times..I thought the pancakes were best food 🥘..big meal !the ice creams and 🍯 honey .it was wonderful!<br/>The eggs Benedict : toast is too hard..but sometimes is ok 👌🏻... I always choose latte, which is heavy in caffeine, and the heart beats faster each time☕️⋯

For a nice cuppa, highett has a good selection of cafes for you to choose from. And our new favourite which is also super close to the library, is Monkey Can Fly.

Gee prices in Highett are going up these days! Food prices are similar to the city now. But this place has pretty good food and salada if you want a sit down lunch. Interior is a little tacky though but service is great.

Not reinventing the wheel, but getting the basics right. Breakfast bruschetta was spot on, seasoned properly, and tasty combinations of flavours. Sweet corn fritters were yummy too.  Coffee was done right, and the service ambiance was generally pretty relaxed, which was perfect for our not so spritely Sunday afternoon.

My black coffee told me this place does the basics right! My corn fritters were excellent, with eggs poached to perfection (details) again. The accompanying sauce was superfluous, but a delicious accompaniment to my son's poachers! His were perfect also, and toasted sourdough from Noisette another detail done well. We'll be back! Highly recommended!

Scones, eggs benedict and caramel milkshake.<br/>The few things that they do very well are their eggs and scones. The eggs benedict were cooked very well and generous portions. The few times i have gone back you can tell that they are really consistent in getting it right. Now the scones really surprised me with the whipped cream, but the real kicker was the selection of 4 jams! Had the usual strawberry jam plus apricot, raspberry and plum jams.<br/>Eclectic environment with friendly staff.<br/>Definitely visit if in the area.

I've been on & off at this little local cafe for a few years now. Great for breakfast & coffee, although (and I think someone else mentioned it in a past review) I'm a little confused with their menu. Can't say for sure, but it seems like there is new management - maybe one day I'll try the scones & cream (!?)<br/>Eggs & toast always on point though - if you're feeling naughty, try the saganaki- perfect! Bonus points for the fresh juice as well (why oh why do cafes serve bottled juice). Would recommend, particularly if you want to be guaranteed a seat (unlike the other place up the road!)

I used to go to this cafe regularly until I read another review that mentioned a cockroach. Let's assume that was an anomaly. What I like(d) about this cafe was that the coffee was always very good, and the meals I had there were very tasty. I often have had their smashed avo, which comes with the sweetest and most succulent grilled tomatoes, and their Thai vegie pot pie with salad was brilliant. The decor is fairly attractive, with a distressed plaster and brick wall - including one of the mallets that presumably smashed the plaster . There are benches as well as stylish chairs, and the table tops are timber. Out back is a small courtyard area, that probably needs a little tidying up and re-decorating.  The service I have always found to be amiable, and usually proficient.

Ok there is something magical in the water in Highett. The restaurants I have visited here, so far, I can't fault. From The Diplomat serving up the best breakfast I've had in a while, to Typhoon the little Vietnamese restaurant serving up consistent flavour bombs that make want to go back again and again. <br/><br/>This little strip of food heaven could well and truly be the next Flinders Lane, and I hear on the grapevine there's more to come in the coming months. <br/><br/>Monkey Can Fly, is a medium size cafe on Highett road Highett. To be honest it's not the most appealing venue from the outside, but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. The menu looks inviting, and has a few of the usual suspects. <br/><br/>I was in need of breakfast, and went for the classic poached eggs on toast with a side of bacon. <br/><br/>When my breakfast arrived, I must admit I was shocked. Could it be that two restaurants on the same strip could actually poach the perfect egg. On the surface they looked perfect, but as we all know the proof is when you make that first cut. I felt like I was part judge part contestant on MKR, eager to see what was inside. So as I slowly made that first incision, I was disappointed, the yolk was gooey and perfectly cooked. The bacon was just as good, crispy and just the way I like it. <br/><br/>So to the good people who live in the Highett area, looks like you're spoilt for choice, and to those who aren't local, do yourself a favour and take the trip to Highett, you won't be disappointed.

I'm so confused about what style this cafe is going for?? With its Asian mural covering the main wall and the menu consisting of dishes from Tuscany, the Mediterranean, America, India, Tasmania and Thailand. Anyway, I came here for a quick breakfast and ordered the avo on toast with poached eggs. Firstly, I didn't get any eggs with it. Strike 1. I tried to get the waiters attention but he seemed much more interested in his phone than the only customer in the place, so I gave up. Strike 2. The food was good though. Plenty of goats cheese which was fantastic. Pretty good coffee also. When I went to pay I explained about the missing eggs. He told me at least I saved a few calories.... Strike 3. Weird place...

Never come back. Went there for brunch today, a live cockroach crawl out from my salad. Called the waitsatff and no one come to us, and we have to bring the plate to them n the staff responded oh... its probably in the salad. What a good cafe?!

Really enjoy the smashed avo and coffee here! Very consistent and great value; heaps of goats cheese added and tomatoes are always cooked well. At other places in the same area you could expect to pay another $5 for this dish

Went here for a business meeting. interesting interior design. Great coffee making this shop stands out. They also offer quite a few homemade options. Good for corporate gathering.

I've been here many times and I'm never disappointed. Fantastic coffee, great food with a huge menu (even the fussiest person will find something!) and fairly priced. The atmosphere is also very relaxed and friendly.

Nice little spot that seems to have a decent range of food options available. The coffee was pretty good (5 Senses) and it was a relaxing spot. Heaters for outside searing is great. Good joint!<br/>

Good option. I like this place. The staff are all really nice, their coffee is good, they use nice sourdough, and their food is delicious, appropriately-priced, and personally I am pleased by the extensive use of goat's cheese and vego options.

Disappointing... and again on 2nd chance. After reading all the great reviews was disappointed. Better coffee to be found elsewhere in the street.<br/><br/>28/12/2014: I like to give places a second chance, because sometimes you just hit an 'off' day. So today I decided to brunch at Monkey Can Fly. I ordered off the specials menu, the Mushroom Crepes with Poaches Eggs. Oh dear, it is clear that the kitchen does not taste its own food. The home made fruit chutney mayo was horrible. The mushrooms had good taste but overall the crepes were bland and rather tasteless. A better combination for the crepes would be a home made tomato chutney, this would add a good contrast to the ricotta, add some more flavor and cut through the oily filling. Supermarket eggs, yes you can tell, they have that less than dark golden yellow yolk, and were overcooked. The coffee again was rather disappointing, just lacking in body and flavor. The service was a little slow, but friendly. When I went to pay I spoke to an older male at the counter who shunted me down to the queue for paying, clearly this wasn't his job. Sadly no third chances are given. Can't recommend.

Great experience. Much better than the cafés across the road for value and the coffee was just perfect. Can't go wrong with smashed avo, and it was delicious. <br/><br/>The version of a big breakky is a great hangover remedy.

Probably the best coffee for miles around. Monkey can fly is inspired by the Chinese story journey to the west \ monkey magic, giving a Buddhist theme to the cosy relaxed café, full every weekend. the menu is short so far, but what they do is done very well with outstanding 'five senses' coffee, and great food.

Beautiful big brekky, very nice coffee also, will be back!

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Being a newbie to the area I'm keen to find a good local cafe or two. This is definently not one. I ordered a simple eggs on toast (POACHED) what I got seemed to be boiled eggs, toast was extremely stale like cardboard. For the coffee brand five senses which isn't a bad coffee very average very bitter. The manager or owner kept staring at me so miserably. Won't be returning. Fingers crossed the other cafes still to try are more exciting

Best damn little cafe around with excellent breakfast!!

Good coffee,good burger, good service, good lunch, enough said!

Excellent coffee- can't go wrong with five senses! <br/>Big breakfast portions, good prices and staff were personable and friendly. Will definitely visit again!

I think this may be the best coffee (latte) I have had. Full of flavour and creamy. Coffee snob!

Reliably fantastic coffee. The kind of place where you know how the quality will be every time. Definite thumbs up

Great breakfast every time. I've eaten here a dozen times, and I've never felt I could write anything but a positive review, the breakfasts are delicious, especially the scrambled Monkey eggs, and the specials often are a real nice surprise.<br/>The last few times I've been amazed at the tastiness of the eggs (not cooked in vinegar which is always a plus!), they have real flavor. As does their chai latte. The best in the eastern suburbs.<br/>They seem to have had trouble with waiting staff at times, but honestly people, when did we become so impatient? For a local caf, I'll be back.

Breakfast. Had a lovely breakfast today. My eggs were cooked perfectly. The yoke had been cooked. No uncooked white of egg and still the yellow was runny. Mushrooms tasted like mushrooms. The sausages tasted fresh and tasty. ALL ithe bacon was COOKED and tasty, not a cheap cut. The only problems were the 2 TINY pieces of tomato and 20 cent and 5 cent holes in my sour dough. It is worth a visit here

Coffees ok, menu is extensive but feel like they should focus on getting a few dishes right rather than doing lots of dishes not perfect. won't go back here, with blue dish just across the road I would take the time to wait for the lights at the pedestrian crossing to change.

LOVE this place!. We are local but only discovered how good this place was recently. For a small shopping strip Highett has a few good cafes but for us this is by far the best. I have now been 4 or 5 times and the service has ALWAYS been great, as has the food. My sister visited there while on holiday with us a few times and the owner always remembered their coffee orders from one day to the next. I love that personal touch.<br/>A fab menu, lovely atmosphere and my kids were welcomed by staff. They love coming too. Beautiful little courtyard out the back is great for them to move around and staff were so patient while each of my nephews who came with us wanted to pay one at a time with their own money! I will be back many times I am sure.

The best coffee on Highett, rich flavor, beautiful looking soy latte. <br/>Can definitely reco do anyone who loves coffee. <br/>Plus the supper friendly professional staffs, make you feel like a valuable customer......you definitely want to go back.

Customer service wouldn't go astray the coffee was bitter and weak try something else

Every time I go to this cafe I walk away feeling annoyed. The staff seem smug as though serving me is an outrageous request & the owner is either pissed off or sharing a private joke with the barista. I was once served meat in a veggie pie & not offered even a discount by way of apology. It's a pity because Highett needs more great places but I'm blacklisting the Monkey !

Nice atmosphere, wait staff are very friendly and cheerful, and the Food was lovely. Shame about the hollandaise sauce being from a jar, but otherwise a nice brekky.

Great food - great value. I had a delicious vegie frittata with salads for around 10 bucks<br/>It was fresh satisfying I will definitely be going back.