Review Bowery To Williamsburg

Nicholas Ryan

This is one of the few places in the world that I am quite happy to return to day after day! The quality of every dish is very high, with generous portions and very reasonable prices.. The service is efficient and my friend was very happy with her coffee (I'm not a coffee drinker).. Overall, it's hard not to say this is the best breakfast/brunch spot in Melbourne!

Ling Luc

Gobsmacked by the succulent, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked beef that was loaded generously into our sandwiches. Very filling and loved every bite. The sweet potato hash was so nourishing and the perfect side. Again, generous serving there too. Great little Cafe you must visit. Seating can get quite cosy with other diners but that's the vibe. Lovely find!

rebuh nomis

One of the nicest places that I endeavour to visit when I find myself on a trip to Melbourne. The best chicken and waffles, alongside one of the most rich, creamy flat whites I have ever had in my life. The menu is diverse, and you’ll find something for everyone when visiting. The atmosphere is cosy and warm, especially on a cool winters day and the staff are lovely and attentive. Till next time!

Uthpala Koralegedara

Great cafe on Oliver lane (next to Russel) for weekend brunch. Went around 10:30 on Saturday and had to wait for ~25 minutes for a table. only the centre long table has chairs and all other seats are bar stools. You have to share the centre table with others but we got a corner so it was ok. Food was great and came out pretty quickly (fastest service I’ve ever had at a cafe). Had the turkey sandwich, sweet potato hash and the Southern fried chicken. Latkes were a bit dense so didn’t finish those. Flat white I had was pretty good. Friendly staff. One toilet on site which was not very clean so I didn’t use it (perhaps would be good to keep a bin outside to collect hand towels). Would visit again to try the bagels and other offerings.

YuWan鱼丸

The Rouben Sandwich was loaded with beef! It looked amazing and tasted amazing as well! The mushroom and halloumi bagel sandwich was the best I’ve ever had! Stuffed with cream cheese and tasted super rich! Their coffee was good too! Highly recommend!

Anthony Hughes

Can’t believe I only just found this place!!! Amazing. Industrial feel, American style breakfasts, NY bagels, shakshuka eggs. open kitchen. Generous servings. Very popular. Will become a regular on trips to Melbourne.

Anni Phan

Great food, located quietly away on Oliver lane. Visited on a Saturday afternoon, a short wait to walk-in. Very friendly service. There's a long table and a good few smaller tables in and outdoors to suit all parties. We had the waffles, beef brisket bagel and peanut butter hot choc. All delicious and came out quick. The checked decor and fonts does make it feel like a New York subway.

Suraj Padinjarute

A nice little, warm and cozy place for a breakie. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. Ordered a large cap and a egg-bacon sandwich which was delicious. Will surely visit this place again.

Samarra Valí

I wanted to thank the staff for a really amazing experience this morning, particularly the waiter with long curly hair. They were so lovely and attentive, and they made special effort to ensure that my dietary requirements were catered for. It's not easy having any kind of food allergy, and this lovely waiter made me feel liked it wasn't an issue. I have only given 4 stars rather than 5 as there were only one or two options on the menu for those who can't eat dairy, so just putting it out there, I'd love to try a burger/sandwich/ waffle with a dairy free option in the future! Everyone on my table absolutely loved the food, and it all certainly looked delicious. I enjoyed my bagel as well! Thanks for being so considerate, it was deeply appreciated. �

Jock Steel

Tucked into this cozy spot you’ll always find monumental service and atmosphere with quality food to match. Get amongst the brisket and omelette sandwich - you’ll instantly become a regular.

Brittany Elizabeth Anne Jenke

Been here quite a few times, and their bagels are phenomenal! I always end up getting the halloumi melt on an everything bagel, and a peanut butter hot chocolate for dessert, and it's always top notch! Grabbed a blueberry bagel with lemon vanilla schmear today, too, and yum. Also, the guy who served us our food today was so upbeat and lovely! I overheard saying he was quite new there, and I believe his accent was from New Zealand - he deserves a compliment for sure! :)

Can Kantoglu

Food is way better than i anticipated. The front of house makes you want to visit this place again. A bunch of lovely people. Definitely recommend!!

Rebeccal Ev

So delicious. I had the Reuben (Best I have ever had) with the raw slaw salad of the day in a meal. Massive meal for $17 and such great quality and friendly staff. Definitely would recommend to anyone.

Amy Vernon

Partner and I have been here for breakfast the past 3 days and loved every meal we’ve ordered. I’ve missed filter coffee so bad!! Would love it even more if they had some more vegan options �

Ainsley Lebner

Yum, yum, yum! Great service, delicious food and great coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast and would definitely come again.

Matt Bradley

I’m not sure where to start. Service, food, coffee??? All top shelf. We absolutely love this place.

Allison Wilshere

Great little Google find when my son wanted waffles.... amazing waffles actually and all the little American favourites I've been missing living on the gold coast. I will definitely visit every time I'm in Melbourne... so many menu items I didn't get to try. Had the corn and sweet potato hash... omg just delicious!!

Tracey Sharp

Yum yum and yum Brisket is amazing Waiter is cool Music is awesome Pickled herrings people, picked herrings!!!

Jak Muffstud

Superb food and Service! I was greeted and seated straight away and thoroughly enjoyed my Ruben and cold drip coffee! Mwah!

David Rayside

Except for the hidden Surcharge of $2.00 to eat there on the weekend it was Great food.

Katerina Gvozdova

The salted caramel milkshake is to die for � have come each time I visited Melbourne

Julie Goldsmith

Great place! Food, Service, Atmosphere was wonderful! A must do.

Annabelle Daniel

Down from Sydney and the coffee came recommended by the Grand Hyatt! Great staff, funky atmosphere, exactly what you'd expect in a groovy Melbourne Laneway cafe. Both food and coffee could have been served a little hotter, but overall very good.

Joanne Liu

The food was decent and there was no wait time for a table. The waiter was also lovely. I ordered the baked egg shakshuka which was less filling than I expected; would have liked more bread.

Ozzy Kunnu

Other than the rating and flavors everything is what stick to....and that's disappointing because inconsistency is the last thing one expects from a name like that. The flavors (in both the Sandwiches) were too sour for our taste and that was very underwhelming. The meat was chewy...Quite rubbery. In all, other than the coffee and hot chocolate, we did not enjoy anything. 4 / 5 Sunday brunches / lunches are very special and thus, we are always on a lookout for some good Cafe and we can safely say that Bowery to Williamsburg is one of the best cafes we have visited. What's different about this cafe is it's distinctive interiors that reminds you of a Canteen or a Mesh, and it's menu which mostly comprises of Sandwiches, which is unique. Now, for many speciality cafe it's a make or break situation as there isn't much to explore if the food isn't close to being good. We ordered : Coffee and Hot Chocolate - Very Good Turkey Sandwich - Dish Of The Day , Moist, Perfectly cooked Turkey and Bacon, Crisp and Fluffy Bread and Beautiful Dressing. Sausages Shakshuka - Yummy with perfectly baked eggs and flavored Meat and Tomato Sauce Fried Chicken Burger - Simple, Beautiful, Tender and Crispy Chicken. In short, they definitely are best at what they claim. Quite a few options for Vegans, Vegetarians and Glutenfree Foodies. Attendants are too friendly and quite considerate.

Aaditya Bajwa

On a trip to the AO Tennis we stopped here for brunch. It is just off Flinders Street close to Russell Street. We have been to NYC a few times and usually go to Pastrami Queen for our 'pastrami fix'. This Australian version does a good job with their slow cooked beef brisket pastrami. Here there is more room to enjoy your food with seating at benches and tables inside and outside. My pastrami bagel was generous and it tasted (was chewy) like the bagel was inhouse made rather than a commercial variety. The coffee was good and the service friendly and efficient. The only slight negative was the pastrami was quite thickly cut and i'd prefer the more wafer thin (but plentiful in number) slices that the Americans use.

Vostok

Best pastrami sandwich in Melbourne by a long way. Great value for money too. You will never leave hungry. This place is worth the visit if you’re hankering for some classic new york deli dishes and bagels. *double meat pictured

Sheila Monalisa

I’m here just to rate the chicken waffles ‘cos its so good!!! the others are pretty basic but THE CHICKEN WAFFLE WOW 5/5

Rhonni

Absolutely love this place. They do everything well. I'm lucky enough to work close by, so I come here quite often. Their Ruben's are amazing, their bagels are amazing, their burgers are amazing, coffees come with a complimentary Hersheys kisses chocolate, and their peanut butter hot chocolate is delicious. I came here for lunch and ordered the salmon bagel with fried egg. My friend ordered the southern fried chicken burger. That will be next on my list of things to try. You will not be disappointed with anything you order here. It's super busy at lunch times, so you need to get here right on time. It's totally worth it.

Daisy

We came to try the southern fried chicken on waffles and I also got a lox and potato latkes. My dish was tasty but nothing particular. The fried chicken on waffles was not quite what we expected. The chicken didn't taste like southern fried chicken and the waffles were not crispy on the outside. A decent meal but given the price and high ratings, we expected better. The cafe is very small and quite busy around lunchtime so we were seated at the bar-like bench facing outwards. The tabletop was very narrow so it wasn't the most comfortable to eat on.

Amid

Brought here by a group of colleagues, this is a fantastic joint to have lunch, great sandwiches and sides . The Reuben and Philly cheese steak are just so good ! They have a selection of sides and drinks as well. They split bills easily and food was quick . Great job.

Kris L

Bowery to Williamsburg is a great American inspired brunch spot in Melbourne city, tucked in a laneway close to Flinders Street Station. They were very busy on a Sunday morning but the maître d was impeccable and prompt, and the wait wasn’t too long. We had the southern friend chicken waffles (yum!) and philly cheese steak sandwich (double yum!) and loved both dishes! Will definitely be back!

Cappa Nappa

Found a piece of hair in my shakshuka and informed one of the staff. He apologised, took the plate away and nothing was done, so we left as he never came back.

Jess (@isthatmyfood)

The coffee here was super delicious! I had a cappuccino, it had a beautiful art on top - It could be a bit hotter though. It also came with a Hersey Kiss, how adorable! For food, I had the Classic Salmon bagel. I never knew that Salmon goes well with fried eggs. It was super delicious. The venue is quite small but there are plenty of seats, both inside and outside (with heaters!). All the staff had great personality, the service was great! Definitely a must-try venue! Located on a small alley way, on the edge of Melbourne CBD - only a quick 3 minutes walk from Flinders Street Station.

FoodieQueen21

Amazing food, cozy place and the food portion is worth the price! I will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

Alison Foreman

Love this place soo much! We went there twice while in Melbourne, and was not disappointed. There isnt much room in the cafe itself, but its totally worth the food. Service is quick and friendly, food was exceptional. I got The Elvis (pictured) & my partner got the pastrami brisket burger on brioche both times. AMAZING food highly recommend

Piggyeatalot

3.5 stars Had lunch at Bowery to Williamsburg the other day and got their omelette and pastrami brioche roll. I found their brioche bread a bit dry, but the overall flavours of the pastrami and omelette was yummy. They also hasthis hot sauce on the table which was extremely hard to get out, which is a bit annoying. Their service was so energetic and friendly which is a huge plus!

Rhiannon Beck

Sat out front under the heaters which kept us cosy warm on a Melb winter’s day. Prompt & friendly service. Great coffee, could have been warmer. Philly Cheesesteak was yummy but lacking in cheese. There was plenty of brisket which was chunky and mixed with onion & green capsicum. Very flavoursome. But the thin layer of melted cheese didn’t make it a true Philly Cheesesteak like they serve in downtown Philadelphia. I wasn’t expecting cheese whiz but this was more like a brisket sub with some melted cheese on top. It was still a nice lunch & looked impressive.

Meowktail

Great sandwich cafe, with good shakshukas. Place was bustling on a Monday morning, service was relatively prompt. The beef is a bit tough, but overall tasted really nice. The waffles were a fan favourite

Isabel

Friendly service from staff and cosy venue that does feel different from other Melbourne brunch places. I had a flat white and chicken and waffles. Enjoyed the coffee and the chicken, though I would've enjoyed the waffles more without the chipotle dressing – not sure if it's just me, but it didn't pair well with the rest of the dish. Would love to come back to try out the other dishes.

The Official Food Hunters

Pretty good food here, love the onion bagel! Could calm down with the amount of sauce tho it gets super messy and hard to eat. Cute layout though and great menu!

Gee

Heard great things about this place so came to try the bacon and egg toasted sandwich with the peanut butter hot chocolate. The sandwich was tasty but didn’t have a great deal of bacon and the egg wasn’t runny unfortunately. The peanut butter hot choc was also ok but didn’t have that richness that you find at Koko. Would possibly come back to try other dishes.

Burgers Of Melbourne

Think NY in the middle of Melbourne CBD. Bowery to Williamsburg is exactly that, the whole vibe, the whole menu will take you straight into the food scene of NYC. All positive, no negatives.. just add them to your list and make time to go!

Foodies.and.Coe

Boy did this place provide the goods! I was keen to try it for so long, so I decided to meet a friend and enjoy a sandwich and the mac and cheese. The service was excellent, the pastrami on rye was delish and the mac and cheese was excellent. Be ready to be pretty cosy as they seem pretty busy always.

Daniel Wirjoprawiro

One of the few great places for brunch in the CBD! Convenient location and great selection of dishes. The baked eggs is my personal favourite. 😋

Talkingfork

Expect long lines out the door for their famous Breakfast Bagels and Sandwiches, there’s also an all day eggs menu which is as long as your arm. On this visit we gave their classic Reuben a go and it didn’t disappoint. I mean how could it?. Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut and Corned Beef in the right combination is a magical mix. Thankfully the peeps at B2W know exactly how to do these things and ensure that the sandwich isn’t over stuffed and the rye toasted just right offering you a harmonious and succulent mouthful of Reuben goodness.

Espy Eats

I love this place, to begin with the staff are always happy and attentive. I didn’t have time to eat in today, so I grabbed a salmon bagel with a side of pretzels and a pickle to go. Service and delivery of food was super-fast. My bagel was nicely toasted and the dill schmeer was a delightful accompaniment to the smoked salmon, which was properly smoked. I always get a side of pickles when I come here too, they are sweet and slightly sour, so good, the pretzels are a nice salty touch for some added crunch too.

Angry Chicken

Headed to Bowery and opted for the deep friend chicken burger with a side of mac n cheese. The burger is delicious with mouth watering flavour. It comes with a pickle and some pretzels which go hand in hand with the burger. The mac and cheese was.....cheeeesy! Will be back again!

Srslyfoods

This was a great little find down Oliver Lane. Turned up starving, and this place was the place to fill the stomach...It is quite small and queues were forming on arrival (always a good sign!) I had the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, tasty, and my friend had the baked eggs, also very good. Service was friendly.

Angelo Pinnaduwa

Hit this place up with my friend for brunch and my goodness there was a big queue. However the staff did manage the crowd very well and got us in 10 minutes. Nice staff, but we had to stay for another good 10 minutes to get the attention of stadd P) q Ordered ourselves the brisket and eggs, southern fried chicken and a latte. The presentation was spot on with nice finishing touches,though the food was a different story. The southern fried chicken was very good and went well with the waffle! The supposedly 14h slow roasted beef did not ooze out the rich flavors of a long cooked piece of meat and required much more seasoning. The brioche like cheddar bread was waay too flaky and crumbled whenever I touched it with my fork. The latte was just burnt coffee beans and was horrible. Not a very good experience despite the hype. My brunch places in Melbourne has disappointed me thus far :/

Neda

4.5 Caught up for brunch with B here! A New York style brunch cafe just a short walk from Flinders' Street Station. 🍹 DRINKS: - Peanut Butter Hot Choc ($5) with Reese chocolate: slightly pricier for what it is, but delicious and buttery. The chocolate is a nice additional touch as well! 🍽 FOOD: - ⭐️ Brisket and Eggs ($20): 14hr slow roasted beef brisket, chilli verde, fried eggs, white cheddar corn bread, sour cream. This was AMAZING! Beef brisket was an amazing texture, perfectly juicey. The corn bread was unique and deliciously crunchy as well. I would go back for the same thing in future. 📷 AMBIENCE: typical Melbourne brunch place: eclectic, strudy. Has some steps and slightly dark inside though. We were seated at a spacious nice single table, but some are shared. 🧂 SERVICE: excellent! Waitress had good recommendations, was patient, and allowed us to take our time. Would definitely return for the brisket, other menu items, and the great service.

Julie T

What is the Reuben sandwich meant to taste like?! Firstly, I don't know how to review this place as I haven't eaten a Reuben sandwich before but I can say that I think the meat to sauerkraut ratio seemed to be more balanced than what I have seen in photos from America (i.e. 90% meat). The pastrami was tasty and not very fatty but the rye bread was too dense for my liking. It is quite a large sandwich but at $15, I think it should be. We also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese but the mac was overcooked and it wasn't very cheesy (again, I don't know if it's meant to be overcooked?!) Either way, it's a cute little place to drop by and the service is very efficient and friendly. They also have outdoor tables so you can enjoy the laneway atmosphere.

Joanne | Melbournecitay

Came here for a work lunch. Ordered a turkey club sandwich and OJ. The bread was very easy to cut, tasted delicious and had a fluffy texture. I wish there was more turkey portions in the sandwich. The OJ was a bit too sweet although it had generous amounts of pulp.

Kerli Kerli Kerli

Came to this alley for some coffee and sandwiches before work and with each coffee there was a kisses served with it.. we shared the The Reuben sandwich.. which had pastrami beef brisket, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing in a pickle on rye.. the sandwich was huge and could be easily shared amongst 2.. of course it taste good too.. the setting was pretty cool it felt like some underground subway..

Georgi_gurl

Ventured to Bowery to Williamsburg as I love a good Reuben sandwich and it came up as one to try in Melbourne. Service here is warm and friendly (appreciated on a dark and rainy morning). The Reuben was good, but certainly not the best I have tried. They nailed the pickle, bread, Russian dressing and kraut but unfortunately at least 50% of the pastrami was too fatty (not the type that melts in your mouth, the type that leaves you chewing for up to a minute until you can break it down enough to swallow). I am keen to try this place again but might try something different next time.

The Gluten-Free Foodie

The vibe wasn’t as good as I anticipated from the website and google search. Barista was lovely but a bit awkward. The food was good quality but more abrasive strong flavors than simple or yummy dishes. Maybe the NYC theme is just not missing the mark? I had a nice breakfast regardless.

Tige

We stumbled upon this eatery for brunch. It was so delicious, the food was so tasty. There’s a selection of bagels with varied fillings as well as some other brunch options like waffles and eggs. The bagel with salmon was so good, I loved the onion bagel. The hot chocolate was tasty although a bit tricky to drink from the metal cup. Such a cute place with a cosy feel, there’s a couple of separate tables and one long share table inside as well as a little bit of outdoor seating. We will be back for sure.

Hungry Hippo

Delicious bagels just like you ones you would find strolling around Brooklyn and New York. Awesome little alley way venue and you get a little treat with your coffee.

Joseph Cardillo

Nice cosy place for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Great coffee and new york style toasted sandwiches with healthy proportions. Will have to try the waffles next time as they looked great.

Pumpkin Escobar

Life-changing! But seriously, everything I ate here was fantastic! The staff were also incredibly lovely and made the whole experience surreal. I had the beef brisket on corn bread, and that brisket was so tender I wanted to weep. The eggs, corn bread, chili verde, sour cream, and brisket just tied up together so perfectly (take a look at the photo and drool a river). I also purchased a new york cheesecake and brownie to take on the flight home for my savoury toothed parents, and they were looking for more! If only I could have bought them the whole cabinet of sweets, but maybe the next Powerball win if I'm lucky. I have prophesied of all Bowery to Willamsburg's awesomeness to my friends and family here in Brisbane! Thank you to google to helped us stumble across this perfect little food mecca. I will definitely be back!

Nia

Pros: Came here for breakfast on a Sunday morning and were seated immediately. Food was served very quickly. Cons: For an establishment with so many rave reviews we were disappointed, the food tasted average, and smaller than expected portion size based on the price (especially the bagel!). There is also a 10% surcharge on weekends.

Hungry Teddy

I was in Melbourne so had to tick the box and do the Cafe Brunch. Reviews have indicated that Bowery to Williamsberg was hot. The place had great energy, personality and so did the food. I've ordered GOOD MORNING CUBANO and everything on the plate worked together like the Symphony Orchestra. Very delicious. I'm now just waiting for Bowery to Williamsberg to come to Sydney. I give this place 4 bears.

Yuni Winingsih

US style sandwich, which tastes so gewwwdddddd!! The service, the staff are excellent. The only thing is that this place is not that spacious yet there are so many people (hail the sandwich) so sometimes it will feels too crowded or cramped (high prob that u will share the table)

Lisa Giles

We were in a bit of a rush so took some food to go, and right from entering the staff were incredibly friendly and offered to assist us with choosing what we wanted!! We decided on the bacon chipotle bagel, which was delicious, and a slice of pecan pie, which was absolutely divine too. I love everything New York, and this place brought back great memories. Will definitely be returning to dine in!

Kate Dougherty

Cute little cafe hidden down Oliver Lane serving American style brunch and sandwiches. I ordered the baked eggs with Italian sausage. I enjoyed my meal. The pita bread it came with was a bit too crispy though so made it hard to mop up the sauce. My main criticism is that we had to wait almost an hour for our meal. The staff were apologetic though and did give us a discount which was nice.

Juls

Best coffee I've had in a very long time. Staff was great, was seated immediately by the window and made small talk with the waitress (the one from NZ) - thanks for the awesome service! We had The Reuben and Shaksuka for brunch, very yummy. Will definitely return again.

Net Chantarawaree

Finally found my favourite brunch spot in Melb. Definitely stand out from million of options. Love the waffle and baked eggs! Also the bagel with lemon vanilla spread.

July2012

Ok, I've been here before and overall I do like this place.One thing that some restaurants tend to do that makes me bitter is when they take an item such as a "Philly Cheese Steak", put it on the menu and actually serve up a lamb shoulder roll.I've seen other places completely misrepresent what something is because it's not native to Australia. Everyone has at least heard of a Philly Cheese Steak so they'll be excited to try one. People will then have a lamb shoulder roll and go "Oh, that's what a Philly Cheese Steak is." No, it's not. It's not even close except that it has cheese and is in a roll.For the love of God. Restaurants... Please stop doing this.

Kylie Adeniyi

Love that this place is hidden but still busy inside. Service was quick and our food came really fast. Bagels and oatmeal were so good - and it’s always good to know where you can get a milkshake at 8am!

Jess Guscott

Super friendly staff and nice atmosphere but the food wasn’t as tasty as I thought from reading reviews. With so many fantastic brunch places around, it wasn’t a stand out! The peanut butter hot chocolate was delicious and the food was tasty but nothing was worth raving about

Birdman

I’m not kidding I genuinely felt like I was in NYC and it was such a great feeling. Had the #1 Baked Eggs which was the standard tomato based with 3 eggs, flavours were some of the best you will come across... eggs were a touch overcooked but it actually didn’t matter cause the flavours were so good. Got a side of brisket which was great too.

Caffiend

70c extra for almond milk making a large coffee $5.50. Outrageous. Head to the corner to Cento Mani if you need to get an almond milk coffee, much cheaper and imo better coffee.

Kezia

The fried chicken waffle is very recommended! It’s not just a fried chicken, it’s rich with flavour. This os their signature dish, make sure you come here bit earlier for brunch because they’re always busy.

Littlemissyh

Busy cafe, be sure to get there early in the morning to get some great New York style food! I always get the peanut butter hot chocolate - not too rich or sweet, and the baked goods are always yum too. Get the peanut butter brownie and cheesecake. Good variety of food - my favourite is the Lox and potato latkes. The Shashuka is also delicious and the pita served with it goes really well. Staff arebfriendly & service is fast!

Erin Aus

Had a great lunch here on a busy Sunday. It was bustling so not the quietest place to eat, but the food is top notch and the staff are friendly. Ordered the brisket and eggs - delicious! Aim for a lateish lunch and you'll get a seat straight away :)

Truth Hurts

What a find! This place has an awesome menu and there are plenty of vegetarian options too! The coffee is ok but I wouldn't say it's great. But the food is amazing. It's a great breakfast spot. I haven't been there for lunch but based on the breakfast I think it's worth a try. Its tucked down a laneway and is a smallish space. I arrived at 8.30 on a weekday for breakfast and its was close to full. Its definitely a popular spot and worth a try

Karina J

Only had a ten minute wait at peak brunch time. The coffees were excellent-smooth but strong. We ordered the potato latkes with smoked salmon and the Italian sausage baked eggs. Both dishes were fantastic. Great cbd brunch spot, perhaps not the place for you if you want somewhere quiet to chat.

Global Foodie & Filmy

What a beauty tucked in a lane... Super busy... With super friendly chatty staff. Love their warm welcoming place and a great menu to match. All day brunch... No wonder this is one of the top brunch places in Melbourne

James

Went for brunch on a busy Sunday morning. Seated surprisingly quickly. The bloke hosting was excellent. Very friendly and managed to keep people in the line who waited a while for bigger tables. Ordered the filter coffee, brisket and eggs and Mac and cheese. The food was really tasty. The Mac and cheese the highlight, really nice pickle. The food took a little bit to come but more than acceptable for a Sunday in a packed place with a line and coffee came out very quickly so no real issue. Excellent place, would recommend!

Harrysingh Rawat

Come to this place if you want to taste a superb breakfast with a very nice staff! Perfect waffle, great lime pie and good coffee. A must go in Melbourne!

Josephine Mitchell

Amazing. My sister, mother and I went here for lunch and loved it! We were seated straight away and the staff were so friendly and helpful, explaining things on the menu which we were unsure about. Once we ordered we didn't have to wait long for our food. I ordered the special of the day Sweet potato and corn soup with half a toasted sandwich which was hot, flavourful and thoroughly enjoyable. My sister had the Philly cheesesteak which was delicious. My mum had a lime key pie which had the best base that she has ever had, so buttery and crumbly ❤️ This cafe had such a good vibe and we left feeling throughly sated. We are definitely going to return!

Rachel Shan

4 weeks ago, my friends and I had a terrible time at B2W due to a rude waiter who mocked us when we notified him of hair in our food. The owners found out about the incident and reached out to me to apologise and insisted they make it up to us. Yesterday we went back to B2W and despite the fact that it was 10:30am and there was a queue outside, we were seated in 10 minutes. Our waiter Tobi was very attentive and informative, and checked on us periodically despite the cafe being full. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our food. We had the Southern Fried Chicken Waffles, the Haloumi Shakshukra and the Bacon Bagel, and the Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate which was their Sunday Special. Thanks B2W for making it up to us. We look forward to coming back for brunch soon!

Ionathegenie

I really wanted to love this place but my bagel was rock hard :(. Also order the waffle and it was soggy. The shashuka eggs however was good and so was the service from guy who took us to our table. I’ll be back to give it another go!

Acire

New York-esque restaurant tucked away in Oliver Lane. Was very busy, understandably during lunch hour - was pretty loud and bustling. The staff are lovely and seem to really enjoy working there, and we waited only like 2 minutes to be seated at the communal table inside. We ordered Oreo malt milkshakes and split the bacon cheeseburger and the Philly cheesesteak. Milkshakes were awesome! Not too sweet and they don’t skimp on the malt. Burger was average and spicy. The Philly cheesesteak was nice, the steak was super tender. Overall, I would return for the milkshakes or to try the bagels or breakfast menu (waffles look amazing).

Ted Wu

Another gem tucked in a lane. I’ve wanted to try a Reuben sandwich, so I came to B2W. The staff was so attentive and nice. There wasn’t a lot of space but it had a trendy vibe. The sandwich itself was very pleasant. Not overly filled, and the meat ratio was right on point. The peanut butter hot chocolate was an interesting choice. I loved it that they put a little Reese’s on the side!

Princess Zelda

Comforting breakfast food which won't dissapoint in whichever mood you are.This place is one of my favorite places to have breakfast in Melbourne and the customer lines can vouch for that. The Reuben is juicy full of spice, not overly stacked but very filling. Breakfast plates are well presented and matched. Pleasant waiters, good service and a very satisfying way to start the day.

FluffyHamster

The cafe is hiding in one of the laneways (near Chin Chin) We went to the cafe about 10am on a Saturday, and we waited for about 10 minutes to get a table for 4. The coffee we ordered was really nice, and each one came with a Kisses on the saucer. The coffee beans are from roaster Padre, a Melbourne specialty coffee roasters. We ordered hot chocolate as well - the restaurant serves hot chocolate with peanut butter. (They do have original hot chocolate too) The food: we ordered the day’s special, pulled pork on waffle, and also the famous fried chicken on waffle. I must say that the food was really delicious, and the servings are so big! (Our 4 people shared three breakfast, and we were still really full) The staff were all very friendly and attentive : ) this is an absolutely beautiful little cafe!

Sanj Tanya

We came here for brunch with a group of 4, the waffles are AMAZING! So addictive I could not stop digging into mine. They have a great brunch menu that caters for those who enjoy sweets and fruits. It’s a cute little place and the coffee is decent!

ياني عبدالله

Best salmon cream cheese bagel in melbourne! Best soy chai too. Always my go to when hungry and in the city. The place has an authentic feel to it and great friendly staff too

Shabbytwoob

Super sad about my turkey club which was filled with fatty pieces of turkey rather than shredded roast turkey. Was practically a BLT in the end. Devastated that they got away with charging me $15 for that when I could’ve had a super lovely lunch for that price.

Dishti Sasan

We found the food delicious! However, some members of the staff were rude and disrespectful towards us despite us being kind and understanding. Never felt this uncomfortable at a cafe before. Not going back!

Andrea Leong

Stumbled join this tucked-away spot while walking around in the city area. For the price listed, it’s considered a reasonable serving portion. Taste wise, the meat was too dry for me, and the pickle was not sour enough. But I absolutely loved the apple tea! Refreshingly sweet and aromatic.

Rachel Shan

We were really looking forward to eating here today but we just had the worst experience. Our long beard waiter was friendly and a delight at first but things took a turn when I found hair in my food. So first he forgot to put our order through and we only found out 30 mins after we had placed our order. We got our food about 10 mins later which was quick but I soon realised that there were at least 4 hairs in my food. My friend also found a hair in her water glass. We called our waiter over and told him we found hair in the food and he then said “oh you’ve had a tough time today so of course you were going to find a problem with the food”. And then he proceeded to explain how they weren’t hairs and instead they were fibres from a cloth or that hairs had blown into the food due to wind. He took the food away and then proceeded to come back and mock us by saying “oh so is there also a problem with the hot chocolate?” even though we had not made a fuss. When we went up to the counter to pay we found out that our waiter was the manager of the restaurant so we couldn’t make our complaint. We tried to explain to the waitress at the counter when we heard him shout from outside the restaurant “I don’t care if they don’t want to pay just get them out of here”. Absolute worst restaurant experience I have ever had. Service like this ruins the reputation of restaurants and such a shame because the food here is nice.

Clarinna

I have known about this place for years and not sure why I have never paid a visit before. My friends from overseas chose this place. The place is quite small but in the morning its not that packed so it was good. They actually have so many things to choose from the menu. I would recommend getting the reuben sandwich, its not something that i’d normally order but it was really great! We also had the baked eggs which was delicious and sweet potato hash (okay). The service was amazing, the guy who served us is really enthusiastic and keep making small jokes. They are using Padre coffee which is one of my fav.

Sarita

I went with a friend for a birthday brunch. The bagels are delicious, just like I’ve eaten in the home of bagels; NYC! We ordered a selection of sides which were all great, but the best of all was the peanut butter hot chocolate... simply delicious! Had it not been for fear of me bouncing off the walls on a sugar high, I’d have definitely ordered another one! Most definitely worth another visit in the not too distant future.

Minh Nguyen

Great food, lovely environment and well priced would definitely come again! The sandwiches are nice but definitely enjoyed the fried chicken on waffles the most

Quince And Cheese

I am borderline obsessed with Jewish American food. I'd been scouring Zomato for restaurants that serve latkes and stumbled upon Bowery. The place is bustling, so you might have to wait for a table. The latkes (minus lox) were not *super* authentic, but they still provided the hit of nostalgia I'd been craving, so I can't complain. The place also serves up a nice coffee (: Check it for your northeast American fix.

Prachi Tyagi

Had a great time catching up with a friend for brunch here. I reckon their menu on the wall is more updated than the hardcopy. For a street under construction, the place was pretty full. We ordered a delicious bagel and fresh coffee.

Bite The Looks By BHA

It was planned brunch with my girls and we were so hungry too. And we decided to have brunch in here. We were greeted by the staff and asked where we want to sit, so we choose to sit outside. We ordered BBQ Bacon Cheese Burger & Good Morning Cubano. Oh well the portion was so big,we barely finished our meal! But the food taste AMAZING! Im so flabbergasted by the flavourness of both dishes. Perfectly cooked,perfectly season..what can u ask for more!?Both dish are also popular and well recommended by the staffs too. The bacon,the beef and the cheese is melted in your mouth as you biten it slowly. The staffs were very friendly and served us very nicely. The place was like a retro bar and have a comfy ambience too Overall, couldnt agree more that I’ll be back again to try their other menu !! #BHAsFoodDiary

Michelle

Very friendly staff. Good portion. Good food. Restaurant was fairly small, and quite loud. So not great if you’re hoping to catch up or looking for somewhere quiet. Overall good experience.

Oj_always_eating

Dead set delish. Some of the best lunches I’ve ever had during work hours have been here!!! The Reuben Sandwich is my favourite. The brisket is incredible and the sauerkraut is just soooo delish. Not to mention the pickle - it’s like the cherry on the cake. If you only want a quick snack the bagel and schmear is a great option.

Munching Pandas

Monday afternoon, stomach's hungry and i remember there is this popular cafe i havent tried yet. we will see how it goes then. B2W focuses more on cafe dishes rather than brunch. But they did quite well surprisingly. The place is a bit dark but i kinda love it, give such impression of that delicious basement cafe! okay without the chitchat Let's go to the review! Panda: staff! very friendly and helpful and really understands what the menus are, will give you recommendation and suggestion based on your preference i tried the chicken waffle and cubano earlier today, both was lovely and the taste was ok. They don't overcook the fried chicken which most cafe always does. quite spacious and also got both indoor and outdoor seating Price was very reasonable for such quality and quantity consistent quality of each dish Pandon't: first of all despite the great taste, this cafe need improvement on texture and plating. the waffles were not crispy and a bit soggy (not because i ate it late, it was soggy on the first bite). also, they did not trim the excess dough in the waffle. it does not need to be a fine dining beautiful plating, but just take care of the little stuff plate does not come up warm and if you just want to drink coffee here, the coffee was just average. Nonetheless we are really looking forward for their improvement and hope to drop by in short time

KnowingMelbourne

I love the Reuben sandwich here. It’s so good! Really cute place with some great menu options. Down an alleyway too so a very “Melbourne” experience.

John Low

Coffee was decent but nothing amazing. Chicken with waffles was kind of a let down. Great looking but chewy and not crunchy, beef brisket a tad dry. Great service though, food average.

Mo

I had a really nice experience here, though it was a few months ago now. I have been meaning to come back but haven’t made it yet! Anyway, I arrived quite some time before my friends but the servers were very accommodating and got me a table near the stairs and took my drinks order while I waited. My mocha was really good and they washed my keep cup for me too so props to them for that. When my friends arrived we all had very friendly service and the vegans in the group had the menu explained to them in terms of their options which we appreciated a lot.

PC

Sooo good. Came for brunch after White Night. Have the Fried Chicken Waffle! Delicious! Great coffee and friendly service! Do yourself a favor!

Chairman Meow

Shakshuka was amazing, perfect start to the day. Three different staff served/checked in on me and they were all absolutely wonderful, cheerful and brightened up my day. Great coffee too!! Thanks guys

Em W

AMAZING. Great service by a super chatty guy that was clearly very excited about the food they were selling. Partner and I shared the pastrami on rye and fried chicken bagel special. Just the right amount of meat, tasty sauce and great bagel and rye bread! Definitely made us miss being in NYC! Will definitely be back next time we visit melbourne

Sydfoodlover

In Melbourne for the weekend and headed out for Sunday brunch. Great cafe for American style food. Ordered the Shakshuka with pork and fennel sausage and the 14hr slow cooked brisket and eggs. Shakshuka was great and the beef brisket was delicious. Great coffee, would definitely want to try the bagels. Friendly and helpful staff.

Rachel Ross

Great service, food and coffee in an unassuming setting. Staff were amazing and the breakfast tasted delicious! I had the sweet potato and corn hash with eggs brekky and hubby had the baked eggs. Generous serving sizes. Share tables add to the friendly vibe.

Ashmita

Visited this place last weekend for Brunch We tried the popular 🥘 Waffle & fried chicken, 🥘 Turkey bacon sandwich ☕️ Padre cappuccino Good things first ... portions are considerable and 2 dishes can easily suffice for 3. Coffee is great. Even the sandwich & waffle were spot on. Service is excellent - prompt & courteous The only disappointment was the fried chicken. It was way too stiff & chewy. Seemed over cooked (fried)

Sangev Subramaniam

Nice ambience, friendly staff. Food was alright. Nothing too exciting. Had the corn & sweet potato hash. Huge portions though. Coffee was good.

Simply Eat

Came here with a friend for lunch. They have a nice selection of sandwiches that scream yum and good coffee. I got the Rueben and i found it delicious and extremely filling. They also have very good coffee

Angel Khong

Waffle and fried chicken was good, but all other dishes seemed to be pretty average. Coffee was pretty decent. Very tight and squishy inside the venue. Service could be improved.

Frank

Amazing coffee and great vibe. A group of us from the office had brunch and were not disappointed. Staff really friendly. After discovering this hidden jem from a friend it is now a regular haunt.

Trixie

Tried the shasuka baked egg with italian sausages, nothing special and only few tiny pieces of snags, had tried better in other places. My friend got their daily special with 14hrs cooked brisket and the meat was overly dry.. not impressed.

InnerWestWayne

Dude. Three words: chicken and waffles. This unholy combination can be found down a particularly shithoused alley way between the flinders' and just balls out on fantastic brunch and breakfast gear. Backing it up with some sweet Sammiches and top shelf coffee.

Rizka Natasya

Went here for brunch with my friend in such a lovely day and I can't begin to tell you how much I love this place. The guy who served us was fun + amazing and patiently helped us on what to order because it was our first time coming there. I got their peanut butter hot chocolate which was very sweet but still manageable hahaha. For the food, me and my friend ordered plain bagel + mac & cheese + halloumi cheese which tasted extraordinary! Will surely come back ❤️

Danielle Wilson

Love eating here. Cant go wrong with the reuban. Their staff are helpful and so friendly. Great american style diner food. Love the pickles and prezals

Kathleen Doherty

Some of the best fried chicken and waffles in Melbourne. Could have had a bit more whipped spiced butter and chipotle sauce, but the chicken and the waffle were both cooked perfectly and the overall combination was very tasty!

PedGetsFed

While not quite hitting the heights of a New York deli (maybe im just being nostalgic) this does get pretty close. Been a couple is times...try the Cubano or the Rueben. Interior kinda cool and staff always nice and chilled. One of better sandwiche places in cbd.

Flying Forward

Points for: excellent Reuben sandwhich, good coffee Dine Time: weekday lunch Get in for your New York Jewish hit - fresh and chewy bagels, and an awesome Reuben sandwhich. Toasted on both sides, the sandwhich is filled with pastrami and the russian dressing pulls everything together, with the sauerkraut cutting through the richness. The coffee was okay - I usually get a strong latte, which seemed a bit on the watery side this time around, but usually it has a denser consistency, with good microfoam.

Youngy

Special lunch beef brisket, pretty special in both senses of the word. Ordered a coffee to after seeing they have padre beans. With the little gesture of a Hershey kiss, it is the little things. Quick quick lunch service. Wasn't really busy. Cool funky fit out to redeemable the New York subways. Indoor outdoor seats available. Definitely a revisit. They have waffles on the menu! Boom.

Mustard

Third or fourth time here, there's always something different I want to try. Their sandwiches always pull me in and they are usually substantial, especially the Reuben. A colleague suggested I try their Philly cheese steak and of course I always get suckered in with their side of mac and cheese. The Philly cheese steak was toasty with roasted peppers, strips of fatty beef which had a chewy texture (in a good way) covered in cheese. Loved it. The mac and cheese in most meals you can do without because they are large enough on their own. It was comforting with a crusty baked top. My colleagues loved their burgers also. Like I said before, so many things to try from their bagels to their sweets and from their fried chicken waffles to their shakshuka baked eggs (which their Tel Aviv branch had but is now closed).

Amy Davis

Came here specifically for the fried chicken and waffles. Was not disappointed by the food at all. Also tried the Philly cheese steak and an everything bagel with dill schmear. The bagel was perfection. The Philly cheese steak was quite fatty and I spent a lot of time getting it to meat only. I asked if they could do it no peppers and they said no, which was fine cos it's mixed in with the onions and mushrooms, but when eating it I'll be damned if I could find any onions or peppers and just 2 lone pieces of mushroom. Roll was delicious and it tasted great but a bit odd. Fried chicken and waffles was really good and both condiments went well with it. The only things that didn't thrill me was how dark it was and the big communal table had people sitting on both ends blocking the walkway around it but no one in the middle section so we had no choice but to sit in the middle on one side as we couldn't get through. You'd think the staff would've politely asked them to move once the place filled up

Sassenach

This is our second visit and both times have been a little average. I find the menu to be a little weird, with mixes of various cultural cuisines which probably appeal to some people. As a one off (have eaten here once this year and once last year) it's a nice change but for me it won't pull me back again. The coffee was quite tangy and fruity, again not the flavour tone I prefer. The communal table is fine and sensible for the space but there's nothing relaxing about this place as other people and staff bustle about. The food is presented well, although 1 latke was cold and stale, shakshuka is a very generous portion (I didn't finish it) and again, just not something that wowed me.

Lilyvann

We ordered the Lox and Potato Latkes, the Shakshuka baked eggs and vanilla berry waffles. I got two Potato Latkes, 1 was cold and stodgy and awful and the other was hot and and tasty. (I know what your thinking, but I ate the cold one first) The shakshuka was average. The waffles, which were already not very fluffy and tasty, got very soggy once the berry compote was added. The staff were nice but the food was just not top quality delicious like you'd expect at a Melbourne cafe. Overall I felt very let down and probably won't come back.

Whats On The Grill?

For a cafe lunch spot, this place is right up there. Menu full of classics such as Philly Steak Sandwich, Reuben & waffles and done well. Coffee and deserts are also very good as is the service. Cosy setting/atmosphere.

Brunchtime

I'm a massive chicken and waffle connoisseur so of course this place was a must for me. Their chicken and waffles were interesting with the spiced lemon butter, good but nothing amazing- impressed by the generous serve of chicken though. We also tried the shakshuka eggs and the sweet waffle with berries- all tasty but nothing amazing.

MY NAmE IS Lee

We had the wagyu burger and the Cuban, the wagyu burger was yummy very juicy and tasty. The sandwich was not too bad yummy ,but I think it could be better. We both think for that dinning environment ( have to share the table with someone else) and quality ,it was little bit pricey.

Jeanette La Fame

Love the lemon vanilla schmear for my blueberry bagel 💜 i also love the selection of fish on my savoury board and I had a very satisfying breakfast this cold morning.

Love At First Bite

Find us on instagram: loveatfirstbite_aus This little cafe is like a little slice of NYC right tucked down one of Melbourne’s countess alleyways. A stone throw’s away from the Paris end of Collins Street, this cafe is a lunchtime favourite for many nearby office workers and it’s not hard to see why. I’ve come here several times for breakfast, coffee, brunch, and lunch and in this post will cover three dishes.

Pass The Plate

I mean does it get much better than the perfect Reuben Sandwhich? When you find a good one there is seriously nothing better... well maybe somethings.. but not likely. Loaded high with pastrami which compliments the tartness of the dressing and saukraut alongside the richness of the cheese it's a show stopper. The fact it's all sandwhiched between beautiful rye bread just means it's a match made in heaven. One of the best Reubens in Melbourne, I could not recommend more highly. Standout Dish - Reuben Sandwhich

Denny

Bowery to Williamsburg located near Federation Square in Melbourne’s CBD has this New York subway vibe to it from the outset and inside as well. A second store opened along Hardware Lane due to its popularity. In the mornings, you can see the queue go out of the door of this petit venue. Keeping with its American aesthetic, its food is also reminiscent of New York, specialising in an array of breakfast and lunch bagels, and American style sandwiches with its selection of deli meats and cheese fillings.

Arron Conran

Unfortunately they were sold out of the fried chicken and waffles but I went with the special of bbq pulled pork eggs Benedict. I would return to try the chicken and waffles. Good service and atmosphere

Wandering Ella

I used to be a big fan of Bowery's Mexican eggs (I forgot the actual name but I think it was their Huevos Ranchos) so I was disappointed when I took my parents there and they didn't have it anymore. We ordered their Shakshuka and sad to say, none of my family members enjoyed it. I didn't mind it though. We enjoyed their coffees and hot chocolates though.

The Consul

Came here on a chilly weekend afternoon. From the onset, there is limited seating inside with just a few single tables and a large communal table to be found. Outside there are a few more tables, but I do not recommend them as there is insufficient heating. Onto the food! We ordered the fried chicken for the entree. And may I just say this dish was phenomenal! Chicken was perfectly cooked and the two sauces provided (Chipotle and maple syrup) paired perfectly with the flavours. I would definitely recommend this to start off with. For the main, I ordered the Philly cheese steak. Being quite unfamiliar with this dish and have only tried it once during my travels to the states, I took the plunge. Definitely one of the better choices I have made in my culinary experiences. It was quite a large proportion, with the meat and cheese bursting out of the roll. It was lathered quite genourously with olive oil, but don't be afraid to tacklet the beast hands on. The flavours was like a symphony playing in my mouth. A bit of crunch here, some juices flowing there, the whole thing was just a beauty. Can I thank the staff at B2W for providing such a fine dinenary experience, and I will definitely come back to try more of your menu.

Got_2_lunch

Used to come here for morning bagels (with a shmear) when our office was around the corner. Now that I'm located a few more blocks away, we headed into the cold for a midweek meal. It's a cost space but that ment it was toasty and warm. Can't go past their good morning cubano (the traditional + fried egg) with a side of Mac & cheese, pretzels & pickle if you can fit it in. Daily salads are fresh and tasty and service is always fast and pleasant. Great spot!

Fatty Mountain

I accidentally came upon this great cafe while I was trying to find another cafe who was closed that day. This cafe isn’t as popular as other cafes in Melbourne, which i am finding that hard to believe. read on and you will know why! I don’t regret coming here to spend my new years eve at all.

Maddison Jacka

Great Padre coffee and very friendly staff. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick coffee or quick easy lunch. The peanut butter chocolate brownies are absolutely delicious!

Two Sheds

I'd wanted to come here for a long time as the place sounded quirky and interesting. It didn't quite meet expectations though. Perhaps I chose badly. I saw the seafood chowder and jumped at it because it's one of my favourite dishes in cooler weather. This was a disappointing dish. Nothing like others I've had, he says, instantly recalling three beauties from San Francisco (yup, at Fishermans Wharf), Robe in South Australia and Port Macquarie up north, would you believe. Those were all white, thick and luscious and very flavoursome with abundant seafood. The seafood chowder here though was thin and far less tasty, albeit with some good levels of seafood. It was also rather too small for the $18 price tag. I found it underwhelming and regretted my choice and the lost opportunity. I might give the place another go one day though. Service was fine. The space seemed fine as well.

Raph M

Hello, my absolutely newest favourite breakfast/brunch place in Melbourne! I had the savoury board which had cured salmon, pickles, tomatoes etc, and you get a choice of bagel and a schmear that goes with it (I picked cinammon raisin bagel with peanut butter praline schmear). Holy moley I was BLOWN AWAY but how AMAZING each element on the plate go so well together. It was like explosion after explosion in my mouth. So delicate and subtle but so bold and punchy. The soft buttery praline schmear worked so well with the tang in the cured fish, the sourness and punch in the horseradish beetroot was crying tears of joy in the softness of the bagel. I was in heaven. The key lime pie was great as well. Could do without the marshmallow pillow on top, but the pie itself was divine. Oh, the place is great too, love the branding. The coffee ain't bad either. Get there early as it packs out quick - we circled the block half an hour early to secure a seat.

Chee Ching Low

The food here is just below average. They look presentable but they just taste too greasy in general. I've been here twice and had the Lox and Fried chicken waffles. Ingredients in each dish did not manage to take out the greasiness of the dishes. However, service here is pretty good. It's just quite a shame food here is not that great.

Jamie

Come for Sunday brunch and we were seated quickly in the outdoor section, which was nice. Coffee was nice and served with a Hershy's Kiss. A small stuff up with our order. Having run out of cinnamon bagels, my friend ordered blueberry, only to be served a plain bagel. The kitchen failed to notify us that they had also run out of blueberry. Great service recovery though. Floor staff offered free round of coffee and comped the bagel. The main meals were tasty, and very large serves. Another friend and I both ordered the mac n cheese as a side. It's enormous. Overall, a pleasant experience.

Hello. Imnikki

Named after a subway route that connects Manhattan to Brooklyn, Bowery to Williamsburg New York stays true to its origin, serving New York deli-style food to hungry Melbournians. Fried chicken and waffles, all sorts of bagels and schmears, Rueben and Cuban sandwiches, French toasts, pies, brownies, I could go on all day. You will surely find something that suits your tastebud here. Service is warm and friendly, and you can depend on the waitstaffs to help you deftly navigate through the horde of customers at the base of the stairs waiting to pay or for their takeaway. There really should be a separate area for takeaway customers to wait instead of at the entrance. However, once you have made your way pass them (or choose to sit outside and avoid them altogether), it's all smooth sailing. Waitstaffs are quick to take your order and wait times are minimal, despite the lunch rush. We had the Rueben and Pumpernickel bagel with peanut butter praline and pastrami. My partner struggled to finish the Rueben, sandwiched between two thick soft slices of rye was tons of sauerkraut and generous slices of juicy pastrami. Not the best Rueben in Melbourne but overall a tasty and hearty meal. The lovely pumpernickel bagel was crisped and chewy, but the peanut butter praline was tasteless when spread on the bagel (even when eaten on its own, there was little to none peanut butter flavour). I ended up slathering it all at one go to boost the taste. My side of pastrami was quite the opposite from those found the Rueben - oily and fatty so I ended up cutting away all the fatty parts. To cheer myself up, I finished off with a peanut butter pretzel cookie and that actually saved the day. Strong peanut butter flavour, crunch pretzel and soft cookie. Thankfully the coffee was much better too. Our skinny lattes were strong and bold, the milk was smooth and velvety. Could it be just that I ordered the wrong dish?

Maphilldas

Great efficient Service in a small subway-esque style deli Cafe interior. Busy in the peek of the lunch time lunch rush hour but still super quick to get a table, coffee and order. My Philly steak roll was a little over toasted on one side for my liking but overall roll was fresh and soft, the fillings plentiful and delicious. You can get a side of mac n cheese or other side, but in all honesty I don't know where one could fit it. My partner had the chicken on bialy (white bagel) and that was huge also and very yum. 2 beers on offer brewed in NY itself. I'd def go back to try other bagels and items on the menu. Coffee was Really good.

Ben McDuffie

Was quite excited to try this place but was at he food was a bit of a let down. Overly salted & a bit flavourless. Didn't help that I had food envy on what my partner ordered. The only positive was that you didn't have to queue unlike the other breakfast places along the same street

Dr S

Another Melbourne laneway was explored today with brunching away at b2w. Tucked away in Oliver's lane is this unseeming ny style cafe with ample outdoor and indoor seating with the choice being long communal tables. Food and drinks menuw are on postcards depicting a U.S. Located staircase. Specials are on the chalkboard and for a mere 22 bucks you can have 12 hours slow cooked pork, poached eggs, and a range of things. Plenty of options and the coffee is one of the best ive had. My brunch comrade and I got two cappucinos, the breakfast board and the salmon shakshouka. The cappuccinos come with a hersheys kiss each and are chocolatey creamy and large sized. #winning The salmon eggs shashouka is massive with four poached eggs in sweet tomato sauce with crispy oiled pita. The smoked salmon goes deliciously well with the eggs and tomato though the tomato base is quite sweet and would be nicer with some herb or cheese flavours. The addition of smoked salmon and peeled zucchini/cucumber? (The citrus flavour is quite refreshing) and served with pita instead of sourdough is definitely unique. My brunch companion's breakfast board looked dismal in comparison with a bagel, some butter and granola, but he seemed to enjoy it. The bill came to 49.50 for the two of us and we were full. No rush to leave and attentive staff. Coffees for 3.80 which is a nice change from most places where coffees start at 4 or even 4.50 on the weekends. Cons No split bills (they weren't even full and had no queues) No privacy when eating as you're sitting on a long communal table

Holly Taylor

Unfortunately, I found this place to be a little unfriendly although the burger I had was well put together and tasted good. Prices are quite high, there is limited seating and the ever-popular side dishes were quite dismal on the day of my visit... probably wouldn't return.

Boccadellaveritas

This is my favourite type of food. It has way too much fat and salt, but this joint is off the mark and has been in decline. The quality of the food seems not as good as when it opened and the service is gruff and occasionally grumpy. This opinion is formed after about 10 visits. It is with great reluctance that I am crossing this joint off my lunch go-to lists.

FoodingAroundMelbourne

So so so good. From their breakfasts to their loaded sandwiches to their side pickles and pretzels. I love this place, even better now they have 2 locations. Come here if you are sick of lining up for hardware Société across the road.

Kennnny

Get the Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate. No excuses (except if you're allergic to peanuts). Great ambiance which recreates the New York-ish atmosphere. Food-wise, I particularly love the Shakshouka (baked eggs) here. Especially the one with the italian sausage. I have yet to try other things on the menu but I just can't knock the baked eggs craving every time I step into this place! Nothing to fault on service either. Also to note, they have another store on Hardware Lane right across from Hardware Societe (and their super long queue). Avoid the lines and enjoy the peanut butter hot choc with baked eggs. YUM!

MelbFoodHunter

Always a great place for coffee so had to try their brunch. Great small menu, with a variety of typical American breakfast dishes. Obviously, we had to get the fried chicken waffles and their amazing shakshuka with haloumi cheese. Waffle was a bit on the heavy side and quite greezy yet very tasty. The shakshuka was simply delightful. Coffee as always great. If it wasn't for the slow service,4.5 stars would have been easily there ;).

Sebastian Judge

Went there for brunch and ordered the reuben styled breakfast bagel which included Pastrami, Russian dressing.. all the classic staples. The bagel was tougher than usual but everything else tasted good together. The other person I was dining with had buttermilk waffles with maple syrup, berries and cream. The waffles were delicious by themselves but they were drowned in maple syrup, the syrup soaked into the waffles and made the texture almost mushy. Overall a nice little resteraunt for breakfast/brunch with some American staples.

Tomas

Such a great cafe and one that has quickly been added to my rotating list of locals. Their lunch combo is great value with a sandwich, side dish (try the mac and cheese!) and pickle. The shakshukra with pumpkin is my current Favorite though I'll never say no to the berry french toast! This venue is tucked down a cobble stone lane and down some stairs - well worth hunting down!

Grace Shi

Place is quite unique with vintage utensils. However food was bad, steak was hard and tasteless. The only good thing about the dish was the fried eggs.

Katherine's Food Diary

The iced coffee here was excellent. It was strong and creamy, didn't even need ice cream to make it awesome. Gotta love the polka dot straw too. The bagel looked a little forlorn sitting on the tray all on its lonesome - it looked small but was pretty filling (I'm speaking only for myself of course). There were a few choices of bagels - I got the beetroot and rye. It was lightly toasted and just slightly chewy. I loved sight of the broken fried egg with glorious oozing yolk. The bacon was salty and crisp, the monterey jack cheese nicely melted and the prune relish gave it sweet, herby punch. Nice.

Maud Benson

Great food, above average coffee. Terrible service and staff. Staff need a reminder they are in hospitality, I'm paying you for a service.

Full Time Wholesomeness

A very nice cosy feeling inside this brunch restaurant, furnished with contemporary sentiment and clean bright side windows. I went out with a few friends after the Melbourne marathan and we decided to power ourselves up with some healthy, protein rich, and sugar rich food and beverages! I had the Lox & Potato Latkes and a mof hot chocolate. The salmon was fresh and cool ( this is what you WANT for a warm morning) and the zucchini and potato Latkes were so addictive that i ended up sharing with my friends. We came aroun 12 but were seated right away even though there were waiting list out at the door. So early and late brunch hours are easier to find a seat but it really depends and its not a big diner so it is always packed.

Ej

First timer and immediately got a NYC Vibe. Tucked away on Olivers lane lies the very best fried chicken and waffles I've had to date. Awesome cold drip and great atmosphere. Will definitely try the Rubin on my next visit.

Donutsam

Hidden away in Oliver Lane (and also in Hardware Lane, mind you) is an New York-themed brunch spot called Bowery to Williamsburg, with a menu that won’t leave you hangry but may leave you gasping for air. A group of work colleagues, both ex and current, enjoyed a fantastic meat-filled and gossip-filled start to our Grand Final mornings. I started things off with the peanut butter hot chocolate which I deemed acceptable but not quite exceptional.

Cameron Barnes

Was awesome. If you want value for money go here. Big sandwiches. And don't go past the chocolate peanut butter Brownie either it's next level

DuckieLovesToEat

Two of my work colleagues have not seen each other for 4 years and I was assigned to pick a place for our get together. I have been wanting to try this place ever since I saw one of their branches in Hardware Lane. So we decided to check this out for our mini reunion. It was already busy mid morning. We all ordered our coffees and my flat white was pretty good. The three of us had the vanilla berry waffle. After waiting for what it appears to be 30 minutes for our waffles to arrive, I asked the waitress what happened to it. Apparently, there was a glitched in the system. It did arrive in the end but unfortunately, it was already starting to become soggy and it was smothered with maple syrup. I was fairly disappointed with that. The waiter did apologise and gave us a miniscule of a discount for our meals. I don't think I will come back again though.

Ta.be.tabi

This is my third visit here, and every time I forget they don’t have a brunch all day menu. So to this day I never got to try what I wanted after checking out Zomato when I planned to meet my bestie here during lunch. Peanut Butter Hot Choc. Had a nice chocolate flavour but could not detect any peanut butter flavour in the drink itself.

Jacob Madubuko

Off the charts!!!

Brungiel

Bowery to Williamsburg is the perfect place for a lazy weekend brunch in the city. Went to the Oliver Lane branch and ate the weekend special which was poached eggs, ham hock and pea smash on a brioche. Everything was delicious, although the bun had a bit of a soggy texture under the mash. The coffee was also good and the staff were friendly and attentive.

Lauren

The coffee here is amazing..one of the best I've had and i drink a lot of coffee. The sandwiches are also delish. The other food options looked great. Highly recommended.

Fish

Classic Melbourne... Tucked away in a little lane which you otherwise probably would walk straight past. Has a great vibe going on and the sandwich options written on the wall look amazing! My morning takeaway coffee was spot on, and came with a little chocolate. Love the place and can't wait to eat there!

Kenny Khamly

I have been hearing so much about this place. With a day off, good friend by my side and my "need for NY comfort food" - we hit this place. We both did The Reuben as well Mac & cheese. It didn't disappointed. The pastrami and everything else in the Reuben hit the spot. Service was excellent, tentative and friendly. Will be heading back there again for my next NY craving.

Greggy

Went for brunch this morning and food was flavoursome and the coffee a bit weak to my liking. The menu is printed on little cards and the waitress just threw them at us which I didnt really appreciate. Would probably not repeat next time

Deelight

Service was slow and not attentive at all. Came up twice to ask what our order was because they didn't write it down in the first place. Coffee was good though.

KatMmm

I went with an American friend for Saturday lunch. His verdict on the chicken waffles - the best fried chicken he has ever eaten! My special of jerk chicken and potato cakes with corn salsa was less inspiring, with very dry and seriously under-chillied chicken. Regardless, the decor, communal seating and open kitchen made the visit a great experience. The staff are friendly, and the coffee is well rounded and drinkable, with and without milk.

Ssou

Wow!! amazing ! solid steak and fried eggs for brunch so tasty - huge quantity- coffee also brilliant ! bit funny sitting at a long table with other strangers just beside you , but other than that service was quick too .

Lady In Bread

Another little secret gem , tucked cutely down a concrete Melbourne Alley. Best, Reuben in Melbourne! To. Die. For. And to wash it all down with good coffee, is a pleasure to be shared.

Mandy Blackman

Sigh.. Just another disappointing Melbourne hype spot. Reuben was very average. Just bland. Service was good and quick, its a decent little spot for lunch.. But to basically name your cafe after katze's delicatessen (NYC) and then deliver a sandwich like that is just sad.

Tish Piaser

Great American sandwiches!!!! Perfect for lunch. These babies are a meal on their own. Well worth the lock jaw and the messy overflow of fillings.

Fi The Foodie

Bowery to williamsberg takes me back to NYC, where the bagels are delish and everything has pickles. They do American dining very well. My favorite things to order are waffles with berries, cream and maple, or the 'Good Morning Cubano' sandwich, a brioche style bread with cheese mustard egg and tender pulled ham hock. Coffee is the only thing not American, and instead is Melbourne quality lattes etc. The only reason I didn't score a 5 is that I once ordered one of the more experimental specials and it wasn't the best. An odd apple/pork/waffle sweet savory confusion.... not terrible, but order from the main board and you won't be disapointed. :)

LC.

Great lunch spot with a fun vibe and super quick, friendly service. They do a mean Mac and cheese side which I highly recommend. We got a Reuben and a Philly Cheese Steak and were not disappointed. Super SWEET pies also was sampled and given the tick of approval. The sangas are quite rich though so even despite being starving we only each finished about half. I'm very keen to go back a try some of the bagels as the bread quality was phenomenal, which is critical in sandwich making!

Phildho

When you come across genuinely friendly service in a Melbourne cafe, its something you have to acknowledge. Not only were the guys at Bowery happy to see us enter, they stuck around for chats with good banter and were quick with the coffees (which are actually hot and taste good) = A-grade service in my book. The food on the other hand... I don't mind chowing down on fish for breakfast, but when it's 3 cold cuts slapped on a sterile cheap plastic plate with an egg plopped on top - I guess I was expecting more for a $20 breakfast board. The waffles looked good though, and from all reports the specials go down well, so I think it's still worth getting your ass down Oliver Lane and checking this place out. Enjoy!

Judge Betty Cocker

HIGH COURT OF CONSUMPTION BETTY COCKER CJ SUMMARY JUDGMENT 1. This is AMERICAN goodness all wrapped up in the perfect package. 2. The REUBEN is to die for. SO. MUCH. MEAT. IN. HER. MOUTH. 3. SALTY GOODNESS. 4. Betty's mouth was dripping...

From From

What a place great food and staff. Lots of love in the dish I had and my girlfriend felt the same. Very busy Sunday thank god we waited happy to say

Andrew Kelly

What is the hype about!? We came here for sunday morning breakfast and I was completely flabbergasted by the appalling meal. Yep it's american and the menu was intriguing. I ordered the special of the day but it was terrible. Tough meat, flavours all over the place and no seasoning, I couldn't eat it. Yes it looked ok and is good for instagram but I would never come back.

Rachel

Great coffee and fantastic menu! The staff are so wonderful as well. We were in Melbourne from Adelaide and they were so helpful and accommodating! Great little cafe 10/10!

Lida Cheung

Came here for lunch with a friend on Wednesday and shared the Reuben with the pickles and mac and cheese. The Reuben was very tasty but the hero was the fantastic mac and cheese that our server reccomended to us was great with the chilli sauce. Lovely tangy pickles. Unfortunately the coffee machine was broken on the day we visited but staff were very apologetic and offered us tea as a substitute. We had a huge pot of the rose earl grey. Will be back again to try out other items on the menu!

Fatcat

Came here for Friday lunch at around 12:30 and it was packed! We ordered takeaway, and having tried the Reuben already, I ordered the spicy fried chicken instead. It was delicious! Nice toasted bun, beautifully moist and juicy chicken and some amazing sauce. Also got the mac n' cheese which you should always get when at Bowery.

Jennifer Witchcat

Quaint little place hidden along a side lane with cobbled stones. It was busy around 1130 on a Saturday but managed to get a table for two near the stairs. The staff were friendly and smiley. Coffee was good and our food was delicious. We ordered the lox & potato latkes and the haloumi shashouka eggs. Delicious. If we could eat more, we would. Definitely going back again to try the other things on the menu.

Judene Messi

I love their pastry! Can't remember what I ordered exactly as we went in a group and we all ordered something different. Their sandwiches are really tasty and served with delicious coffee. Would definitely recommend saving room for dessert :)

Generous Serve

Seated immediately and orders taken promptly, good start. Bustling little restaurant, however, probably a little too intense inside. Our table was in full view of the kitchen and the the bussy going about his work in the kitchen sink and waiters scurrying past. Wasn't the most relaxing atmosphere. Outside would have been a lot better. That aside food was okay. Wagyu cheeseburger was really good, along with our haloumi side. Don't order the roasted chicken waffle. It was bland, chicken flavorless. Coffee was too luke warm, almost cool.

Muffins

The coffee here is with doubt the best along hardware lane. And it comes with a little Hershey's kiss for extra deliciousness.

Zhitian Zhang

i will definitely do this than cumulus (since they both at the upper side of fliers lane) the place is relaxed and comfortable. Service was friendly, coffee long mac was served to my liking. I ordered the falafel wrap, nice. moist and minty and spiced with lettuce crunch. however i think the rhuben sandwich my friend ordered was a bit stringy and sticked in between the teeth, that was not the usual; reuben i'd order again.

Binula

Lovely little cafe tucked away in the South Eastern side of town. There's a unique, comfortable and cosy vibe to the place. I had the Southern Fried Chicken Waffles which were excellent! I had never had the combination and would've never thought to have tried it either - but they made it work perfectly. The coffee was very nicely done too. Unfortunately, we were there on a busy Saturday morning and were sat at a very large communal table and across from one another. The cafe being small meant that the majority of people were sat at this table nearly cramped shoulder to shoulder. Everyone then ended up having to raise their voice to be heard and it all added up to be a bit of a chaotic atmosphere. I would recommend trying this place out of peak hours. It's a shame to drop the rating because of it, but alas, it is all part of the experience.

Tanya Nguyen

A secluded and kick back place to enjoy a quick lunch. The setting reminded me of cute New York lunch date restaurant. The staff were chill and the menu as well as the daily specials were mouth watering.

Iwan W

1st cafe visit in Melbourne and I personally think it was the best one! Small cafe in a quiet laneway but had the New York-ish vibe… pretty sure they’re trying to get a subway/train station look.. When you arrive you can smell the aroma of all the food just hitting your face.. amazing.. you can smell the bacon, smoked meat and fried eggs.

CLABEL

Went here for brunch and ordered the Reuben sandwich. It was a big portion I must say as it is bread served with meat and sauerkraut. I would rate it as 6/10, it's not bad but taste just as other sandwiches. The bread was too dry to my liking, the beef brisket pastrami with sauerkraut were yum and the pickles was there to add more flavour which is good. I would try their waffles next time as people keep talking about it.

Joi Dutta-Chavan

Was recommended this little homely place by a colleague for breakfast. Tried the berry waffles - was really yummy. Great for a breakfast when you absolutely don't care what you're putting into your body.

Ben Goodman

Can't fault. Rueben is the most legit sandwich in Australia. Every side is on point as are the coffees. The Key lime pie is as close to perfection as you can get. I live in WA but when in Melbourne this is essential eating, even on short trips its worth going more than once.

Penguineats

Not too much unfortunately. The ingredients were mostly fresh but the goodness pretty much ends there. The cheese steak was rather ordinary. Given how amazing their Reuben is, I thought I would try something new. The Mac and Cheese was downright terrible. While the top was cheesy and extremely chewy and stringy, anything under the top layer was bland, mushy and almost completely void of cheese. The macaroni itself was way too soft and overcooked. Extremely disappointing. The waffles were also way too soft. It was pretty much an over glorified pancake. There was no crispy outer crust that any genuine waffle would have.

Vee

Lunch is very simple. $13 for sandwich/burger/bagel or $17 for that + salad + pretzel + pickle. We both went for the set menu option. I had the Lechon Asado (Cuban braised pork burger) which I found the meat to be very dry and bland. The garlic aioli and the zucchini in their gave most of the flavour and moistness. I had the Tomato, Fennel and Peas salad which was nice and refreshing. My friend had the Wagyu Cheeseburger which she enjoyed a lot. The Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Brocolli was completely bland and lacked brocolli (2 tiny pieces). Drinks were massive. Overall, food was good but can be tweaked a bit.

Ashley S.

A tasty little place in the CBD! Loved the chicken and waffles.. what a highlight! The staff were also really awesome here too. Definitely a brunch-worthy bucket list addition.

Yechan Kim

Perfect lunch spot. If you love America this is the place for you👌 A true blend of America with Brooklyn larger accompanied by the Melbourne trend of coconut cold drip coffee, you'll find what you're looking for at the Bowery to Williamsburg. Food ordered- - Coconut cold drip Interesting and different. Bit too bitter for my taste but it's a nice change. Comes in a nifty poison bottle. - The Rueben Pastrami cooked well and amazing sauce accompanied by a nice pickle relish. Over all 8/10 improvements can be made on the bread - spicy chicken burger THIS. THIS is what you need to order. Absolutely incredible, succulent deep fried chicken with lettuce and pickles. This is the one to try.

Crispymelbreview

Sublime artery-clogging Americana in Melbourne that tastes much better than anything(or nearly) you'll have in the States. The Pork Belly-Benedict Special breakfast was delicious with the eggs perfectly boiled. The pork, brioche and sauce perfect. The cappuccino was a slight disappointment: even though I tasted depth and a rich bean flavour, it was slightly cool (first gripe at a serious cafe about a cool coffee; I hate it very warm or hot) and a little weak. I was apprehensive about giving them feedback and ordering a second in case it came boiling hot and too strong. Taking a cursory look around the place, the other meals looked delicious: Philly steak, waffles etc. The setting and service were excellent; I loved the communal table. It feels like Manhattan in a nondescript, albeit restaurant-rich Melbourne lane.

Amds

If you're feeling hungry and would like something a little moreish for breakfast/brunch, this is definitely the place for you. I had the Reuben sandwich and a side of Mac and cheese. The sandwich was fresh and decent but not something I would crave for or go out of my way for. However, you've got to give the Mac and cheese a go! It's amazing! And let's not forget about the peanut butter hot chocolate, to die for on cold days!

The Swine

After a few weeks of mediocre eateries the Swine was lucky to strike gold today with B2W. This is a Quirky trendoid little place with truely great meals. The menu is broad with many Yank type options. The Swine ordered the FUKU Chicken burger and quite simply it was sensational. Amazing sauce tasty greens and chrspy fried chicken tha was nom nom scrumptious! This came with s side of mac cheese, pretzels and half a gerkin. Yummy!! There is an inside and outside area but be warned its very popular and fills up very quick at lunchtime. Piggy Love! Swine Approved!

Melbourne Culinary

Recently I've been craving all sorts of American food, from barbecue to burgers and anything else I could find. So when we found ourselves in the city thinking about breakfast after spending the night out I knew exactly where we had to go. With a new location opening up not too long ago Bowery to Williamsburg now has two locations within the CBD, however we decided that it would be a good idea to go to the original.

Richelle Cox

If you want find a place that will fill the void in you stomach for a New York style breakfast and lunch, this is the place for you. The staff both here and at the Hardware Lane store are fantastic! Really kind, accommodating and treat you like you're their friend, not a customer. And that's the kind of place I want to be eating at. The waffles are amazing for breakfast! Perfect amount of maple syrup for it and a berry compote and whipped cream are a perfect addition on the side! A great Melbourne take on the New York food scene! If you have friends or family in from out of town, this is definitely the place to take them.

WayneBurger

Good location, well presented. Food choices were average. Had the Reuben sandwich and quality of pastrami was not good. It was extremely fatty and so tough to chew. It should be made from lean meat only. Coffee was ok. Mac and cheese was nice. But not sure about going back.

Pedro

A heart-stopping, but thoroughly enjoyable feast. I wouldn't claim it's good for you, but if you've had a busy night and need some artery clogging Americana inspired breakfast to fill the void, then this is your sort of place.

Small Creek

Bojangles wanted to come here for breakfast before we both had to face work. Maybe because I've been spoiled by my local bakeries or maybe because I don't know what a good bagel is supposed to be but every time I pay $12 for a bagel sandwich in a hard, stale bagel with sub-par filling, I die a little inside. Coffee was alright but then the day had started off in a mediocre tone so expectations were lowered.

Heidi

I had the Cuban braised pork brioche bun, I loved the pickled zucchini, was very nice. We had to wait a little for the table but it was worth it.

Ronnie

Breakfast was a delight but the experience was dampened by the unwashed water glasses and indifferent attitude by staff when it was brought to their attention.

The Kats Meow

Absolutely beautiful offerings in funky surrounds. The Ruben is a favorite, as is the Graceland for some weekend indulgence. Always had fantastic service and want to try a tempting dessert, but as yet each trip has seen me far too full to really contemplate such ideas.

Askl

Food was def below average. Ordered a hit salmon bagel and the bagel was so dry and hard. The coffee was good thought. Thr customer service was rushed.. even though the rush hour was gone..

Fussy Eater

The Bowery serve up some damn fine pastrami on rye with pickles and sauerkraut. The pastrami was just like what my grandma used to make (and torture my partner with - she was convinced a grown man could easily finish 1kg of meat in five days - the poor thing ate it for breakfast and lunch for the whole trip). The meat was so clearly real actual meat, you could see the grain of the meat and there was a line of fat along the edge, which was easily removed. It was so very very tasty - sweet and salty and smoky all at once. My American partner ordered a Philly Cheese Steak. It was apparently suitably greasy without being sickly and the peppers and mushrooms nicely offset the cheesy-ness. He rated it better than many sandwiches he had at home.

Jo Hombsch

Last visit to Melbourne I tried to get a table at Bowery To Willamsburg for breakfast, with a line to get a table. Going back again the following day about lunch time in hope they'd be serving breakfast for lunch (the best sort of cafes) - unfortunately there is a separate lunch menu. I ordered from the specials menu, a pulled pork sandwich on brioche bread - which was just average!

Krishna Brannigan

Busy place friendly people, great descriptions and beautiful iced tea. We had a Reuben and a lox bagel. The bagel was amazing and the macaroni cheese was comfort food.

Ashanie Mekhala Perera

My sister and I walked 22kms to get to this café – literally! We are training for the Oxfam 100km challenge this year so decided to make the pain worth it by finding an end goal that would make the walk worth it. This American-inspired café is very, VERY cosy – there is one large table in the centre of the room for diners, with the “kitchen” on the side. It’s a very tight squeeze, particularly because it’s usually quite busy. I would not call it child or large group friendly. We ordered one of the specials – pulled pork, creamed cheese and poachie’s atop some delicious brioche bread – and it was DELISH! I completely forgot to take a picture before we inhaled the food. In my defence, I was starving after that big walk! Though, not taking a picture just means I need to go back to this place to get some photographic evidence and I can’t complain about that!

Jeremy Drinks Coffee

Coffee was pretty good quality, food also good but not amazing. Had the egg bacon sandwich. Someone else I was there with had a bagel and loved it.

Maddie

Prepare to maybe sit awkwardly next to your company and across from another group of people because this place is full to the brim. This is totally understand though because the food is INCREDIBLE!! I had the salmon bagel dish and it was like I was back in the states. Delish food would totally recommend.

Sandy Pok

Delicious American-style food items such as pecan pie, key lime pie and bagels. In America the bagel variety is endless, anything from cheddar to cinnamon raisin to jalapeño to rye (I will stop now). Bowery to Williamsburg, by Australian standards, offers a decent variety. Reuben sandwich is good. Coffees come with Reese's or Hershey's chocolate which is nice. It can get pretty busy so be prepared to wait. In comparison to what one would pay for items like this in America, the prices are a little steep but well considering that's on the other side of the world, I think I can handle forking out the little bit extra.

Kelly Powers

Pretty ordinary. $18 for a bagel and a tiny pot of muesli. Service was patchy and they clearly were struggling to prioritize customers. I won't go back...there are way too many better offerings in Melbourne to put up with an overpriced brekky and indifferent service.

Gemma

this place is great for comfort food. there are not enough places in Melbourne that do mac and cheese, fact. these guys nail it. great coffee too!

David Weng Yew Wong

service was friendly and efficient ... coffee was above average (prefer mine stronger) ... tried the Lox & Potato Latkes which was above average ... they were quite accommodating to swap the poached eggs with fried eggs but I wasn't allowed to swap eggs with other side dishes

Potaoto

Excellent take on a Brooklyn deli. Cannot do wrong with 5&Dime bagels, Reuben sandwiches and southern fried chicken and buttermilk waffles. Little Hershy Kisses and Reece's Buttercups are cute accoutrements to the great coffee.

Kim

The food here is very simple but very tasty. There aren't many places to sit, so don't come with a big group is my recommendation. The Mac and cheese was okay, but not amazing. Stick to something meaty and you're in for a treat. The coffee I had was Delish. Would go back :)

Ms V

I really thought I'd love the place but it wasn't meant to be. It is neatly tucked away in an alleyway and we sat outside. So the location was really nice. The service was just alright. It was like they were just doing their jobs, which is fine I suppose given that it seemed like a standard cafe by the end of our meal. The food was again just alright. I ordered lox and potato latkes. Not too sure about the portion sizes for the price charged. The chocolate milkshake was again just alright. Overall, loved the location and the general atmosphere since the place was busy and bustling. Other than that it was...well...just alright.

Tiges

I wanted to love it, I had every intention of being impressed but sadly I wasn't. The service was fine, sloppy but it's a cafe so who cares too much? But the food was pretty average. We had the fried chicken waffle, the waffle was great but the fried chicken was dry, pretty low quality tasteless chicken and the batter tasted a little stale, or maybe the oil was dirty.

Yum Foodprints

One of my favorite cafes (coincidentally close to my office), Bowery to Williamsburg has “Fried Chicken Wednesdays”. Well they have a chosen specialty everyday along with their normal offerings but Wednesday caught my eye for obvious reasons, plus what a suitable choice for hump day!

Sophie

Being a bit behind on the Melbourne food scene these days, I feel like Bowery to Williamsburg is a pretty standard foodie cafe: good coffee, interesting (although not necessarily the tastiest in Melbourne) dishes, efficient service, and a bustling atmosphere with a line pretty much any time of day. My dining companions, having been there more frequently, had the view that "their burgers really are the star, but their brunch options are varied and fun".

Melbourne Foodie

Love B2W especially the bagels. Offer an American style and are famous for there Rueben sandwiches. Love the quirky milkshake flavored and the brunch on offer is pretty special. We eat here too often!

Tal Avrahami

Food is ok. Got he reuben sandwich. Woman working the register was rude after blaming me for her not listening to an order and getting it wrong.

Dan

What a great cafe. The Reuben looked and tasted like the real deal -- not the imitations you see in most places. I'm looking forward to going back to try my first Philly cheese steak. This place hardly needs my review as it's very popular.

Mabel Lee

They finally have a branch in the CBD area, which is located along Hardware Lane (near to little Lonsdale street) Coffee's not bad and I really love the pork belly specials which they usually serve it on Monday!

Sinfulorganiccook

Since coming to Melbourne, I learned to like (and make) sandwiches. In a way, I've come to appreciate it's convenience. Believe me, grabbing a ready made sandwich to go when you only have 15 minutes between meetings is a lifesaver!. The only trouble is, it is a bit difficult to find a place with decent sandwiches. What I usually find is the normal sandwich bar, you pick and choose the somehow it tastes bland. I guess that's the reason why this joint is so popular even though it is located out of the way from the main street, it is crowded at lunch times on weekdays.

J88

An excellent place for brunch... I absolutely loved their daily special and bagel! Great service, cozy ambience.... Valuable and generous serving. Big thumbs up

Mmmsedap

Tasty breakfasts, good Padre coffee, Bowery to Williamsburg makes for a good start to any workday. I had the baked eggs with Italian sausage and the eggs were cooked well. My only slight complaint was that the roti that came with the dish was lathered in oil. Just a personal preference, but I would have preferred less oil. Would return.

Eatup

Closed at 3:45pm.. What is the point of travelling all the way to the city to try these places when lazy staff want to close early on a Saturday. Try somewhere else!

Alisha Murphy

Great bagels, great sandwiches, with Pastramis and schemers - lots of flavour. Very USA in style and food. All fresh, delicious and tempting. Had a blueberry pie to take away too but there's also the NY cheesecake, brownies, and peanut butter hot chocolates. All the usual suspects you might expect out of a NY deli, and without the queues . Eat your heart out Katz!

Sam J

great place. friendly staff, great food, amazing location and seating. totally recommend for a lazy lone brekkie by yourself or with friends and family.

Melbourne Foodie Memoirs

Hidden gem for New York style brunch in the CBD. Tucked away in Olive Lane just off Flinders St we were pleased to be seated immediately for weekend brunch. They have a great American inspired menu. We love that they stock 5 & Dime bagels - they are just like the bagels you find in New York City. Our favourite is the Everything bagel. They offer great weekday lunch specials for those working in the CBD and also offer some delicious American sweets. The free Hershey's kiss with our coffees was an added bonus!!

Marietta

Ok, so I don't like eating breakfast but their breakfast stuff is one of a kind. Their kind of food will make you hallucinate because I obviously ate it all during breakfast time and thought, damn that was a good meal. Grungy looking place but it's good.

FoodHedonist

Unpretentious and delivers on what it promises. The touch of kiss with the coffee was a pleasant surprise, definitely made my day. Orange juice was pulpy and fresh. The salmon potato latke was a good light dish and asparagus was cooked to perfection. I would return to try other items from their menu. Specially the pulled pork dish which looked divine.

David Dann

Great New York style deli that really delivers the goods. Can't go past the Rueben sandwich. Definitely a favorite. If I can't get to Katz's Delicatessen as often as i'd like, this tides me over very nicely.

Victoria

The food is awesome during the week, then they change the menu on weekends. I really wanted to love this place but when you have a taste for one of their yummy sandwiches and you rock up on Saturday to have the staff (quite rudely) say "well you're just going to have to come back for that" - It's a let down. Just feed me what I know you can!!!!!!

FoodieAboutTown

My new found early weekend waking does mean there is always time for breakfast these days! This Saturday we toddled off in the Spring sunshine to see Bowery to Williamsburg. Situated down one of the cobbled streets off Flinders, you might never know it was there but it you are craving a reuben, philly cheese or lox and latkes you will soon sniff this place out!

Winnie S

Went for brunch on a Sunday morning. Place was packed and bustling with energy. Ordered the savoury breakfast board which was okay. Good coffee. Would probably come back to try the steak and fried eggs.

AH

Hmmm, not too sure. I will have to come back to try the food to make a fully informed decision on Bowery to Williamsburg, but after much hype, I was largely disappointed by the peanut butter hot chocolate. Perhaps I just love peanut butter too much, but I couldn't really taste it to be honest, as it tasted just like a normal hot chocolate to me. On the upside, at least the crumpled cup looked really cool and they serve it with a Reese's peanut butter cup.

Josh_hajis

All the food is delicious. The menu has something for every palate and the portions are respectable. Highlights are the Reuben Sandwich and the Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate. I wish this place was open later for a great bite to eat on a late night out. The only knock is the price of drinks, as good as they are the price is a bit much. I'd come a lot more often if these were more reasonable. Perhaps a drink and sandwich combo special is in order!

Z A.

A little pricey BUT its worth it. The Ruben is the best in Melbourne. I've also had the potato latkes with poached eggs and horse radish. Sooooo good! Its a must when in Melbourne

KevC

Went for a Friday Brunch. A little hard to find, but was worth the stroll through Oliver Lane. As per usual, ordered the Buttermilk Waffles with A Grade Dark Amber Maple Syrup and was recommended to get a side of bacon. It was delightful. The waffles contained a subtle layer of maple syrup, which brought through an underlying maple accent to the waffles. The spiced butter was good, a bit too much in my personal opinion, but would never complain about getting too much of anything! My only complaint would have that I would have preferred having additional maple syrup splashed over the waffles or available on the side, but was still great nevertheless. Maybe I should have asked... Scale of 1-10: Would gladly waffle my way over again.

Jamie Nicholl

It was my first visit here & going in I had no expectations. The roll was MASSIVE & I thought there was no way I would finish it but it was too damn tasty to stop. The service was quick & friendly and great atmosphere. I will be back!

David Gonzalez

Bowery to Williamsburg is basically serves up Australian takes on New York deli classics. Everything is high quality, but if you're a homesick NY'er looking for what you remember from back home, you might leave disappointed, but if you have an open mind, you'll leave fat and happy.

Fred F

Love it!. I love this place, everything is fresh and the food is amazing. Today I had the Brownie after breakfast it was the best Brownie I've ever had and the food never disappoints. Can't wait for my next visit!

Lilian Baedeker

American inspired food place. I had fried chicken on waffle with maple syrup which was okay. Roasted strawberry and pistachio milkshake was great. I felt it was sightly overpriced for what you actually get.

Missdelish

Generally good quality but missing the authentic mark. Bowery to Williamsburg was a friend's choice for lunch as he's working his way through the whole menu. For $13 you get a bagel / sandwich with pretzels and a pickle. For $17, you also get a side, either salad or mac and cheese. Maybe it's because I'd recently been to NYC but l was disappointed by my visit. The ingredients of my lox bagel were fairly good quality especially the lovely bagel but in total it was poorly seasoned bordering on bland. The horseradish mayo had little kick but l did like the beetroot. My pretzels seemed a tad stale and my pickle was similarly slightly off kilter, too sweet in my view. I ordered a side salad but it had sold out just before my order was placed so l can't comment on it. My friend really enjoyed his Cubano special, and despite a healthy appetite was defeated half way through his mac and cheese side. I'd consider going back for the felafel sandwich but I'm not in a hurry to do that.

Esther

Very nice cafe! The range of sandwiches is great, especially since they let us substitute meat for vegetarian options. For a sandwich it is maybe a little pricey, but the food is always good with nice music and is a little different than most sandwich places in Melbourne.

4chillies

Great sandwiches! Huge, so good value for money. We had the Rueben and the Cuban pork sandwich both of which were excellent - loads of filling. Make sure you have a pickle on the side! Good coffee too.

Jiminy Crickets

A good brunch experience, but not quite what I wanted. Everything about this place was just slightly less than I wanted it to be. The table was slightly too small to accommodate the food, the coffee was slightly less strong than would be good, there was slightly too much sauce that was a bit too rich on my steak and eggs. Now don't get me wrong, this was an enjoyable food experience, but just slightly not what I wanted.

Rachel’s Kitchen

Stumbled across this cafe after I'd walked out of a more famous cafe a short distance away. The other cafe (who shall remain nameless) treats single diners with contempt and wanted me to sit at a bookshelf amongst the groceries. No thanks. So I came into Bowery to Williamsburg, hungry and not a little upset. It looks very hipstery and maybe they're trying a little too hard with the NYC theme (especially for this ex-New Yorker) but all in all it's a nice space in a cool laneway. The wait staff were very welcoming, I was offered a nice table, the coffee good and the savoury plate hit the spot (although with a little too much drinking the night before the smoked fish was not the best choice I could have made). The bagel was especially good. While they didn't know it, Bowery to Williamsburg made my morning much, much better.

Moni | Thoughts Of A Moni

I am rarely in the CBD for breakfast or brunch, always preferring a more local option. Last week however, we were in the city on a Saturday morning picking up our race packs for Run Melbourne (which I ran a PB for by the way!), so I decided we should take the opportunity to check out a cafe that we wouldn’t otherwise frequent.

A Food Story

On previous trips to Melbourne we had noticed the Bowery to Williamsburg sign a few times on our way to one place or another and finally our curiosity got the better of us. Being a Friday morning it was the CBD office workers that were the majority in the cafe but it was still quite easy to get a spot.

Jimmy Miloseski

Small and quiet brunch bar, some awkward seating positions but great food none the less. The portions a massive so you'll definitely leave satisfied

Abdullah Alrashed

I would recommend this place for anyone who is looking for a great breakfast and coffee in the CBD. I tried all of there bagels and I have no complains on anyone of them. Try the shakshoka eggs and the vanilla berry waffles. And the best thing is they treat you a Hershey's kiss with the coffee!

Trading Plates

For anyone who has been lucky enough to travel to New York City, they will know that it is truly a foodie paradise. . Despite the many world class restaurants and culinary innovations on offer, sometimes it is nice to indulge in something as simple as a $1 slice of pizza or a classic New York bagel as you stroll down fifth avenue.

Jennifer

Such a shame that the breakfast menu is not available on weekends. Other than that, nice start to a cold and rainy day with peanut butter hot chocolate and waffles. Delicious!

K

Went to Bowery to Williamsburg for breakfast. Would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a good bagel. You pick your bagel, your smear & any toppings. I had an everything bagel, dill smear, with cold smoked salmon. Coffee was great, but took longer to prepare than the bagel.

Jdywdy

Amazing place for sandwiches, brioche, burger buns and bagel. Don't forget to add your side with mac'n'cheese and pretzel. Super delicious!

Johnny Shabazz

I was in the city for the weekend and heard about a NY themed cafe that prides themselves on making a Reuben sandwich. We found this place called Bowery to Williamsburg. It's an interesting little place with a funky little menu. Cold drip coffee, not for me it reminded me of chucking a used espresso biscuit in a cup of ice water and then straining it. "That's a nice gritty cup of water with a hint of burnt coffee." The Reuben was alright but I've got to say, as a native from Brooklyn I could get a better Reuben from a takeaway deli for probably 5 bucks there. This trend of fancy-fying classic sandwiches is getting a bit much and most of the time they're entirely off the mark. Thing about a Reuben is it needs to be stacked and massive especially if you're trying to mimic an NYC classic. Also we got the breakfast special which was nice but the brisket was cooked wrong. You have to go slow and low with brisket for hours otherwise it's completely inedible. That's how the brisket was it tasted ok but I chewed and chewed and chewed and eventually realised k had a piece of barbecue flavoured shoe leather in my mouth. That's a Capitol crime in the grilling world to do that to brisket. I'll probably come back to see if they can redeem themselves. Remember fool me once, shame on you fool me twice, fool you can't get fooled again.

Just Another Foodie

Though it is no Russ and Daughters in NYC I would give Bowery to Williamsburg a thumbs up for the hot smoked salmon bagel. Would visit again to try some of the other dishes on the menu especially the infamous Reuben sandwich.

Amit

Every time I come here I find it hard to choose just one sandwich... This generally leads me to ordering two, and leaving incredibly full and satisfied! You absolutely must get the Mac N cheese, to top off an awesome sandwich experience.

Luke Purcell

Not a bad place. I will say the patty was dry but my mate was very happy with his. I would go again but will order something different. Great service by all the staff

Pd

This place is great - came here with a friend last week to catch up over coffee and lunch. The ambience is exactly what one has come to expect of a snug Melbourne cafe - it's trendy, unique and very comfortable. The food was also great - a great warm menu with something for everybody in a comfortable price range. Will be returning in the near future to get some more of the philly cheese steak sub!

Shruti Lad

Went when it first opened and it was great! Reminded me of being back in NYC. And OMFG THE PUMPKIN PIE 😍 haven't been back since though, but would love to try again.

Bonjourchickie

Shining like a beacon with bright lights illuminating the cold grey alleyway, B2W looks a little out of place in the shadow of tall office buildings and trendy living areas – I liken it to stumbling upon a secluded cabin in the urban jungle. I love that feeling you get where it’s past 9.30 am and you’ve avoided the early morning breakfast rush and can saunter into a popular place and have your pick of seating location …

John Reynoldson

If you're looking for a great weekend brunch spot and work-break eatery, you definitely need to give Bowery to Williamsburg a visit.For me, the highlight from the weekend menu was the Lox & Potato Latkes.I also come here occasionally on lunch breaks from work for the $13 sandwiches and decent coffee. On your first visit I'd recommend the Reuben, but special mentions to the Lechon Asado and Los Pollos. Better yet, get a bunch and share between many - you can't really go wrong.

Rasabear

Lucky to have popped by on my lunch break with no wait for tables. Ordered the Reuben sandwhich which was full of flavour and very filling. If you love meat and sauce, go for it! Mac & Cheese has a delicious crust and was the right portion size to leave you feeling minimal guilt for not ordering a salad. Service was great- even politely handed me a napkin from afar when they could see my face was covered in sauce and needed one.

Nik Skoufis

Amazing food, great service, innovative and delicious menu. They have constantly changing specials which are always amazing, gorgeous salads, and they have interesting milkshakes (Turkish delight)

PhilYA

Great lunch option. Massive Rueben sandwich, tasted awesome. Service was attentive and friendly.

Zoe

Lovely. Hey I really like it here - service is consistent (even though it's always busy whenever I go) and the salads are really fresh and exciting. Ever-changing and generous servings. I love their homage to NYC that translates through every component of this little gem of a place (even down to the cups). Quite an eclectic crowd that comes here - no two customers are really the same. Be prepared to be a little bit squished next to your fellow diners, but don't write that off as a negative by any means. Adds to the ambience of the place. Get in while it's hot!

Eat.more

As a result of driving in to the city early lately, I've been enjoying some carb heavy breakfasts at bowery to williamsburg. My favourite combination of blueberry bagels with a lemon vanilla schmear, enjoyed with coffee and a side of reese's peanut butter cups makes for a very decadent start to the day.

Mara

Such great friendly staff!

Dani77_z

Wicked Sandwich in a great setup! Very happy with our lunch the other day

Kyleparker312

So good. Kind of obsessed with this place, had lunch there again today. Well worth it.

MyFoodBelly

In all honesty, it was the macaroni and cheese that really appealed to me about B to W – all of the photos of it just looked so decadently good that I finally decided to take the plunge. K and I took the train in to the city one Saturday lunchtime specifically for this meal, and after some semi-lost wandering, found the restaurant on a little side street called Oliver Lane. There was already a cluster of people waiting for a table, and we put our names down for an inside table (it was quite chilly). The wait ended up being quite long, but I think this was out of the ordinary – I heard one of the waiters explaining that they were understaffed that day. Chalkboard menu Nevertheless, we were seated on a little table right next to their menu – a large display of mini chalkboards with their dishes written on them, which looked pretty cool. I ordered

Kris

I had heard so many great things about this place that I had to try on my weekend away in Melbourne. I had the Reuben while my travelling partner had the Chefs sandwich special of the day. I also had a side of mac of cheese and nothing disappointed! The coffee was also pretty awesome, so awesome I had three cups while there. If you're in Melbourne and haven't been here, do yourself a favour and eat here!

Jane Levinson

The pie. I dream of the key lime pie, the other food is also great too but that pie I would eat everyday if I wasn't worried about diabetes.

Natalie Kovacevic

Easter trading. I was looking to go today and found that their Oliver lane location was closed this long weekend but their hardware st one was open by checking their Instagram page. People need a break too guys ....take it easy.

Sheridanworkshere

Not open, no Facebook page, no website.. Not open today (even though says it is above). No Facebook page, no basic website or information letting customers know of accurate opening times over Easter weekend. Myself and 3 others walked all the way there as it was advertised on Broadsheet only to found closed doors. I saw another couple do exactly the same as us while we were there and walk into Lucy Liu. Very annoying.

S3371348

Bagels. Onion bagel, dill cream cheese and salmon.. Great coffee and love the Hershey's Kiss

Miss.aliceh

Very poor service. The service at Bowery to Williamsburg was pretty terrible today. My friends and I were sitting for less than an hour in total, but the staff rushed us from start to finish. It felt as though they wanted us to just get in and out. A friend got up to go to the bathroom just as we have finished eating, and we were told by the table staff to move her bags, as they wanted to sit another couple on the table. Before we had an opportunity to speak, they had seated the couple, my friend no longer had a seat and we felt forced to leave. I understand that lunchtime is busy, but really - treat your guests with a bit more respect.

JW

Delicious sandwiches with fresh ingredients. I love the sandwiches on offer at Bowery to Williamsburg. I have tried the Rueben and a the brioche sandwich which were both absolutely marvellous. It is clear from the first bite that all of the ingredients are fresh and carefully put together. I find that one sandwich is definitely enough to fill me up. Will return and would recommend.

Blackmoon_fang

Disappointing food and service. I used to frequent Bowery often in the second half of 2014, sometimes brunch-ing up to 2 to 3 times a week there. However, the most recent visit there made me leave the place upset and disappointed. The food was disappointing and service terrible. The waitstaff serving the group of us was rude, impatient and was frowning nearly the entire time. The latkes in the dish I ordered were served cold and rock-hard. When I told her about it, she simply took my dish away and asked me to wait, returning 10 minutes later with the dish (with the same latkes that was just heated up), with the same frown, without any explanations. The sandwiches and braised meat dish that my friends ordered were lacklustre and not good enough to make us want to go back again anytime soon.

FOOD TRIP

New York style canteen great for a quick sandwich or takeaway. Coffee is great, but the food is just okay...

Darren Aka Ming

After my unsuccessful attempt at having brunch at Bowery to Williamsburg which led to having a great Reuben Sandwich , I finally made it back here on a Sunday, fingers-crossed they would be offering brunch items at 1pm. I would say Bowery to Williamsburg looks set to be one of newest spots for me to have brunch on a regular basis. The menu items just look rather enticing and amazing. Such as the Cuban Braised Pork and Challah French Toast and many others. For today, I opted for the Northern African-inspired Shakshouka Baked Eggs with Lamb Meatballs, mint labna, parsley tabouli and served with Zaatar Pita ($19). Bowery to Williamsburg is now my other go to place for delicious baked eggs; the other being, yes, Hardware Societe. My newest favorite place for #bakedeggs @bowerytowilliam @bowerytowilliamsburg Shakshouka baked eggs with Lamb meatballs, mint labna, parsley, tabouli. #bowerytowilliamsburg #bowerytowilliam #brunch #food #mealforameal #melbourne #foodporn #brunch A photo posted by tian ming aka darren francis (@tianm122) on Oct 10, 2014 at 7:30pm PDT The presentation of the dish was stunning with its melange of colors.Three eggs and three meat balls were submerged under a thick, tangy, crimson red sauce of tomato and spices. The pita was

Snow Crab Nebula

According to M, the coffee here isn't amazing: very American, well expressed with a lot of crema but not the best roast for a black coffee, much more suited to a sweet latte or the like. However, this is definitely one of our favourite brunch and sandwich places in Melbourne. The sandwiches here (including the meatball sub and reuben) are always very tasty and very good value at $10. The options sides you get are also great, particularly the ridiculously tasty mac n cheese. M also loves the Shashoukas here, which are only available at breakfast time.

Ani

Sometimes, all you want for lunch is a really good sandwich. Enter: Bowery to Williamsburg, an American sandwich café tucked away in one of the laneways near Flinders Street. The sandwiches at this café are a bit pricey at $13, but they look and taste a lot better than the ordinary ham & cheese sandwich that you made for lunch this morning. Unless you’re a morning person who wakes up early every day to prepare a fancy gourmet sandwich for lunch. If this is the case, please make some for us too.

ByTheSpoonful

Once given the menu my eye immediately saw the words: Peanut Butter. Pear. Popcorn. Perfect! Latte and Fried Challah The Fried Challah is what came to my table: a wonderfully delicious combination of whipped peanut butter, roasted pear, and candied popcorn. It was admittedly a bit heavy for breakfast, but I savoured every mouthful anyway and washed it down with a delicious latte. Lovely service and great cafe atmosphere. Would have loved to have taken a slice of the New York cheesecake or brownie to go but it will have to wait for the next visit! Visit: 16 Oliver Lane, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Notes: Cash only, closed weekends

Sinfulorganiccook

Here's the thing. Why is this place called Bowery to Williamsburg? Ok. It's just a name of a place that serves above average sandwiches. Having some time to spare on my first week on my new job, my cousins and I met up for lunch here. It's on Oliver Lane, a cobble-stoned walkway (I hated walking on these with my boots!), that is oh-so-cute but painful on my feet with what I had on that day. Anyway... Food here is definitely designed for the hungry. Do not come here if you're not hungry and I mean it. The sandwiches are just packed to the brim with fillings and dressings. I love it. I thought the best sandwich out of what we ordered was the Wagyu Beef Patty (all sandwiches here are $17 with pretzels and a side dish). It's served sandwiched on thick brioche slices. Two more after the jump... Seafood Roll and a Broccoli Salad Reuben Sandwich with Mac and Cheese

Kit And Kafoodle

This hidden gem is often overlooked due to the more popular graffiti filled laneways which surround the unassuming cobblestoned street. It is worth the search though, with its intimate seating indoors and out, it definitely feels like a place to go to on a slow day where you want to eat good food in peace. Settling in, I decided on a FANCY hot chocolate: the peanut butter hot chocolate ($5.0), in the end the peanut was very subtle but the chocolate was still quite dark and delicious. Not only that, but all drinks come with an American style chocolate, Hershey’s Kisses or in this case, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Score! The special for the day was the Monte Cristo: gypsy ham, swiss cheese with friend egg, water cress & pickled onion salad ($17.0) so I opted for that, despite desperately wanting to nom The Reuben as per a friend’s recommendation.

Ben Lee Kong

Going to an American deli five minutes after getting back from the States seems a rather odd thing to do. Circumstances led to my visit to Bowery To Williamsburg and one of those circumstances was nothing more than the restaurant having been on my short list for a reasonably lengthy time. It was still busy enough at 2pm on a Saturday for us to have to wait about ten minutes.

Feastwisely

Bowery to Williamsburg was an obvious choice for a hearty breakfast to end a weekend of feasting in Melbourne. The New York inspired café/deli is owned by Di and Will Keser. The husband and wife team have a track record of delighting hungry Melbournians at The Hardware Société, one of the CBD’s worst kept secrets. After a superb lunch at The Hardware Société ( check it out here ) I had to track down this their newest venture. Bowery to Williamsburg is tucked away down one of Melbourne’s CBD laneways, Oliver Lane (just off Flinders Street). If you haven’t already sussed this, it’s named after a Brooklyn subway station of the same name. It’s got the feel of a NYC deli but with a serious dose of Melbourne thrown in. If it’s busy you’ll likely take whatever seating is available – indoors or outdoors. Luckily for me it was quiet early on a Sunday morning. So, as a Sydneysider who hates the cold I choose to share the long communal table inside. I’d rather bear a little elbow budging from fel

Lobster

In the past week I have stumbled on two truly excellent spots to have lunch, one touristy and very now and the other a timeless classic in the best possible way. My first discovery was Bowery to Williamsburg. Bowery to Williamsburg - 16 Oliver Lane Strange – just about when I start thinking it would be nice to see more proper, yeasty bagels around Melbourne, and maybe some real, Noo Yoik Jewish sandwich combinations, I discover there are. Lots, in fact. I just didn’t notice while eating my way through a billion brunches and every possible way to prepare eggs, bacon and cheese toasties. Finally, I stumble across Bowery to Williamsburg in Oliver Lane down the posh end of the city. The place is decorated on themes of New York subway, and the food is authentic New York Deli – when I climbed down the stairs from the street into the cozy (and amazing smelling) interior and was seated by prompt, friendly person at the long, communal table I kept glancing around expecting Jerry Seinfeld to ma

Rob Y

This blog post contains photos only.

David

A cool setting is coupled with excellent food. I had the Los Pollos sandwich, which was simply magnificent. The chicken was absolutely tender, the salsa was tasty, and the sauce tied in the whole sandwich wonderfully. H had a the Wagyu Burger, which was divine. This was a very clever reinvention of the classic cheeseburger, emanating a very familiar yet refined taste. Service was also a huge plus!! Will definitely return the next time I am in Melbourne! Food: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Ambience: 9/10 Details:

Hungrycookie

Moving to the skylines and dirty streets of New York, an inspiration for restaurateurs and fashionistas alike. Bowery to Williamsburg pays homage to New York style sandwiches, piled high with thick slices of pastrami, juicy sauerkraut and slathers of melted cheese. All sandwiches come served with a handful of pretzels, an unnecessary pickle and a choice of sides – from creamy mac & cheese to healthier alternatives such as tabbouleh. Lunchtime is a busy affair with a constant flow of hungry office workers, but don’t feel limited by the sandwiches, as other gluttonous brunch options also exist at this cobblestone diner.

Paintingrachelred

On the whole, I thought it was a cute concept, and worth visiting only for some items on the menu!

A Chronicle Of Gastronomy

Bowery to Williamsburg can be a little hard to find because of its downplayed shopfront, but it still becomes quite busy at lunchtime as it fills up with people who know where to get a good sandwich. This New York-inspired eatery, styled after a subway station, is by the same team who brought us the venerable Hardware Societe. There isn’t a whole lot of seating, most of which is communal, but fortunately they do takeaway too.

Terri

With an excellent location near Flinders Street Station plus tasty, interesting and varied menu options and a bright, casual atmosphere – this place definitely ticks the box for future friendly catch-ups. Plus, I need to return and try some of the American-style cakes and sweets – there’s a piece of S’mores slice waiting with my name on it!

A Food Fable

no idea what merguez sausage is but they give you a decent amount of it

Evelovelle

Bowery To Williamsburg is one of those rare American-style brunch places at the CBD area. I can't emphasise further on how Melbourne treat their cafe culture very seriously. Can't you believe there's over 2000 brunch places in Melbourne alone? And yes, we're a tiny, tiny city. With great fond and love for the Americans, American-styled breakfast to me screams hallelujah. I had high expectations when I came here. The sole purpose of coming here is for one reason: Their Reuben Sandwich with mac and cheese on the side. How did it fare? Lets find out... We chose to sat outside as I was craving for some open air and chilly wind. Though it was cold, the heater warmed us up pretty good. The seats inside could accommodate large groups but well, we were feeling pretty private that day. Both Jan and I chose to share two main dishes so we could try the best of both worlds. Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate, 5AUD Sort of persuaded Jan to share this cup of Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate drink with me. Peanu

Melbourne Sensory

Bowery to Williamsburg takes you on a journey from New York to Melbourne. The fame behind Hardware Societe have created an exciting New York style deli, located on the cobblestoned lane-way that is Olive Lane. Named after the subway route that connects Manhattan to Brooklyn, complete with subway’s signage, and down a basement, gives to the New York subway vibe and authenticity. Bowery to Williamsburg has an huge selection of bagels from 5 and Dime , both sweet and savoury, with as many toppings to fill them with. However they are not all about bagels, they have an impressive array of New York inspired sweets and quality coffee, brewed with Padre beans. Offering sandwich sets for $16.50 (with a choice of side, pickle and pretzels) or sandwich on its own for $12.50 you may think thats expensive. But when you see the New York style portions, paired with quality you find hard to get anywhere else, you will be coming back for more. Taking a look at the breakfast menu, standouts being the Lo

Mon's Adventure

It basically serves brunch with an American twist, hence the name (Bowery – New York, Williamsburg – Virginia). The menu (above) is short and sweet whilst printed on the back of a postcard.

Maxx Sann

Absolutely Amazing!. Heard a lot about this place, and was very interested as it's tough to find a good Rueben in Australia. By far the best Rueben I have had since I have moved here from the states 6.5 years ago. The Mac n cheese was just as good. An incredible meal and will definitely be returning.

Marat

Good New York style sandwiches. Great New York style sandwiches. For $15 you'd hope they would have come with at least a side. Coffee is average for Melbourne (and comes with a HERSHEY'S KISSES). There are no reservations there as far as I can tell and they do have very limited opening hours so it's just up to the day whether you get a seat straight away or not. Next time I might try the specials menu which had a few nice items like berry waffles etc

Sallysfoodadventures

So good. And the coffee was excellent. The mushrooms were just amazing. And they actually serve nice gluten free bread.

Marina

The food is good for something different but don't be mistaken that you're getting real NYC style food.

Facebook User

Average. Came here for a quick takeaway lunch after a recommendation from work colleagues. Ordered a falafel wrap and ended up waiting over 20 minutes before I got it. Admittedly there was an issue with their EFTPOS machine which probably led to confusion, but clearly a lack of communication between staff was the root cause of my order never going through (despite having paid). Overall the wrap was pretty good but not worth $13 amd certainly not worth a 20 minute wait.

Happy Kath

So delish. Great chicken great waffles great beans great corn bread! Everything is a winner here. So yum. Staff were really nice, it was very busy & the place was packed. Fantastic

Deleeshious

Dry, stale, cold and chewy bagels for breakfast - such a shame. Good coffee though!

Happy Egg 🍳

Second time round being here and was pleased with the quick, friendly service alongside the food despite coming right during lunch hour. Ordered the wagyu melt and the crab patty burger which were both good despite the bun of the burger being burnt (basically blackened on the edges and cut side). The winners of the day were the peanut butter chocolate brownies! They were delicious and now I know why the were selling like hot cakes! Overall, if I were to come back it would probably only be for the sweets because although the sandwiches were good, they were nothing to rave about.

Phyllisjackson999

Phyl. Unfortunately it was not the experience we expected. Your website stated that you were open today, came with some friends, only to find you are not open until 12th January. A waste of a special trip into the city that ended in a less than mediocre eatery elsewhere. Please keep your website up to date, two of the people with me have difficulty in walking so keeping your information up to date is important on different levels. -----08 Jan, 2015----- Phyl. Heard about this place and wanted to try, looked it up and the website said it was open today. Got some friends together, went into the city only to discover it is not open today, but in fact not open until the 12th January. They need to update their website. We made a special trip into the city and it was a complete waste of time.

Carltonvc

The beer is real!. I'm from NYC so you can imagine how excited I was to learn that this place was serving Ruben sandwiches! After waiting 30 minutes for a table for 2 which we shared with 9 other people I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a Ruben, mac & cheese, pickle and drink a Brooklyn IPA! Well, I should have just left it to my imagination because the Ruben sandwich was stringy, grizzly, fatty, the cheese wasn't melted and the sauerkraut had no bite at all! The mac & cheese was very good, but nothing like NYC mac & cheese. On the upside, the pickle was good and of course you can't beat a Brooklyn beer even though they didn't have any IPA. I'd give it a 5 and recommend not ordering the Ruben. It's nothing like a NYC Ruben. Better luck next time.

Josh Barak

They can't make potato latkes!. For a cafe that claim to know all about new york deli food, the potato latkes were very unimpressive. Firstly, I had asked the waiter how many latkes were served - he told me that there would be 3. When I received my meal, I only received 2 which was disappointing. No where on the menu did it say that the latkes were served with smoked salmon. However they were! But it was not ordinary salmon - they were cured in beetroot and red in colour which was very unappetising and had a bad taste to them. The latkes tasted like they had been made from a bread dough and had no actual potato in them. I was very disappointed in my meal that I sent them back with the waiter uneaten. Once I had got up to pay the waiter still wanted to charge me for the meal!! I could not believe this - I can say that I will never be back to this cafe. And I would advise the owner to check out other similar establishments across Melbourne to get some inspiration and get the meals right. And on a final note - who doesn't do bagels on the weekend!!! They only serve bagels Mon-Fri. What a disaster!

Mdimasi

Not so impressive anymore. I've always liked this place and has been a fav but I think I might give it a miss for a while. The food wasn't great this morning, really heavy and lacked flavour. I had the savoury special and my sister had the pulled Cuban pork. Coffee was fine though. One of the female staff is really rude with an attitude problem, the first time I thought she was having a bad day, but today again. She really needs to cheer up!

Mummy

Your staff were miserable and rude. The food was terrible! Our mac and cheese had a hard dry crust on top like it's been sitting in the fridge for a week and then microwaved for 30 seconds. There was zero flavour, even a tonne of salt didn't help it. I've never not finished a serve of mac and cheese, you may have ruined this dish for me. A smile and salt never hurt anyone, definitely not coming back.

Rawwrra

$13 for a tiny bowl of matzo ball soup?. I have never come across such absurd cost for a bowl of soup in my life. I asked for the estimate size of a take away bowl, and they came back with a paper cup bowl as big as the chips you get at Grill'd. Having spend much of my early twenties in New York dining at places like Katz's, Blue Ribbon and The Caffeteria, this place is a sore representation of what Lower Manhattan has to offer. This establishment is an insult to Bowery and Williamsburg. The price and taste is completely unjustified, which leaves me missing New York even more.

Corbossa

Brought back memories of New York City. Picked up a reuben takeaway order on Friday for lunch. The layout of the place is very cool; great design which makes one feel like they are transported back to NYC. The sandwich was delicious. Great quality brisket pastrami, tangy sauerkraut and sweet and sour pickle. Next time I'll ask for more Russian dressing, but that is simply personal taste. Despite being hectic, service was relatively prompt and both the waitress and one of the chefs were very welcoming, chilled and engaging. Will definitely smash through another reuben next time I'm down that way!!!

Glenn Thomas

Worth the wait. Had been waiting to try for a long time. Had the Reuben and Waffles - both were absolutely perfect. Now to try the rest of the menu.

Alyciaa

Great spot. I went to Bowery on a weekday at lunchtime and was not disappointed! I had the pulled pork sub with a side of mac & cheese - it was so good. The pulled pork was perfection. I ordered a Padre cappuccino which was delicious, too. Great ambiance and the service was prompt.

Steven

Well worth the visit! Ordered a Reuben and pulled pork baguette...the Reuben understandably was not as good as those in New York but still very very good. The pulled pork was as good a sub/baguette as you will ever get. The menu is classic New York eating and had many appealing options. Service was good also.

Jenchialim

A true pleasure for the weekend. A little gem in Melbourne that is tucked away at the little alleyway. I went there 2 weekends in a row for late lunches. A real treat, great service, lovely atmosphere and fabulous food (that is why I love Melbourne so much!). I had the hot smoked salmon baked egg for the first weekend and decided to go vegetarian the second time (broccoli baked egg). It was marvellous with consistent good food. Was happily spending my superb afternoon at Bowery to Williamsburg. Will definitely go back again with the gals!

Hayley

PBJ on Pumpernickel?! Yes please! It was the best bagel to start the day. My unique tea blend was comforting and delicious, my friend loved his cooked breakfast, and service was great. A little piece of New York wonder rig there in Melbourne. Will definitely come back... again and again!

Kylie

Yum. I have been wanting to go here for a while so the boyfriend and I went for a quick lunch during the week. Absolutely packed, but we were lucky enough to find a seat straight away. We got the reuben with mac and cheese to share - definitely enough food for two! It was pretty yummy, but not amazing. I would probably go back if I was in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way. That being said, there are some other items on the menu that I am really wanting to try!

Holden1964

When waffle met chicken. I am still in waffle withdrawals after having one of the best combinations I have ever tasted- fried chicken on waffle. Seriously, out of this world. I might have to consider buying my own press and deep fryer as I have now been thinking about this waffle ever since. I can't believe I almost passed it up, when the waitress asked me if I was in a savoury or sweet mood, boy am I happy I said both. A million thank you's to the server recommending this and bringing my new favourite flavour combination into my life. I would have got two except my girlfriend wasn't too hungry so I ended up eating most of her dish as well. Pulled pork breaky- also tasty, but nothing compares to my fried chicken waffle. All I can say is bring it back again soon.

Matt Roberts

A touch of New York in Melbourne. Bowery to Williamsburg is a fantastic American cafe located in the heart of Melbourne. The menu is very American which makes it feel like you are actually in New York! I had a fantastic and filling Reuben sandwich for lunch which came with a pickle and either salad or chips. Highly recommend a visit!

Aldendeb65

Sunday satisfaction. Fabulous brunch today at this hidden lane way treasure. My daughter brought our family here post brooks half marathon. My daughter and I are both vegan and the american? sounding waitress took extra care in guiding us through some very tasty vegan friendly options - compliments to the chef for catering to our needs and the excellent service provided. Will definitely be back. Busy spot but well worth the wait.

Ctnguyen900

Don't know what people are complaining about. This place is possibly the best breakfast place i have tried and definitely not expensive. awesome place!

Delicious Doris

Just picked up a brownie to go. It was so hard I could barely bite into it. What a waste of $5.50.

Rachel

Meh. No idea what the fuss is about.

A.galvin2

Abysmal service with a large price tag to boot. First - A single dollar rating should never equate to meals starting around $12. Staff were rude, and completely ignored all requests - including for knives and forks, which we were only given after two trips to the counter - by the people from the table next to us. Who I can only assume is the manager was curt and rude to us, and service was slow. When my food arrived, it was stodgy and cold, with a miserly amount of maple syrup (I had the waffles) - we also ordered a side plate of bacon, which was cooked well past crispy to the point that it was blackened and charred. If you are looking for an enjoyable, relaxing brunch on a Sunday morning, do not go here, and definitely do not order the waffles. My table mate's savoury dish looked marginally better - savoury may be their only saving grace.

Nikolai Stavrogin

Unfortunately i did not get to taste the food, although it looked delicious. My partner and i decided to go elsewhere after being dealt with by the woman at the counter in a manner befitting brainless cattle. I have worked as a barista for many years, so i certainly know that working in hospitality can be stressful - part of the art is to not blame customers, let alone new ones, for how one may feel, nor make customers feel like lesser human beings by treating them like cud to be pushed about and milked for money. Unfortunately, this woman did not even appear overly stressed but rather just plain rude. She was around 35 yo, with long hair and a little rotund at waist. Very disappointing. I will, however, return and try again, but not if i enter and have to deal with her again. It left a very bitter taste in my expectant mouth that, thankfully given the great options now available in Melbourne, another friendly and hospitable breakfast option satiated.

Mike Barouche

The only ingredient missing was hospitality. Too cool for school? Disappointing guys.

Emilyjane

Rudest lunchtime manager! Great food though.. The food is amazing can't complain there - however beware if you go at lunchtime - most of the staff are lovely except the manager - rudest woman I have ever met in my life! The ladies at the table next to us asked us if we thought she was rude and we said yup! So it wasn't just us. Clearly has a chip on her shoulder about life in general, and chooses to unleash the evil on patrons. Maybe she's been in hospitality too long.

Forget_love-id_rather_fall_in_chocolate

The Reuben was a bit average if you've been to katz or 2nd avenue deli. The pastrami was sliced thinly and there was plenty of it.the saurkreut was a nice balance, but would have lked meat to be moister and more cheese..the mac and cheese. I did not like due to lack of salt in white sauce.. I will be back to try the pies..

Girl_friend_girl

Taste of America. I was really excited to try this place and I wasn't disappointed! Everything was fresh, tasty and a great take on American style food! Would definitely recommend giving it a go 10/10!!

Bringgggg_itttttt

I was excited to try Bowery after reading all the great reviews. Unfortunately, I left very disappointed. I ordered the veggie sandwich which came out cold and soggy. Aside from that the flavors weren't nice at all, it was very bland. Not one element of the sandwich was done well. As I told my partner, "if I made this at home, I would be disappointed with myself." That about sums up the dining experience. The mac and cheese had nice flavors but also came out cold. Won't be back.

Olivia Tusek

Such a great place to get together with friends for an unforgettable meal. We will definitely be back to try everything on the menu. The prompt and friendly service enhanced our experience.

Dani.lalonde

Disappointed. We went for a late lunch on a Sunday. We waited for a table which is no problem, sat down and had our order taken quickly. All good, but then only half our meal arrived and I had ask again about our drinks. Drinks finally arrived, but we kept waiting for our side order of Mac and cheese. Nobody came back to check on us, so we eventually just got up to pay and let the server know. All he said was 'yeah, okay' and removed that item from our bill. No apology or anything. The food and drinks were okay, but didn't live up to the hype, and we were pretty disappointed by the service so don't think we'll be back. Bummer...

Flossie_1972

I was a little excited to finally be going here but was a little disappointed when I left. The meat in the Rueben sandwich was a little fatty and when I tried to take a bite I had difficulty biting into it without half the meat coming out. The Mac and cheese was fab though.

Michael Glynn

Mouthry to Bellyburg. Time: 11:57am Party: One Scooting in for lunch today, I knew of the popularity of the venue so arrived early. Just as well. The venue hits you with this "I'm a deli... I think" feel about it. But the atmosphere works. After being sat by a friendly waitress I browsed to few options (even though I knew what I was ordering)... Then chose the Reuben with the broccoli side - Though I must say the Special "Po-boy with fried chicken" did pique my interest. After a five minute wait my food arrived. Beautiful. Who would have thought the sight of a sandwich could elicit such gratification. The thing was bloody splendid. I ate it. I was happy. The blur in the photo it testament to how quick my face hit the plate. It was light, yet left you extremely satisfied. Honestly the side was not necessary (though I did hear people around the table exclaiming about the Mac & Cheese). One ultimate delight came in the form of a pickle. I buy pickles by the barrel (or as big a container I can find) and this was in the top three pickled cucumbers I have ever eaten... I want another one. I was only on water for the meal, however the Reuben would go down great with a nice hoppy beer (beers on menu). My only criticism at this point, the pretzels. They came out of a pack and were not inspiring in any way. I wouldn't even bother with the sides given the size of the sandwiches. Have beer instead. 41⁄2 out of 5 Ginger Beards.

Simonelee22

Delicious sandwiches. Delicious sambos cant fault really

Adnacasey1

Amazing breakfast. As a dweller in the CBD of Melbourne I was taken to this cafe for breakfast on Saturday morning and was truly surprised with the quality of food and friendly service. We will be back for sure.

Beini

Love the hot chocolate!. Reuben too hyped up, was decent though, very messy to eat. hot chocolate was amazing with little bits of peanuts inside. wagyu brioche was very good, it doesn't get enough credit. mac and cheese was decent, more salt needed. black been salad was average. want to try the cheese cake and key lime pie next time, would order wagyu brioche and mac and cheese again, probably skip on the reuben.

Momojaan

Soooo good. My sandwich was heaven , it was food for the soul and i enjoyed it very much. this place is cosy and the staff are great and the food is to die for.

Klakes

Another spectacular breakfast. Thanks Bowery!

Chocolate.Factory

Delicious & different! Tucked away in a little pocket of the city. All our meals were spot on for flavour & presentation. Definitely look for this place....it's a gem.

Clairest

Delicious sandwiches and good lunchbox deals with yummy salads or Mac n cheese. The key lime pie is also to die for. Check it!

YSL

Fell below expectations. Saturday lunch, busy but not overcrowded, coffee came out just warm, weather like now they should have made them hotter to start with. Then food came, good presentation, large proportion, but again, just warm. The Mac & Cheese in my Reuben Sandwich was obviously pre-baked and not reheated before serving. My friend believed that her Sardine Special was not fresh but canned sardine. Service was good and bad depending on the waitress, one was impatient with ordering, one threw the order paper on the table, one was polite when serving, one was rude when clearing plates. Great location, nice decor and vibe. Overall disappointed, had high expectations for this talk of the town.

Duygu

Death by pretzels, pies and deconstructed cheesecake french toasts. I am not a fan of sandwiches but I am a big fan of very tasty and filling CBD lunches eaten in semi industrial canteens. This place is the epitome of the upmarket fast food lunch with an American twist. There are eat in or takeaway options including a sumptuous sandwich from a large selection, a side of salad or mac&cheese, pretzels and a pickle (and a drink if you want!) for under $20. Unarguably the best combo I tried is the reuben with mac and cheese on the side, with that amazing single pickle on top and pretzels scattered all over the board. It's such a delicious combo and considering the size, one you need to be really hungry for. Their salads have lived up to the hype as well. I am particular to the middle eastern inspired freekeh, almond, pomegranate combo. If you have a dessert stomach try the classic pecan or sour cherry pies and ice cream sandwiches. If you are there for breakfast, how about a deconstructed cheesecake french toast or that granola your grandmother would be jealous of? Options are plenty and on the cheap side if you need an amazing lunch or simply want to eat your feelings away.

Miam Miam

Just great. And you must try the NY Baked Cheesecake - devine.

Jennifer Seah

CAnteen menu, good sides!. I quite enjoyed this place, the menu is short and sweet, you choose a sandwich for $12.50 or add a side for $16.50. I started off with the peanut butter hot chocolate which was definitely rich w a lingering peanut butter taste swirled throughout. I liked the small touches i.e. all our drinks came with little chocolates. All the sandwiches comes on trays with pickles and pretzels, and on top of that your side if you wish. The sides were all quite good, we had the broccoli which was perfectly cooked, the mac and cheese was hands down my favourite, creamy and cheesy as it should be, whilst the chickpea salad was another winner. Wguy melted patty was essentially a pretty good burger but with a airy light brioche bun. The reuben was definitely a generous filling portion but wasn't particularly memorable, hot smoked salmon was the lightest and freshes out of the lot and quite enjoyed it. Will be back.

Paul Bryan Azarraga

One rude staff member ruined the experience. Wouldn't come here again.

Rosely

Nice establishment in a lovey Melbourne laneway. Small breakfast menu but right up my alley - the field mushrooms were delicious. Service was there but not necessarily warm, transactional would be a way to describe it. Will look to try dinner one day.

Lil' Kim And Big Ach

J line express coming at you.... Its been just under a month since B and I returned from our foody trip to the States, living in a semi-withdrawl mode of the excessive amounts of variety on offer. Imagine our excitement when we stumbled across this little place two weekends ago. Craving a good rueben, biscuits and gravy and mac n' cheese like you wouldn't believe, we grabbed our 4-legged kid, M and joined forced with another ex NYC couple with baby and dog in tow. Sunday brunch. Windy factor - high (please dress accordingly as the high rise buildings nearby seem to block out any sunshine struggling to get through). There are a few large outdoor picnic style tables and benches, with a larger communal table inside. Arriving just after 11am, there was a small wait list of diners - but after a short 15min wait, we were finally seated and our coffee orders taken. I opted for the peanut butter hot chocolate which was slightly nutty in flavour but not as rich or thick as you would imagine it to be. The peanut butter certainly cut through the sweetness of the chocolate so it was a good shout. For mains, I opted for the shakshouka eggs with smoked salmon. It was a decent (read: large) size for one person, but it did come without bread. The poached eggs were a little overcooked, but the warmth of the green tomato, smoked salmon, and the crisp, cold flavours of the tomato and corn salsa was a treat! B went for the Reuben and while he actually finished this dish at Carnegie's (NYC), B2W's version was much more manageable. B plowed through his sandwich and mac and cheese without any dramas and seemed happy there was a comparable option for a Reuben finally in Melbourne. The side of mac and cheese was nice and cheesy and comes in a small ramekin mould (we certainly could've ordered more!) The other diners went for the biscuits and gravy combo (biscuits are a larger version of scones, but used in more savory dishes instead of bread). The gravy was really tasty and the presentation of this on a plate deserved a recommendation as they tend to normally look sloppy and white in most diners. Definitely a recommendation. Other points to note: its dog friendly and stroller friendly (in certain areas).

Brunchenthusiast

Love love love. Had a delicious brunch here! service was great!! loved the atmosphere and decor of this place! food was very reasonably priced and was absolutely delicious!!! I will definitely be coming back here! the Rueben was amazing, so so filling!!!

Badabooma

Breakfast in a New York minute. Certainly a popular choice it seems. The service is prompt but felt like arrival was rushed. The lox salmon was a disappointment the potato latcakes stodgy a the dish had a bit too much oil on it. However the staff apologized with the item struck from the bill without question. Overall not a bad experience.

Scott

Gluten Free. Great gluten free bread, only $1 surcharge. Busy but seems to run smoothly, friendly staff.

Adeline Foo

Yumm. Had the Reuben with Mac & Cheese as a side ($16.50) and they were both really yummy! The Reuben was packed full with bacon which was great... Was full after half a sandwich and the Mac & Cheese so I packed the other half to go!

Salted The Blog

Disappointing. Touted as a slice of New York in Melbourne, Bowery to Williamsburg has a promising menu that veers from typical Australian fare. Its lunch offerings include uncommon sarnies with ingredients such as corned beef brisket and pastrami. I went straight for the Schmaltz Chicken ($12.50) that comes walnut bread and is stuffed with apple and celeriac slaw and prune relish. I love my meals buzzing with contrasting flavours. Unfortunately, the Schmaltz was a letdown on the savoury end. The slaw was refreshing and the relish, comfortably sweet, but the chicken itself lacked seasoning. The bread was slightly stale too. On the up side, the staff were a friendly bunch and didn't hold me and a friend at picklepoint when we almost walked out without paying. Decor was also fantastic – very industrial chic, with a communal table indoors and al fresco seating to bake in the summer sun. Avoid the lunch hour if you're hoping to find a seat quickly or if you'd like to hang for quite some time.

James Khalifa

All I can say is, I'm disappointed! Overpriced for average sandwiches

Ben

The food is great, the staff are super cool (probably a little too much). First after waiting for 15 for a table for 2, the waiter let a bunch of his friends in and ignored the we and there other groups had been patiently waiting. Then once the crowd cleared and we were taken inside, we asked to sit on our own at the very small table for three. The super cool Asian waitress said we had to sit at the communial table as it is only for groups of three... As soon as we sat down, she then sat a couple of equally cool Asian girls down at the 'table for three'. Customer service needs work, the good and coffee was great. I'll make sure I'm dressed a bit more Asian hipster next time.

Lisa Blackman

Big Sandwiches. Ordered a Reuben and Turkey Club sandwich. Seriously, these sandwiches are piled high with meat upon meat. Bread is fresh tasting and love the accompanied sauerkraut with the Reuben. They have Dominic's Brand Soda Pop. That's really cool! Imported from nearly half the world. This place gets pack, so it's best to come before the lunch peak hours.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Grave

Living in a New York Sitcom. If not for the chairs out the front it would be easy to miss this place, even if you knew you were on the right laneway. Sitting semi-submerged on a floor by Olivers Lane, this homely cafe transports you to a mock NYC Subway station with it's tiled walls and the concrete steps leading down. The signs are a quaint nod to the originals on the network, with the shoulder to shoulder feel on the communal table adding to the experience. The small menu is well crafted to give you a small slice of Manhatttan, from bagels to Reuben sandwiches, baked cheesecake to pretzels. I settled for a Lox Bagel, a rather nice little serving with the combination of cream cheese and mustard oddly working. An interesting clash of flavours combined with the salmon, it works a lot of different tastes on the palate to give you a nice balance throughout. The latte I started with was nice, but it was the cold drip coconut water infused coffee that stood the highlight. Served in a bottle marked "poison", it was an offbeat and quirky touch that served as an interesting point for the meal. The strong acidity of the coffee soon gave way to a nice mellow sweetness, definitely due to the coconut water. Combining the blend of cultures that New York brings with the Melburnian standard of dining, this was a lovely experience. This place wouldn't look out of the ordinary in it's spiritual home. Definitely worth a trip.

Legeo1

Such a brilliant little place, always packed! Love the Reuben sandwich!

Northsider

Worth a try. A little overrated in my eyes... Great concept with the NY deli style vibe and alright food but not all its cracked up to be. Had no issues, but won't venture back.

Facebook User

Disappointed. Overrated with average service

Gin

I'll take a walk. I should love this place but the staff are a little disinterested (okay, it WAS 7:30am but hell I don't get up to pay to be grumped at) and the menu didn't wow. Ended up with waffles, against my better judgement and the sugary claggy sweetness of the globs of Nutella drowning out the banana and the maple cream reminded my why I'll walk across town for a good avo smash.

LGEMP

Great bagels, ok coffee. I have a love-hate affair with Bowery to Williamsburg. The service is great and I love the breakfasts (their bagels are delicious, and one of the few places in the city where you can get PROPER bagels). The coffee isn't that good though unfortunately, and there are better, cheaper alternatives nearby.

TR

V bad steak sandwhich. The Steak Sandwhich was a special. Have had many of them, this was probably the worst. I like steak rare, but this must have been just bounced off the hot plate. It was uncooked, yet somehow dry as well. And the sourdough was dense and dry. Should have been toasted. Terrible. On the upside, very good coffee and staff are excellent.

Jennifer Kalliopi Jones

Sublime eating awaits you! .... Sublime eating awaits you! Immerse yourself into the unique burst of flavors allowing your taste buds to explore an indelible journey! Experience an impressive combination of food whilst the warm, lovely staff offer you pleasantries. Thank you for the perfect breakfast!

John H

Really enjoyed the Reuben sandwich and that pulled pork special after reading mixed reviews. Definitely will be back.

Cheezles

Pretty Decent. Not one of the best Ruben’s I have had, but by Australian standards it’s pretty decent. Friendly staff and quick service during the lunchtime rush will see me return to eat my way through other American inspired goodies.

Ari S

Don't come here for breakfast unless you're eating bagels. Why put Shakshouka on the menu if you can't make it properly? Egg whites clear, clearly needed to be in the oven for longer. Consequently the tomato salsa wasn't thick and ample to dipping bread in and was more like water. Hardly ate anything, waste of $16.

Katie Sutton

Good lunch. Quirky hidden venue. We had the pork slider special and the Reuben sandwich. The pork belly sliders were incredible, I found the Reuben a little too dry, but this may just be a personal preference. Very cute sides - pickle, pretzel and incredibly addictive mac and cheese! Overall it was a fun lunch and I enjoyed myself, but I won't be rushing back next time in Melbourne.

IsFoodIsGood

I had the smoked salmon on rye bread and it was just good. Not amazing but adequate.

Jacobaj1s

Well Below Expectations. I've been trying to down to B to W for 6 months but not working in the CBD made it impossible. I was very excited when I found they were open weekends now and headed in for lunch at the first opportunity. Disappointed would have to be the overwhelming feeling I took away. The menu reads really well with plenty of things I wanted to try. The dishes I tried and those of my 3 friends were all bland and lacking complexity. Fatty & salty or sugary are you flavour choices it seems. The wait staff were super friendly and the fit out is very cool. Sadly I won't be heading back.

Michelle Dimasi

Went for breakfast this morning, oatmeal was bland and very cramped to sit and eat outside and the smell of the wheelie bins 2 metres away did not make for a pleasent dining experience.

Cherie

Just ok. Was really looking forward to lunch here (I'm a New Yorker) and couldn't wait for a proper Reuben. It was just ok, I missed the buttery, griddled bread and the corned beef was pretty fatty and difficult to eat as a sandwich. My partner had the pastrami which was fatty as well. The sides were good, mac-n-cheese and potato salad. Overall for $41, sandwiches + 2 drinks, could have been better.

Danni

Nice coffee, friendly service and Ruben sandwich was pretty delicious. It's massive though, next time I would share one!

Darby Atkins

The Reuben was very meh, not sure what everyone is raving about. For the same price try the Reuben at lounge bar in Swanson street.

J-Rod

Ruben. Best ruben I've had in Australia, and I've had many.

Caroline Tunnell-Jones

Hot tip! Go with a friend!. The serves are colossal and incredibly tasty - much as you'd pretty much guess for an American-themed eatery. Go with a friend and split the food - you want to leave room for dessert and a peanut butter hot chocolate... and not get stitches when you decide to go for a run later when you realise how many delicious calories you've consumed!

K-pow

Nice enough. Nice enough place, food looks lovely, bit cramped to sit and eat- but it is popular, reminds me of the old Schwobs swiss places, except with bagels.

Rach

Got there before 12 and they were only serving lunch which is a shame as brunch menu looked quite good. I got the breaded eggplant wrap and it was quite tasteless and v sloppy. Very expensive at $17 for wrap and coffee. Girl who served us was pretty unfriendly too. My friend got the salmon bagel with additional side of salad and pretzels - pretzels were just from a bag - would've thought for the price they would've been a little more 'home made' or special. Don't think this cafe is worth the hype!

Appyheartsfood

Great Breakfast. Came here for breakfast time and decided to skip pass the famous sandwiches and bagels instead opting for the decadent french toast comprising of deconstructed cheesecake and strawberries. It was delicious, I really liked the bread and cheesecake together both were perfectly sweet and cheesecake tasted fresh. The service was good, both waitresses who served me were friendly! Can't wait to try more!

G.R.eat

Breakie-wise: Can't go wrong with a bagel and blueberry schmear - light and delicious. The salmon baked eggs on the other hand was a little underwhelming. LUNCH: But if you do make it here at past 11.30 then DO order the Reuben: it definately hits the spot- that sauerkraut really cuts through all that tender meat. The portobello sandwich is a pretty good veg option - but has got nothing on The Reuben. Did I mention that it's very affordable -especially cause the sandwiches are pretty large.

Nathan Gurarie

Bagel heaven. Hazzah! Hazzah! Hazzah!

Wen

Delicious and unhealthy brunch. The bagels and sandwiches here are really good, the only thing you need to worry is your body weight lol

Food Amie

This place has something for everyone... bagels with smears for a light brekky, solid delish sandwiches and dense yummy cheesecake.. but then there are so many more delicious things like the bircher and salads at lunch! great brekky/lunch spot

Marion

The good was great. The sandwiches my friend and I had were massive and delicious, however the service left a lot to be desired - a smile couldn't have hurt. We finished our meals with dessert; I had a key lime pie and my friend had a slice of New York baked cheesecake. Both were delicious however the pie was too rich to be finished. Although the food was good, our overall experience didn't leave us wanted to return anytime soon.

Gimpbusta

Dem sandwiches.. Great coffee, best I've had in the city! but the reason you go is for the amazing sandwiches. The 16.50 lunch deal has so much value. For 16.50 you get a sandwich (which is a monster), a side (get the mac and cheese), a stack of pretzels and half a pickle. The pastrami is coupled perfectly with the sweet beetroot relish and the sour cured zucchini slices so u get the perfect combination of sweet and sour which compliments the meaty-ness of pastrami. YUM

Antita

#yummy not the service though. Great food, but not a 100% about the service

Z

Too pricey for sandwiches - as someone said earlier it's a novel idea and venue but id be surprised if it lasts.

Van Skittles

Don't expect an authentic Reuben. Really stodgy and sauce laden sandwiches - very pricey too. The customer service is good but this is a pretentious place.

Purple Bear

Good Ruben. Bowery to Williamsburg is a cute little cafe down an alleyway. They serve many different sandwich options. I had the Reuben and it's a generous serve. I was stuffed and couldn't finish it. The flavour of the Reuben was very nice and it made for a mean sandwich. At $12.50, it's not cheap for a sandwich, but again, the size is large. I will come back to try out other options, perhaps a hotdog.

Mochi Jungle

Novel. I wouldn't come here daily, it's a bit pricey for essentially sandwiches. But it's definitely fun for a change of scenery and for something different. I had the meatballs baguette which was nice. Service was good. Cakes on display looked awesome. Shame I'm trying to be good and not have too many sugary things at the moment.

Emma J.

Delish!. Had the Reuben and mac and cheese for lunch, freaking delicious! Friendly service as well. Will be back!

Fussy Food Lover

Wouldn't rush back. Friendly and helpful waitstaff but the food is over-rated. The breaded eggplant was rediculously oily and the pork meatballs were really lacking in flavour. A real shame because the place itself and the staff are cool.

Tardar Sauce

Large size meals, reasonable pricing. I had the Reuben - delicious!

DavidM

Rueben Time. Another one off my wishlist and what I hoped would be an early start to my New York state of mind before actually going there in three weeks time. I wasn't disappointed. The Rueben came with a hefty stack of corned beef and I added the Russian salad as a side. The pickle and pretzels are a nice touch, as is the decor and and the table condiments (especially liked David's Kosher salt). Despite the slightly obscure location, this was starting to fill with hungry diners all keen to get their hands on a Rueben or other authentic US sandwhich. The menu looks like some other great things to try so I plan to be back there soon.

Zedmund

Might try it again.. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as Katz's, but I wasn't expecting to to be this bad, flavourless rubbery meat with too much dressing. Maybe I'll go back and try ordering something else from the menu, or maybe I won't bother. Places like this set up a premise of serving american food and unfortunately never get it right.

Daniela Karner

Killer coffee, awesome staff. What more do you want

MyOpinion

Had chicken schmaltz which was great, loved the walnuts in the bread. Bagels are quite small though and not as filling as the sandwiches. Great cheesecake! All the pies look delicious too

Mad Slapper Who Knows Heaps About Food Ey

Approve!!!!. Doing the party in mouth waltz with the Chicken and Schmaltz. Ye. Had a couple of no fuss sangs with my main mang. Topped it off with a Pecan Pie & Maple cream which is a dream. This place is great go with ya mate. My rhymes are terrible but Bowery to Williamsburg is not :) Xxxxx

Einahpets Nav

I went here with very high hopes. Maybe too high. I am from NY born & raised. Living in Melbourne, I have been craving the taste of home. I didn't see as much super authentic NYC as I thought i would. I see comments about bagels & cream cheeses, but I didn't notice any in the cafe..it was super busy and rushed so maybe I just missed some things. But I would've loved to try the bagels :) I don't really believe this should be classified completely under "American" dining. You had the NY pastrami sandwich which was cool to see. But so much Aussie spin! americans don't use beetroot on our food, so that was off, along with some other classic Aussie ingredients. So having menu items with an Aussie spin on classic American dishes doesn't really make it an American dish. Tasty, but not authentic. These aren't world shattering issues, but it was misleading for a hungry NY girl. My boyfriend and i each ordered the breaded eggplant sandwich (I'm a vego, didn't see many other interesting options) we got takeaways, because there was no room for 2 to stay. We didn't realize until we left that our sandwiches had no eggplant and instead had a giant mushroom. It was the wrong meal for both of us. I posted a picture but I can't name the meal because I don't even know what we got handed to us. It wasn't a bad sandwich, but it was small. Everything in NY is big, so the sandwich size should increase. The only thing that made me feel like I was eating an American sandwich was the side of pickle. And why a side of pretzels? NYC is about soft street pretzels. If I'm in the area, I will try again, hopefully when it's less busy so I can get the full experience. Also, the communal table concept isn't very NY. I dont think anyone in NYC would want to sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers while eating. So maybe that concept is supposed to be the way it is during a rush hour subway ride. When can I expect to see bagels?! Bagels in Ny are 24x7, not just breakfast time ;)

Flasharry

Great reuben. Very busy and the staff are great, the Reuben is first class. daily special was Shrimp Po'boys, very disappointing cause the shrimp was frozen. Pretzels as a side is misleading as they are hard pretzels.

Nicole Raynal

No go. I thought hard on this one, believe me. I love the fit out and overall concept of the place - and as other reviewers are saying, the customer service is top notch. BUT the sandwiches we had were disappointing. We had the Reuben and the Pastrami which which were packed to the brim with meat that was hard to chew and lacked flavour. To make things worse, the Reuben was overloaded with sauerkraut and the Pastrami bread was so overloaded with beetroot that the bread was soaked with beetroot juice. No wonder we were unable to taste the cheese in the Reuben or any tasty combination of flavours in either sandwich. This is a place that tries to be cool within the Melbourne food scene, but unfortunately doesn't have the food to back it up... yet.

Xoanon

Liked this place, for the atmosphere and decor as well as the food. I had the schmaltz chicken and it was absolutely delicious. The bread was particularly nice, embedded with walnuts. My friend had the meatball sandwich which both looked and tasted excellent. The only improvement I could suggest would be installing coat racks along one of the walls, the lack of this being a common failing in Melbourne eateries.

Mia

Pastrami was not as good as you get in N.Y , but best I have tried in melb so far. Great service. Yum

JW

Delicious. I went to BtoW for lunch on a Monday and it was packed! We were planning to eat in but the wait was too long so we did take away. So if you want a table, go early. But they seemed to handle the crowds well, and the dudes making the sandwiches were very friendly. I had the lox bagel, which was lovely but a bit small. My friends had the reuben, the meatball one and today's special which was the philly steak. I can't wait to go back and try the rest!

Daniel Reeders

Visited on Thursday. The waiters are super cute, super hipster, as is to be expected given the name and theme -- but they were also really friendly, attentive and down to earth. I had the lox on latkes: lashings of good smoked salmon on two lovely fritters with shaved fennel, poached eggs, snow pea shoots, and a great tangy pickle creme (see photo). The poached eggs were past cooked but it was such a generous dish I was happy to push them aside and enjoy the rest. Two coffees on Padre beans -- I'm not a fan but the barista here got every last drop of personality out of them. I tried to come back today, bringing a friend, but of course, der, they're closed. This led to comment of the day from my friend, 'what was that place called again, Barry to Williamstown?'

Sare

Really enjoyed the sour cherry bagel w cream cheese. Great quality bagel & plenty of different flavoured cream cheeses to accompany the bagel. Guaranteed naughty start to the day!

Hung Dong Long

Nice fit out and concept in a typical 'mystery' Melbourne lane way location with too many staff standing around. Ordered a Reuben with sides. Overall I enjoyed the food and presentation but the meat was fatty, dry and chewy. It should be better if it's your claim to fame. Will give it a go again as I think it has promise but I think its getting harder to be impressed by tattooed hipsters opening cool cafes.

Nat Power

Blow the bagel. This place is blowing my mind. I am not normally so impressed by a cafe, come on, they open all the time. But this one is special, different and better than the rest. Coffee is Padre brand, the local Brunny roasters and the lunch and breakfast menus are inventive while traditional. Haven't tried eating there yet, haven't had time but have drooled over the fresh salad combinations and colours frequently. Only been open a few weeks, really hope this place kicks it for years to come.

Belinda Keeffe

Coffee was great and service fantastic. Will definitely be returning to try the lunch menu!

Dominic Kelly

This place looks great and customer service is A1, however the pastrami they use is no good. When I ask for a pastrami sandwich I expect to be able to eat it, the meat was so tough it could not be eaten!!! I was already in my car driving away when I realised!! It really annoyed me to the point of not wanting to go back. Please try your meat before you put it on sandwiches. My $16.50 is a wasted lunch and has left me feeling anything but satisfied.

Scott A Pendlebury

Excellent! Great location, the service food and coffee was first class and all done with a smile. Must get back here ASAP

Sam Scriba

Absolutely loved this place. Worst part was having to choose which sandwich to try. All of them sounded amazing. Will be back for more...

Laura

Excellent. The staff were very friendly and there are a number of vegetarian options. Would definitely recommend it. Laura x

Melbourne Girl

Down a little cobbled alleyway, not completely unlike one you'd come across in The Bowery or Williamsburg, is a little cafe. Like all hidden gems, it's hard to spot at first, but if you're brave enough to venture down you will eventually be glad you did so. This was my second visit in two days - the first was to try to the peanut butter hot chocolate I'd read about in this broadsheet article , and the second was for lunch. Oliver Lane I had already planned in my head what I wanted to say about this place before I'd even been here. I'd done my research, read the reviews and blog posts, and it was time for me to contribute to the community with my own experience. Too bad the idealised, melting hot fudge-like and gooey peanut butter hot chocolate I had in mine tasted just like my regular dark soy hot chocolate that I get from Koko Black. Only less rich, and *starts choking up* lukewarm . It was upsetting, letting my tastebuds believe they were going to be treated to a spectacular experien

Lily Ouk Eat Food

Stepping into Bowery to Williamsburg feels pretty much like stepping straight into New York, everything feels ripped straight from a place like Katz Deli, and this is definitely not a bad thing! Really brought back some great memories, and the food here just felt incredibly authentic, if you’re looking for a slice of Americana in Melbourne there really isn’t a much better place you could go than Bowery to Williamsburg.

Chasing A Plate

...Bowery to Williamsburg is one of Melbourne CBD’s cafe stalwarts. A reinvented menu has seen their focus on sandwiches and bagels turn to their take on American breakfasts including the likes of Boston baked beans, a Reuben sandwich, Challah French toast and lox on potato latkes...

Chasing A Plate

I was treated to a gloriously indulgent breakfast at Bowery to Williamsburg by my friend Trace recently. I had high expectations of the place as I hear one of the owners of The Hardware Société , one of my go-to cafes, is part of this venture. My first impression was not spectacular, don't get me wrong, the space itself is stunning, the communal table, the mounted blackboard sandwich menu, the counter laden with delicious sweets was all appealing, but not one staff member said 'hello' or smiled at me. In fact I waited a good minute or so before a busy waitress who had been serving diners outside, greeted me. I don't think I'm being overly demanding, it irks me when people in hospitality aren't hospitable! I am happy to report however that thereon in the service was fantastic. Contrary to my usual coffee order I started with a peanut butter hot chocolate whilst Trace went with a skinny latte. Both drinks arrived with a Hershey's Kiss (nice touch) and really hit the spot. The

The Food Society

I go for the hot smoked salmon sandwich; a thick mix of torn smoked salmon with smooth caviar cream cheese schmear, juicy hierloom tomato, fried capers and radish. Squished in between two thick slices of sourdough, the supersize sandwich is a flavoursome bomb of tender salmon and fresh flavours.

Delightfullytasty

I was actually quite disappointed with the experience, mostly due to my friend getting sick from her dish, and feeling a little ripped off with the extras we ordered.

DAMMIT JANET I LOVE FOOD

Tucked away in a small cobblestone lane, this place serves up American inspired food that ranges from bagels to mac and cheese. This place is quite small so seating can be an issue during busy periods. The breakfast menu comes on a postcard so you can imagine that the options here are quite limited. Service was average as was the food. If I ever decide to come here again, I think it’ll just be for drinks. Note that this place is cash only.

Venuemob

There’s quite a bit of American fare around Melbourne at the moment, but Bowery to Williamsburg proves to be less “oh here’s another thing” and more “loving homage really well done”, or “veritable wonderland of authentic tasty snacks and meals”. Come get inside me, carbs.

Food Fitness And Foucault

I will without hesitation declare this the best Reuben I have ever eaten, and I believe it's probably the best Reuben in Australia :) If you love your American food you simply must go to this place, and if you even have the slightest soft spot for corned beef sandwiches...well there is no question... eat this sandwich

Food Fitness And Foucault

So I was super lucky enough to be able to head over for four days of handing out flyers at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and whilst I was there I embarked on a mission to eat as much amazing food as possible between working, socialising and sleeping. After pursuing Urbanspoon and seeking some recommendations I headed out to the following places, all of which were absolutely great in there own right. Melbourne treated me far too well food-wise I almost didn't want to come back! Paco's Tacos An afternoon flight and work that night meant my first night in Melbourne required something quick and close to the venue I was working at. Paco's Taco's seemed to fit the bill and were a must eat on a few other food bloggers bucket lists so I organised to meet the comedian I was working with for dinner here. The feel is very similar to Little Miss Mexico in Adelaide, a great relaxed vibe, funky decor and the perfect space for after work drinks. I had checked out their website and lucky enough for me

Flho

The small place has an American theme, with a range of gourmet sandwiches, and a variety of sides. For a weekday lunch on the early side, it was quite busy, with friendly staff and quick service, as everything is prepared, aside from the assembly of the sandwich. The space is also very nicely styled with small, simple yet effective details, and features a long communal table and also a nice outdoor area.

The City Lane

Bowery to Williamsburg in Melbourne’s CBD is a cafe that, as the name suggests, is inspired by Manhattan’s Bowery, Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and all things cool and New York City in 2013. Run by the same team that own the popular Hardware Societie, the aim is to bring a slice of this New York vibe to Melbourne.

De-brief Me

I had the delectable peanut butter hot chocolate. The complete menu was up on the wall.. And they had a lunch deal where you could get one of the sandwiches for $12.50 or get it with a side and some pretzels and a pickle for $16.50. The portion sizes were HUGE. Lil’ E & I shared the Hot Smoked Salmon – caviar cream cheese, heirloom tomato, radish & fried capers on

Joanna Chan

The unsatisfying dessert left an emptiness that needed fulfilling.

Thegrazingpanda

Bowery to Williamsburg is new to the cobblestone laneway of Melbourne namely Oliver Lane (which also houses the famous Coda) – is known for its fantastic bagels and out of this world sandwiches. Bowery to Williamsburg is a New-York inspired deli style venue brought to you by the team behind the ever popular Hardware Societe (Will and Di). It is aptly named after the Bowery Station of New York and comes complete with an underground style area to sit. At cobblestone street level there are communal tables where you can sit outside as well as having its own Slayer coffee machine, step through the doors (which are cleverly held open by a brass shoe) and down the stairs and you are greeted by a massive Slayer coffee machine (which sources local espresso coffee- Padre coffee beans from Brunswick) and copper trimmed sandwich counter, completed with a large sign that tells you how to order. Its simple really – 1) Choose your sandwich, 2) Select your Side and 3)Add some pretzels & pickle and Pay

Bao

...only several months old and established by the same two people that established the ever so popular Hardware Societe. So there was a lot of hype surrounding this new cafe located on Oliver Lane which also possesses such eateries as Yu-u and Coda. This was where I took my relatively new friend who seems to show a lot of common interests.

Lisa Holmen

Think mac and cheese, reuben sandwiches, pretzels and great coffee from their Slayer coffee machine to match. Be warned this place gets busy so be prepared to queue at peak times.

Epicurean Of Southbank

When I read that a "NYC Eatery" opened in the CBD the other week called Bowery to Williamsburg my first thought was that the Mexican craze was now officially dead and buried like WorkChoices but that to my shagrin, "American" style food was on the rise. To the point, when I think of a New York City style eatery, my first thoughts are big and bold sandwiches with a Jewish flare in a swanky yet professional environment. When the name of the restaurant makes reference to a train line that runs from the heart of Manhattan to Queens, it made me even more intrigued so it was with a fair amount of curiosity that I turned up to this place for lunch with one other. Philly Cheesesteak, Macaroni & Cheese, Pretzels, Dill Pickle The reputation of Bowery to Williamsburg proceeds itself as it comes from the pedigree of the Hardware Societe, one of the more popular laneway eateries if you believe Urbanspoon and of course my good self as I love their French-inspired breakfasts along with the warm and p

Brunch Addict

The outfit is small but spacious with a long communal table. The team at Bowery to Williamsburg are busy but vibrant and make each patron feel welcomed and accommodated. Coffee is by Padre Coffee with my long black [$3.50] being of exceptional quality. There was a lovely smooth citrus overtone from start to finish – a surprise improvement.

Elspeth

I'm not saying I'm happy that Bowery to Williamsburg's sister restaurant, Hardware Societe, recently sustained damage in a fire. Nothing fun about fire. But, in a way, I kind of am saying that*, because the closure of HS has led the cafe's owners to open their homage to NYC on the weekends. That means that I finally had a chance to visit and shove my face with blog-worthy bagels. *I DO NOT ENDORSE THE USE OF ARSON TO CHANGE YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT'S SCHEDULE.

Forksake

The café really captures the best of both worlds or in this case the best of both cities. With a fast paced New York subway ambience down a grungy Melbourne laneway, who says you can’t be in two places at once. I was tempted with their famous peanut butter hot chocolate but I required my caffeine fix so I got a Padré Coffee from local roaster in Brunswick with a special Hershey’s kiss on the side, almost better than a real kiss, almost.

Spoonfuls Of Wanderlust

This is a photoview post (contains mostly photos only). The best? The food porn of the dessert counter and the peanut butter hot chocolate. The worst? No bookings and limited seating so prepare to wait, and the mac and cheese had unfortunately split. Must try for next time? The impressive dessert selection. Service? Friendly and efficient. Decor? New York subway meets American diner. Noise? Mid-range. Value? Depends on what you order, but the set appears to be of decent value in terms of quantity. Would we go back? Yes, but I'd just order the lunch special sandwich by itself and a dessert next time.

Robert_hs

I hate to say it as a Sydneysider, but this café is ace....The café is part of the American food revolution that is taking over all cafes. Therefore, I went for a latte and some ridiculously amazing sounding fatty, Australian sculpted, bagel. The latte came out to me pretty quickly and was served with a (Hershey’s) Kiss,. You’ll see the latte art was also killer. Aroma wise, the smell of the coffee was quite mild with some soft sweet milk flavours wafting through my nose. Taste wise it was divine, the soft notes of caramel and something else milky sweet cut, mixed with some gentle smokiness from the roast cut through the milk very well. It was anything but overpowering, and went super well with the Hershey Kiss. Let it sit and let it cool with the air around you (or if its summer the super hot air around you). The coffee becomes something akin to a desert, with the caramel taking control, for the love of god don’t add sugar. Overall, goddamn this place is cool.

Cat

... glad I ordered the Reuben just to see what it was like, but I enjoyed the lox bagel far more. When you go inside Bowery there’s a huge tray of cold-smoked salmon, and it’s just so inviting. Pair it with its long time lover dill and add some cream cheese an

MikhaelfBlue

I loved sight of the broken fried egg with glorious oozing yolk. The bacon was salty and crisp, the monterey jack cheese nicely melted and the prune relish gave it sweet, herby punch.

The World Loves Melbourne

Bowery to Williamsberg is an exciting New York style cafe in Oliver Lane near Fed Square in Melbourne, paying homage to New York but in particular Bowery in Manhattan and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Will and Di from Hardware Societe fame have researched the concept and after months in the making have put together a highly impressive establishment. I thought I knew bagels until I visited Bowery to Williamsberg and had found them boring, but these are top notch. Fresh, chewy and with superb flavours.

Popcornandtoast

gorgeous new york baked cheesecake that comes with maple cream (MAPLE cream), and you know it would be perfect with a peanut butter hot chocolate.

Theycallmemaggie

Prepared to perfection, the salmon was very tender and smoky, and its creamy richness complemented the cream cheese schmear. The fresh, juicy and sweet tomatoes, and the fried capers added to the flavour explosion that came with each bite.

Peach-Water

Since the grand opening of Bowery to Williamsburg, I’ve visited it countless number of times. It’s very simple, chic and very American. On one of my rare day off, I caught up with my gorgeous friend Serinna over lunch. Having not seen her for a while, we sat there chatting for a long while before we placed our order. To start off with, we had a Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate. I said to Serinna that she must try this drink, as I instantly fell in love with the drink. A very rich and indulgent drink – you can definitely taste the salty note from the peanut butter, and is the perfect pairing for chocolate. The drink also comes with a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I love how all their hot drinks comes with a little piece of chocolate – very similar to the small doughnuts you get at Hardware Societe.

Sofia Levin

Bowery to Williamsburg boasts the kind of menu that makes you want to pull your hair out – you want to order everything but you can’t. Or can you? Nope, you definitely can’t. The Reuben, which has become the signature sanger here, proves you can’t order everything on the menu due to it’s sheer size. Thick slices of corned beef brisket get jiggy with sauerkraut, Russian dressing and oodles of melted swiss cheese. I took one look at the beast and decided I couldn’t manage it, although the fellow next to me was certainly enjoying his. Next time I'll better prepare my stomach for the challenge.

MoMo And Coco ~ Dessert Correspondents

MoMo & Coco's Guide to Melbourne's Best American Desserts

MoMo And Coco ~ Dessert Correspondents

With love from New York to Melbourne

FoodieAboutTown

Bowery to Williamsburg – namesake to the New York subway station for the line connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn and we are certainly being taken on a journey back to the heart of NYC where coffee, bagels and lox are all in abundance. So taking hubby up the little laneway that looks nothing special but just as you enter there is a happy exclamation as you see colourful umbrellas and wooden benches hosting happy coffee fans. Inside there is a large communal table where you can see everything happening in the kitchen and where the take away coffee punters gather. We easily grab a pretty turquoise chair and order up coffees which arrive with little Hershey kisses – nice touch and we already feel like we are hanging out Stateside. The breakie menu is a full on mouth watering array of dishes with bagel & schmear, granola, buttermilk waffles, french toast and lox latkes. The lunch menu is definitely one to get back for with po boys, reubens and mac and cheese on the side! I go for the lox and

Katherine Chiu

The place is good for study groups as they have a communal table as well as some smaller tables outside. This is a dog friendly place. Because this place is so small they don't have a bathroom. Instead you could go across the road to ACMI if need be. The place is well serviced by trams and trains (it is a short walk to Flinders st station)

Sweet And Sour Fork

The Reuben ($12.5) is my idea of the perfect sandwich. The beef was layered so thick it was basically a steak, and the lashings of sauerkraut were drowned in a creamy and spicy Russian sauce, held together by gooey melted cheese. It was hot, meaty, tangy, cheesy, saucy, and between two slices of stellar bread – what more could you ask for?

Eat.Play.Shop.

This actually surprised me with its pleasant chocolatey peanut buttery taste that wasn't too sweet or over powering. We were brunching at 11:15am which meant I got to look at the breakfast menu, and could also check out the lunch menu that starts at 11:30am. The lunch menu had a variety of classic american sandwich fillings like The Reuben and the Lox Bage

Melbourne Lifestyle Blog

Hidden along Oliver Lane between rusted walls, the Bowery to Williamsburg has somehow carved out a niche for itself of well-made sandwiches and sides. It is a sandwich bar, American (apparently) and serves a variety of toasted sandwiches with sides like pretzels, pickles, salads and macaroni cheese.

Fatboo

...the bagels here are worth coming back for.

MissPiggyEats

Set in a sub-basement level space you can't help get the nod to all things New York Subway as you descend the stairs into the cafe...The menu has a decided bent towards Americana (in a good way)...bagels, pastrami beef hash, lox latkes...and not a slider to be seen anywhere folks.

PiCi And BC

...it was distinctly Melbournian, gentrified and more refined than anything the Americans could ever muster

Petit Miamx

Bowery to Williamsburg - the sign brings back flashes of riding the subway, and with mentions of Reuben sandwiches, lox bagels and all types of schmears, it feels like a little slice of New York City.

Cora Chen

I really enjoyed the style of food at Bowery to Williamsburg. It's soul food without the heaviness. I would have preferred all the food in a sunnier setting but that's just because I'm a Queensland girl. My pick to return for is sandwiches; the crab version sounded particularly appetising.

Sarah Cooks

B2W isn't open on weekends, and it's a bit out of the way for me, but I managed to pop in this morning at ten-thirty (my reward for coming in to work for an early-morning meeting and missing my usual breakfast at home!) It was a good time to visit - no queues! My fears of hassled staff were unfounded too - they were super nice. They must have seen my confused, overwhelmed face when I walked in, and one of the lovely staff promptly explained their ordering system (table service if you eat in, order at the bar for takeaway), the different bagel varieties and cream cheese schmear flavours, and which combos go together well. (There is a big sandwich menu on one wall, but I was much more interested in the bagels).

Off The Spork

...ordered the special that I almost ordered – eggs benedict on a cornmeal muffin with crispy crab cakes, spinach and tomato. I had food envy when it arrived, it looked really good....

Melbourne Glutton

As a self-confessed glutton, American food is satisfying in the most special way. With its standout menu of Reuben sandwiches, Southern fried chicken and peanut butter hot chocolates, Bowery to Williamsburg has become a favourite past time. Tucked away in a cobblestoned alley on Flinders Lane, this is probably the only Melbournian aspect. There is usually a line around lunch time so be prepared to wait a little and sit on a communal table. The place is always buzzing and the staff always seem to be run off their feet attending to the constant stream of patrons. Even so, the service is pretty quick and we’ve never had our orders missed or mistaken. On one visit, I decided to be a little bit adventurous and ordered the pickled herring with beetroot & egg salad and cucumber bagel, with a side order of mac and cheese. This also came with some pretzels which was somewhat cute. The mac and cheese was creamy and oozy and responsibly too small! My bagel was a rather interesting combination o

Libby Margo

The café is named after a subway route that connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. I’m not sure how long it takes for one to get from the real Bowery to the real Williamsburg – and doing a Google search on this proved fruitless as the results were of blog pages dedicated to this dear Melbourne café (sucks if you’re a tourist in NYC). However, it only took me 5 minutes by tram during the post-lunch peak rush which I thought was pretty sweet. Bowery to Williamsburg is located on Oliver Lane, which is a tiny cobblestoned pathway just off the Russell and Fl

Eat And Be Merry Crew

Most of us had a side dish of macaroni and cheese and all agreed that this was the highlight of our meal. It was rich and creamy and had a delicious cheesy crust on top. We would definitely return for this dish alone. We were surprised that they don’t have this as a main dish as it would be a best seller.

MEL: HOT OR NOT

The cuisine is American/Jewish inspired. So while you can have a Padre coffee or an English breakfast tea (served with a Hershey Kiss, cute!), for drinks I suggest you make a beeline for the Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate served in a faux crumpled plastic cup ($5). Such genius to mix a sweet drink with more richness – particularly if you dunk your Reece’s Peanut Butter cup to turn into goo inside your cup.

Gourmet Chick

Bowery to Williamsburg has done more than just jump on the American bandwagon in Melbourne. It’s gone all in while still creating a really interesting menu which offers a genuine alternative to your standard cafe fare. Prices are steep but hey, it’s still cheaper than flying to New York. Go!

Review Bowery To Williamsburg - Melbourne