Review St Ali Coffee Roasters - Melbourne

Came here during the Melbourne GP weekend after getting multiple recommendations from locals. The coffee is unbelievably good, we went with a group of 4 and by the end of our meal everyone had ordered a second round of coffee and was tempted to get a third. Food wise the menu is huge, lots of variety, generous portions and most importantly absolute delicious. The staff were super friendly and helpful despite them being insanely busy and the decor and ambience of the whole place really quirky but cool. Defiantly a go to for sure! Especially if your a coffee lover. They have a little shop next to the cafe as well where you can pick up some coffee beans to take home with you. Make sure you get the bigger bag cause I promise you you’ll finish the bag before you know it.

Delicious food, great coffee, comfy place. Awesome place to go alone or with friends! They also have a small merchandise shop where you can buy their coffee, machine, and liquors. They also sell some shirts, hot sauces, and many more. The place itself is a little cramped but comfy, so no worries!

Great coffee, and a very satisfying breakfast experience! Portions were extremely generous and more importantly, yum. The coffee was unsurprising good and staff attentive. Great vibe and surroundings. Highly recommended.

Ended up coming twice on our holiday, both times served with great hospitality, great coffee and great food! After visiting have even subscribed to their coffee subscription due to the coffee being seriously good! Would recommend to anyone visiting Melbourne as a must try brekkie spot, easy access from the CBD via tram!

Great food, great coffee, great crew; what more could you want? They're attentive without being overbearing and love dogs as well. The Royale burger was simple and exactly what you want from a well executed cheeseburger and my partner loved her mushrooms (Koo Koo Kachoo). Will be back for sure!

Well worth the price and wait(if you haven't booked a table). Gourmet presented meals, consistent, tasty. Awesome environment both inside and out, funky uniforms!

First, these photos aren't from the cafe - their coffee looks WAY better. :) Anyway, dropped by to restock on Wide Awake and had a great chat with Alex. I had recently ordered coffee from somewhere else but nothing I did could produce a decent coffee with it. This is in stark contrast to St Ali Wide Awake, from which I can produce a decent coffee pretty much every time (despite the ugly pics). Alex was friendly, helpful, understanding and gave me some good suggestions as to why the other coffee didn't work for me. Helpfulness aside, I've gone back to St Ali Wide Awake anyway, since it is my favourite and just works, every time. Thanks Alex!

Started going here in 2010. Certainly changed, sold out even. My Mexican Cousin, not what it used to be. Mine was salty as. Detox juice tasted like V8 juice, I suspect it was bottled. For almost $10 I'd expect a fresh large serving. Juice was tiny. Coffee was great as always, just a tiny cup and overpriced. I ordered a cappuccino, didn't looks like one. Vibe OK, not what it used to be, music was sensational. $50 well spent? Definitely not. I think I'm done.

Had to travel 20 minutes to get to this roaster (since we were staying in CBD). It was weekday so seating wasn't an issue. I was just from Patricia earlier and had the take away cup with me still, then the waitress asked me if I wanted to get rid of it. Lol, no BYO I suppose. I quickly finished it up and passed it on to her to bin it. My wife had the mexican cousins, it looked great. I ordered veggie burger, not really to my liking. The patty itself was a bit dry, and crumbled easily. Maybe I just ordered the wrong item, but veggie burger was on the specials list so I thought why not?? Coffee was on point, as expected.. my wife probably would've given better rating, but unfortunately, I'm the one reviewing. Will I come back? Not for the veggie burger I won't..

Long time fan but have been disappointed of late. $5.50 for a large coffee is at the top end price for a coffee which I don’t mind paying for good quality coffee but then don’t insult by not filling the cup to the top.Just a note that takeaway customers are still customers and should be treated with the same respect as your diners

Disgusting! Ordered the smoked salmon bruschetta .... it’s no wonder that it was on the specials list.... probably because nobody ever orders it because it’s rotten!What I got was soggy sourdough bread caked in butter with warm tomatoes and cooked salmon.... smoked salmon should be served raw... it was also served with a side salad which lacked effort completely! Will not be back!

I love this place so much, went on christmas day and everyone was so kind and welcoming. The food was delicious and the coffee was great. Had the citrus cured kingfish, green hummous and lamb brisket. I am always finding new things on the menu that I love. Place was filled, but they found a perfect table for us.

Just love this place. Two visits now on this holiday. Great coffee, excellent food. Attentive, engaging service and a location you have to find, you won’t stumble across it.

Ver noisy, poor attitude by meet and greet staff - told us Table would 10-15 mins wait outside or go for a walk back in 15 mins - table gone "we called you and you were not waiting outside" another 10-15 mins. Food Good, Coffee warm, Service rushed, Attitude poor. No rush to be going back

Loved everything! The menu, the food, the coffee and also the staff - they were so accommodating and kind to my baby boy despite being super busy!

Funky little industrial cafe tucked away down a blink n miss it alley. Trendy cool vibe. Super friendly staff. Love it !

Well the coffee is always amazing ... it's the staff that's always hit and miss. Tried the new Columbian Corn Pancakes, such a disappointment. The accompaniments were good but the dish for its price was a no no The Bloody Mary was spicy but there was very little or no alcohol I d go there again for the corn fritters and coffee but that's it

We had a business brunch meeting Sunday 5/11, in the private dining area. The Food was AMAZING, the staff were very attentive and extremely helpful. We feel very lucky to have chosen St Ali for an important gathering with our international guests. They were also very impressed. We will be back St Ali, thank you to the staff for awesome service.

Everytime I am in Melbourne I will always visit this place for the best coffee and breakfast

Great coffee and chilled out vibe. Love how the owner ushers in, sits at the table to explain the menu and take our order. Not sure if that’s just for us or everyone but great service all round. And the food was a lot and was delicious. Highly recommended!

Great coffee food was fantastic & came pretty quick so we were happy. Friendly helpful staff in a cool warehouse atmosphere 😋

When I was three years old , my parents came to st Ali and we had the portagese tarts and coffee , I of coarse , had a glass of milk and 7 years later we visited again , coffee and tarts again , the quality for both is still outstanding, yummmmmmmo !!!!!!!!!!!

The food was really good. My double pattie burger really hit the spot. The mocha and expression shake was delicious.<br/><br/>The wait staff was very friendly and the aesthetic of the place was amazing.

We were excited to check out this place on a friend’s recommendation. They had been there previously and has spoken highly of it. We got there on time for our cooking and waited close onto half an hour plus for our booking. Annoying but with the lifting of restrictions/new restrictions, sometimes this can’t be helped. Once seated we ordered coffees which were nice and our meal. My husband and I ordered the crumpets with crab meat. When they arrived we were both so annoyed to see how small they were. They were TINY. How they can be on a menu as a main meal or even at that price is beyond me. We ended up paying $66 for two coffees and x2 of the crab crumpets. I would be hesitant to return to St Ali because it was an absolute rip off.

Decided to visit St Ali with my foodie mother after reading good reviews and seeing some gorgeous pictures of the food.<br/><br/>Booked in advance but kept waiting outside for 15 minutes due to our booking not being honoured, we went inside and had to negotiate for our table. After being seated the service and atmosphere at the restaurant was great but the experience went downhill starting with the coffee. <br/>Unlike most Melbourne cafes that offer a range of delicious coffees to choose from the house coffee from St Ali was very bitter with no depth of flavour as if it was burnt.<br/>After reading the eloquent prose of the menu (was this a real estate writer?) we ordered the Koo Koo Ca Choo and Spanner Crab on Homemade Crumpets which were quickly prepared. However, on arrival it was as if we had ordered from the kids menu with portion sizes 50% less than you would expect from the average Melbourne cafe while sporting above average prices. <br/><br/>The Spanner Crab was the biggest letdown arriving on two small crumpets (half the size of supermarket crumpets) each with a small pile of crab on top. Both of the crumpets were so soaked in butter that the crab flavour was indistinguishable from the butter and after forcing myself to eat the second crumpet I left the cafe feeling ill. <br/>My mother’s Koo Koo Ca Choo could be better described as 2 eggs, thinly sliced Coles mixed punnet mushrooms with a single log of mashed potato masquerading as a “hash brown” that was also so soaked in butter that she left feeling as sick as me.<br/><br/>While the service was good, I would recommend walking two blocks to Dead Man Espresso for a satisfying and delicious meal with friendly staff as I will be next weekend.<br/><br/>Note: I realise now that I should have taken a picture of our meals for reference but they were so underwhelming at the time that the thought didn’t cross my mind.

I went to St.Ali for first time yesterday, i’m innitially just want to grab a book that they sell and why not try their well known good coffee for first time. I drink soy cap 1 sugar everyday (because i work in cafe as well), unfortunately my soy cap fr St.Ali was burned, it wasn’t enjoyable at all, i don’t know maybe the barista too rush in making the coffee or what..

Visited 5Nov19:<br/>I was around the area on the day and finally had time to see the cafe.<br/><br/>It was street style deco and very different from what I imagined of St Ali.<br/><br/>Friendly prompt customer service. Very helpful of choosing flavours of coffee and sweets.<br/>All staff have great knowledge about their products. <br/>I will visit it again and get some coffee beans to taste.

This place is absolutely amazing! The food is delicious, good coffee and good vibes!! Plus Tony is the sweetest. We accidentally spilt our drink and he gave us a new one for free of charge! Definitely coming back!!

My daughter and I were in a hurry and they were very accommodating. Food great, excellent coffee to wake us up and music fab

St Ali quickly became my favourite coffee. The cafe itself has a really great atmosphere, friendly staff and quick service. The coffee is absolutely delicious. I often order a piccolo latte, but lately as the weather has been warm, I have been ordering cold brew or iced latte. And they are both so satisfying and tasty. When ever I have friends or family visiting from interstate or overseas, St Ali is the first place I recommend.

I am a tad delayed in writing my review, I visited just after Christmas.<br/><br/>The service was really good and there was a solid menu.  My latte was really enjoyable and I ordered the crispy skinned salmon which was such a tasty dish.  My eggs poached just right and the salmon cooked to perfection.  All the ingredients were matched together nicely.  My friend ordered the lobster taco which was a stand out dish. <br/><br/>A cafe worth visiting, we enjoyed the coffee and food here.

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Went to St Ali for breakfast on the Australia Day public holiday. Food was good however I asked for the aircon to be turned up due to the heat and position of my table. It lacked air. I do not believe the air was turned up. I moved twice as people left so I could be closer to the door / window hoping to get some relief from the heat. I ate and as soon as I had finished, I was curtly asked if I wanted the bill. The desire to get me out of there so someone else could sit couldn't have been more obvious. "Bums on, bums off" approach to customer service. As I was clearly "not welcome anymore" because I had finished eating, I headed to pay. The 18% surcharge was insane and only evident when I went to pay. 0 out of 5 for customer service.

Milk wasn’t silky at all. Missing chocolate powder, service was okay

Great vibe of the venue with nice staff. The coffee is great as you'd expect from a roaster. The food was tasty and not 100% your normal brunch fare but well worth trying and getting amounst it.

I heard this place is quite known in the town, so I went to try. The atmosphere was very nice and comfortable. Food came out in a reasonable time. However it was bit pricey for what we've got. The foods were not a big portion nor complex enough to get charged so much. We ordered large coffee and it wasn't really large..! If it was other cafe, I would've been medium size. I would say food and coffee were both average but the price was not. Looked like they put lots of effort to marketing and merchandise but what actually matters wasn't satisfying enough.. There are lots of reviews about 'overprice' about this place. Maybe they should listen to customers.

Visited St Ali over the Christmas period - got a table straight away. I ordered the lobster taco which was absolutely sensational - the flavour combinations were so good and so delicious! My friend ordered the salmon salad and really enjoyed it also. Coffee was great and service was quick and friendly.

Very busy on our visit, service was really slow, waited for 15 minutes till we got the menu, the coffee was quite average, and the food was very disappointed and overpriced.

Located down an alley in South Melbourne this is a cool (and clearly popular spot, nice and busy at 11am midweek) they sell their own coffee and merchandise and the place has a buzzy vibe.

St Ali is a popular, and very aesthetic cafe offering great food with very unique drinks. Set in an ambient setting, St Ali is a great brunch option that we would recommend trying.<br/><br/>Today I ordered the Grilled Salmon with an Iced Latte. Despite the beer bottle appearance the latte was very sweet and was a unique experience for an already great tasting drink. The Salmon was an interesting meal, lathered with greens and beans. The fish itself was very tender, skin crispy and melted in your mouth whilst the greens were very- green haha. Lots of beans with a good mix of sauces for a pretty whole and hearty meal.<br/><br/>There was a deal with the Royale shack burger, and only $2 pale ale which is something I would try next. Otherwise a really good experience here at St Ali!<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 4.5/5<br/>Value: 4/5<br/><br/>Overall: 4/5

Go out for breakfast every weekend I take the family And enjoy my Sundays doing that. Went to St Ali’s On Sunday. Ordered bacon and eggs for both me and my wife very simple and pancakes for my two boys the smallest pancakes of ever seen. I was charged $166 for those simple meals I have never been charged so much money for the four of us and all the weekends that I have breakfast out. This place is way overpriced and the food was okay nothing out of the ordinary, I will never dine there again. I could understand if I had a complex breakfast and I was asking for lots of extras and being way too fussy. But that wasn’t the case.

Quite an average brunch. I would be lying if I said the food was worth the price. The potato hash was soggy and the charcoal dressing tasted mildly of mushroom and mayo. There wasn't anything unique. I could walk into any cafe in toorak or camberwell and get served with better food, and good service If it counts, the host had an amazing shirt with a giant pin on, and I googled 1 hour where to find it. That was probably the only intersting bit for me at the place.

An amazing coffee roaster down in the alley ways of South Melbourne and is always bustling with people. The decor is rustic and it keeps it spacious. Love the coffee's here and they have been consistent since day 1

Very disappointing service for a place that is meant to be an iconic cafe in Melbourne. perhaps that's why staff feel like they don't actually have to be hospitable. Coffee is good, but not worth the poor quality of service.

One of the best coffee roasters in Melbourne, and a great cafe as well. I love the branding, the venue design, the food, the service and of course, the coffee. My soy flat whites are consistently good. The fact that all takeaway cups are fully recyclable (most aren't) makes me appreciate this spot even more. But of course a reusable cup is always a superior choice, and St Ali makes some really cute ones.

I like it that no matter how busy the place is and how run off their feet the staff are you won’t feel rushed and pushed out the door. Thank you for making our brunch relaxed and enjoyable!

Used to be the place to show off to visitors, everything was on point but sadly not anymore. Had to wave down staff to order drinks and a few minutes later for food. Weekend surcharge is a bizarre 10.3%, with no staff coming to clear your empty drinks or ask you how your meal was. <br/>Coffee was ok but this Orthodox blend has lost its strong distinct taste that made St Ali coffee so great. <br/>Cutlery had a bit of smell to it.<br/>No wonder there was no queue Sat lunch time on a sunny day! (There used to always be at least a short queue but the wait was worth it)<br/>$74 for 2.<br/>Plenty of other places to go nearby, will only ever return on a weekday.

Had their Flat White with the Orthodox blend and it was good. Had a sip of my friend’s Macchiato with Feels Good Organic blend and it tasted amazing that I got the beans after. The guys at St Ali really know their coffee!

Love this place. Great menu, the food was delicious. The coffee is amazing, so much so we bought some to make at home. Staff were really nice.

Definitely not worth revisiting again for the food. Poached eggs were overcooked and for $12 eggs your way, you DO NOT get toast with it. It was quite a rip off. Overrated cafe for food but the coffee/hot chockee were great. Staff were not particularly proactive, stood at the counter to try and pay the bill but no one served us or tried getting the “cashier” to attend to us. Probably stood there unattended for 5 min? - wanted to see how long it take for someone to do something. Nothing, the “cashier” came out from the back/kitchen.<br/><br/>NOTE: They charge 11.5% service charge on weekends and public holidays. (Again, not great since the food were really pricey for starters).

Bustling cafe down an alley way of south melbourne.<br/><br/>Very popular with locals and for good reasons.<br/><br/>The food has been consistantly good and portions are very generous.<br/><br/>Great coffee, but we already know that 😝

I think we all love St. Ali because it's just right: coffees are just nice, brekkies are just a little different (not your traditional Avo Mash), and lunch is just full enough.

The coffee is amazing!!! ⭐️ Staffs are really friendly, and I also love the place, it’s really cozy. I ordered two dishes which are Crispy Skinned Salmon and My Mexican Cousin (basically, it’s corn fritters). I would recommend the corn fritters, it tastes so great and tasty! I also like the combination of the beetroot and the salmon, so unique 😍. Recommended for those who love eating brunch and coffee lovers 🤤☕️

I am seriously underwhelmed. What’s the hype really? Coffee was good but food menu didn’t excite me. The Daddy was boring. Crispy skinned salmon didn’t have have crispy skin. What was crispy was the crunchy chickpeas. No interest to be back...

I think the appeal to this place is the aesthetics. The customer service is adequate and food came out at a good time considering how busy it was. They let me put together toast and avo from the extras menu for my son and it came out nice and quick. The menu is pretty average considering the high price... not a lot of options especially if you have dietary requirements. To get something dairy free I had to settle for a simple bacon and eggs, but the toast is done too crispy so it is like trying to cut or bite through leather.

This place is one of my favorites. They provide good and tasty coffees consistently. This morning I had a take away coffee which was cold and watery. It was very poorly made, disappointing and not worth money. I will definitely come back, but I hope my coffee is a good and better quality as always.

A classic, must go!<br/><br/>Amazing industrial-like interior with a diverse range of brunch options to choose from. The coffee beans they sell is aromatic and delicious.

Near South Melbourne Market and looking for an iconic brunch place? St. Ali’s your place! Prepare to fork out some $$ tho 😅<br/><br/>FOOD & COFFEE: We ordered the Jam Donut Hotcakes & USA Today Pancakes. I was torn between the both of them so we ended up ordering both 🤣 They are both different in their own ways! I’m a pancake person so I like them thicc and thin 🌞 For me, I personally LOVED the Jam Donut Hotcakes! Its a hotcake so it’s thicker than a usual pancake! If you want a regular pancake however, the USA Today is for you! The cinnamon sugar made the hotcake sooo good and something really special compared to other hotcakes I’ve had so that’s a definite WIN for me! The USA Today Pancakes were good too but not on their own 😐 I don’t know if it’s on purpose that they made it kinda tasteless on their own so its good with the bacon, maple syrup and butter but ... 🤭☕️ The bacon was fabulous tho! The coffee was phenomenal, however and definitely worth the hype! If I were ever passing by, I’d pick a cup up but the food... I’ll pass next time<br/><br/>SERVICE: This is where... St. Ali kinda HMMMM. Maybe it’s a weekend that it makes them extra stressed and more chaotic but from start to finish, only 1 server was worth the extra 10% surcharge. From the beginning, servers were scattered everywhere, bumping into me and each other which I mean maybe its a small space but they didn’t even bother apologising lmao and then this is the KICKER and the embodiment of ‘AmAzInG’ service. I stood at the counter to make my payment and at least 5 servers saw me and I KID YOU NOT, this server saw me, made eye contact with me, smirked and then looked away and DIDNT WANT TO COME TO THE CASH REGISTER. LMAOOOOO. My friend had to personally go up to her and ask her to come over to get our payment done. The service here is kind of a joke, ngl. <br/><br/>Bottom line, great coffee, worth to try food but service that could be improved especially if the cafe intends to charge 10% extra and there are tons of other cafes that don’t.

Haven’t been to St Ali’s in a while and finally made our way back here.. St Ali’s is one of those OG brunch places that I feel has lost its glimmer.. There are a lot more brunch spots now in Melbourne that serve up food that are way more tastier and delicious.. Coffee was ok however I would think that there are plenty of other options out there..<br/>We had the brioche with egg and bacon and one of the specials, overall food was average and a bit pricey.. Coffee was decent.. Probably won’t venture back here. There was also a weekend surcharge of 10% and public holiday surcharge of 18% (I don’t believe it’s worth it to be honest)

The decoration and coffee are amazing! I order the breakfast Melbourne with three types of coffee: espresso, filter and cappuccino. Very good combo with you love coffee as me :)

Finally got the chance to try out this popular place...however after having a meal there, we just feel this place is overrated..we ordered the Daddy, Salmon and Sardine on toast, overall they all tasted good but nothing special, and the portions and presentations do not match their prices..

I went to update my review St Ali from 2017 and the whole thing vanished... don’t you hate that (Zomato). <br/><br/>What I was wanting to say is that without a doubt St Ali coffee, specifically the orthodox blend has become my favourite Melbourne coffee. That said I was excited to learn that they now do Nespresso coffee pods to take home and get that coffee fix you love in your own pod machine. We brought one of the Orthodox and another Good Times pod (supposed to be better for milky coffee). <br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>My previous visits have been less regular than I would like as we live in Box Hill so not quite a convenient location. Obviously I alway have coffee but the food here is really good as well. The space is warehouse and rustic and both myself and my wife loved the feel of the place that we looked into having our wedding reception here for something completely different. Unfortunately they just couldn’t fit in the number of people we needed. Just in the space it’s big enough but that won’t stop the queues and waiting so be prepared for that.

Have to applaud the service and catering of the cafe. <br/>They went out of the way to advise me on the menu and made sure my meal that I was ordering was lactose free. They somehow also managed to serve me and my friends all at the same time despite me ordering only 5 minutes before the food came. <br/>They really worked very promptly and much effort was made for customers to feel appreciated and welcomed 😊<br/>On top of that, food and coffee was great! Even if my meal was missing a few condiments (due to my lactose intolerance), it still tasted as amazing as it looks! <br/>100% would recommend anyone to come hear and although you may have to wait (they are very popular and often will have a long queue) trust me the wait is worth it!

Went here for late brunch and left disappointed. Bad chai latte and average overpriced food!! Chai latte was cold and lack of flavour. There are many better places in Melbourne for brunch

Terrible attitude!! Ridiculous surcharge on Retail!!! We visited on a public holiday which we know we are gonna pay surcharge. We bought 5 bags of coffee beans and powder after lunch. At the counter they asked us if we want to pay separately, we are fine paying together. At the end we saw on the bill that the surcharge is $35.46, they put 18% on top of the retail (coffee beans) at the same time !! We asked how come you charge retail 18% more which is unfair, they say they asked us if we wanted to pay separately, if we said yes, they wouldn’t charge us 18% on retail. But we didn’t get informed of this!! They are claiming it’s our fault now because we refused to pay separately. It’s not about the money, this cafe is ridiculously dodgy. We will never return and will never recommend to anyone. I will go consumer affair to pursue this matter further.

Came here for a quick coffee takeaway as I was in the area. Even though it was way past brunch hour at 330pm, there was still a considerable crowd - which shows how much of a tourist favourite this place is. People were taking pictures everywhere! Coffee wasn’t cheap at $4.50 but it was well executed - delicious, not too milky. Will come back for brunch! Service was fast and good

Open 365 days and till 5 PM! Now that’s something. Everyone knows St Ali for it’s coffee and it’s amazing. The place is super chill with great music and. It’s huge but still it can be difficult to a get a table on weekend. I usually go here for the coffee but I’ve heard a lot of good things about their pancake. They must be as good as people say for every time I am here I can see pancakes on lot of tables.

Ordered espresso milkshake and was amazed with it’s consistency as they put ice cream on the bottom. Good drink for a sunny day. I also ordered Salmon and Peas and the salmon was fantastic, it was crusty on the edge but still raw in the middle. My friend ordered Barista Breakfast and she totally loved it!

We expected great things since this place has a really high review. However, it was fair to say we were greatly disappointed. <br/><br/>We ordered 3 coffees (1 latte, 1 capuccino, and 1 mocha), along with 3 other dishes: The Daddy, Koo Koo Ca Choo, and the Blueberry Pancakes. When the coffee came out, my order (the capuccino) was really sour and bitter. However, when I tried my friend’s coffee (latte and mocha), the taste of the coffee tastes different. This would be expected for the mocha but there shouldn’t be such a difference with the latte. The latte was a lot more subtle, unlike mine. So I found this extremely weird because we ordered our coffees in one sitting and different tastes came out, hinting at inconsistency. <br/><br/>When the foods came out, we were extremely, EXTREMELY shocked at its size. It was so, so, so much tinier than what we’d expected, judging by its price. With other brunch places, one dish can usually be shared amongst two or three but you can barely share with this one. It was clearly a one-person dish and we had an extremely hard time trying to divide the dishes up just to get a little taste of everything. <br/><br/> The Daddy: well honestly, you can’t ever go wrong with the ingredients they used for this dish. Tastes just like how you’d expect it to, nothing special. The smallest of all portions too. <br/><br/>Koo Koo Ca Choo: liked the hashbrowns and the cheese, and the mushrooms were okay. Tiny portion though for $22.50. Though honestly again, nothing special about it at all. <br/><br/>Blueberry Pancakes: the most worth-it dish out of the three. Luckily there was more than one hotcake so we mainly got pretty full from eating the pancakes. The coffee-infused syrup was nice, not too sweet but the coffee not too strong either - well balanced. <br/><br/>Overall, our bill came down to around $86. It was just not worth the food, nor the experience. Tiniest brunch portion I’ve ever had, and inconsistent coffee. Wouldn’t come back here, nor recommend. So disappointed.

Ordered the Barista Breakfast (12.5 AUD) with Ethiopian beans. The waitress was very attentive and gave us advice on how to drink the coffee, and also the basic info for the coffee.<br/>The Ethiopian blend was delightful especially in form of filter — even for me, who’s not a fan of black coffee.<br/>I’ve tried their Orthodox blend numerous times before and loved it. Definitely coming back next to try other blends!

Very disappointing experience, bad service and one stuff was so rude. It’s not about the food or coffee, it’s all about how your weekends had been destroyed because you even cannot feel be respected at all. Fine, will never come again.

I came on a Saturday morning so obviously it was busy, but luckily the wait was quite short. The blueberry pancakes were nice but so simple I wouldn’t say they’re worth ordering as a brunch dish. The other food was very tasty as well.<br/>We were originally seated on the outside corner of a large table, which meant people kept bumping into our chairs as they walked past. Finding this annoying we asked to be moved to the other side of the table when the people there left and the staff were happy to accomodate our needs. Our waitress also took care to get a cleaner spoon when she noticed one wasn’t quite clean as she was setting down our cutlery.<br/>The place was quite noisy as it was busy so it was harder to talk for our group of 3, but I guess two people would’ve felt okay.

You’ve definitely tried their excellent coffee but have you tried their food? St Ali’s has made a name for itself in Melbourne for its high quality beans but after visiting their cafe in South Melbourne I’ll be coming back for more than just the coffee!. First off, the interior. Absolutely stunning and eclectic. The cafe is located in a number of different warehouses that have been combined together in a mismatched way that adds a grungy character to it and is just so stereotypically Melbourne. Loved the touches of graffiti, leftover historical features and the use of the roller doors to create outdoor spaces. The space is also very large with plenty of tables and very fast service but be warned…it is so busy there so get there early unless you don’t mind waiting.

Another cafe that has been on my “to try” list for a while, St Ali’s is a popular South Melbourne cafe known for it’s “hipster” ambience and spacious interior. Upon arrival we were quickly greeted and seated to a table by staff. The vibe of this place was lovely and inviting; I love how they have spaced out their tables and there are opened up rooms to the side. <br/>My partner ordered a flat white and “the daddy” (a breakfast burger), while I was craving something light so went for the refresher (watermelon, apple and mint) juice and the gudetama tofu (which consisted mainly of pickled cabbage, tofu, fried lotus roots and edamame). As it was a hot day we decided to takeaway the espresso shake as we left, and it was amazing! All the drinks were great.<br/>The burger was full of flavour, with the fried egg bringing everything together nicely. It was surprisingly not too salty and the brioche bun was toasted perfectly and was soft. My only criticism would be that for $18, you would at least expect some sort of accompaniment; like a salad or fries.<br/>Surprisingly, the gudetama tofu turned out to be the salty dish. But it was still light, full of fresh ingredients, and the tofu was cooked really nicely. It would have been nice if the pickled radish (which acted as a “salad” for this dish) could’ve had another ingredient to balance out the dish a bit more.<br/>Overall, we had a lovely lunch experience and as they apparently rotate their menu regularly, would love to come back and try more of their dishes sometime.

Coffee taste nice and awesome. I love the ambience and the staff is pretty friendly. Manage to get a take away coffee and taste is just on point.

Open 365 days of the year. That automatically gives them an extra point. I also totally admire the staff do work on the holidays for this to happen. It is much appreciated. <br/><br/>This place is huge and so it has to be. It is never not busy. Tables are always full! But this doesn’t make service bad at all. In fact on the occasions I have been the staff are ace! <br/><br/>The menu is really cool and has a few dishes with a twist. With some of the brunch classics too. <br/><br/>I got your class eggs on toast with mushrooms and greens. The greens came with a topping of cheese. BONUS. My friend got the hash. Which was also super tasty. <br/><br/>I like this place, the music is quality, the atmosphere is super chill and it’s just a good brunch!!

I went with my friend for brunch today.<br/>I know the cafe quite busy.<br/>I visited 1:45pm when wasn't busy much..<br/>But, the staff aren't smile unkindly about Service.<br/>They serve coffee and dish that just put middle on table even didn't ask who's order.<br/>Also, took dish out without asking too....<br/>So rude.<br/>I couldn't seen any one smile while they were working.<br/>Dishes are also not reasonable.<br/>$8 for 2slice of toast<br/>$6.5 for half avocado for on the side<br/>Pancake wasn't special that just simple<br/>..<br/>$5.5 for Large coffee for take a way....<br/><br/>In south Melbourne<br/>Too many restaurants cheaper and much better.<br/>I would not come back here again.<br/><br/>So. Disappointed in...<br/>

V expensive. eg Lamington cake = $8. I got the breakfast "Pride of the South" was v average, also in its presentation - egg and toast really [$22]. Wont be going back.

I popped in with a girlfriend for coffee and cake as we’d been out for lunch and wanted something sweet before heading home. I don't go crazy over St Ali like everyone else seems to possibly because I'm not coffee person and that's what they are renowned for. <br/><br/>Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed both the slices we chose, the coconut berry and the chocolate. I also adore the standard warehouse wonderland decor we all know and love.<br/><br/>Original review<br/>I'm a brunch addict. Some people are addicted to coffee, cigarettes, exercise, shopping you name it, I'm addicted to scrambled eggs. Working quite close to St Ali I decided it was high time to try their brekkie offerings and dragged the team down before work one morning.<br/><br/>I decided to keep it simple with eggs and a side of avocado feta mash with a delicious refresher juice. At $23.50 with the most substantial thing on my plate being bread I could just hear my partner saying, I could have made you that at home for $8. The eggs and avo were however a generous portion. I appreciated the fancy butter too

Best ice cold latte! Been having ice latte in so many places and their ice cold latte is really a bomb. Love love love. I even like the packaging, they use glass bottle which I find it very rare and unique to drink coffee in a glass bottle like a beer. Also I enjoyed the ambience, staff are friendly. Make me FEELS GOOD.

I have been going here regularly for 5 or 6 years still my favorite i almost always order my mexican couisn so happy it has stayed on the menu. Great coffee i ordered 2kgs of the coffee beans for home. Everything on the menu im enjoy

A nice cafe with nice food. Nothing spectacular, but a nice local feel even though they are in the hustle and bustle of South Melbourne. Good for breakfast and lunch.

We've been here several times since we live close by. The only problem with this place is the new manager, he has no idea of what customer service is. we were really disappointed because it's a great place for coffee and the food is alright. For our bad luck, at our last visit our waiter messed our order twice which we did not even finish. We ordered medium rare stakes and we got well done stakes one 15 minutes apart from the other. At the end we spoke to the manager and he said oh sorry there is nothing I can do for you, we asked him for the bill and he said yes straight away. We literally waited for 15 more minutes so I stood up and went with him for the bill and he said oh you have to go to the till to pay and make a huge queue! What kind of attitude is that!? Terrible service from him we miss the past manager!

Went to St. Ali’s for coffee over the weekend. Super disappointed to pay $10 for 2 cold coffees. I thought it was too good to be true that the coffees were made and ready within a minute after I ordered. <br/><br/>It seems like they were trying to palm off unwanted coffee already made and try to get away with it. Tsk tsk. Went back and told the waitress and she wasn’t even apologetic that it happened.

Very very disappointed! This is my 4th time here and thought they might improve their food :( but... Food are expensive compared to what you get. Ingredients look like from canned food. No fresh vegetables as it should (or just very few) For me, I think this cafe shouldn’t deserve 4.3 stars. Moreover, staff aren’t that friendly (I’ve been to many cafes before I know what 4 stars+ cafes be like) Anyways, coffee and drinks are good.

Great vibe, awesome food and delicious coffee! What more can I say about this place. It’s my Wednesday and Friday coffee fix, service is good and venue is super funky!

This is more of a 3.5 stars. This is one of the more popular hipster brunch places in the area (it's quite obvious they want to be hipsters, have you seen this place?).<br/><br/>Food is pretty decent, and their menu rotates regularly. The Koo Koo Ca Choo is one of the few dishes that has stayed on the menu since they began, and my wife likes it. At one point they had a grilled chicken burger on Turkish roll which was nice particularly because they use chicken thigh (it's much juicier than breast meat). Other times, however, I have struggled to find items I like to eat on the menu.<br/><br/>Ambience is hipster (enough said). Tables are spaced well enough apart, so it is quite comfortable. Service can be hit and miss, as with many of these brunch places, you often get a side of arrogance along with your food. I have witnessed one of the managers stall up the cash register attempting to chat up one of the customers while I and others were waiting to pay. So yea, the concept of good service is different around these parts.

Very trendy, with cool vibe and attentive staff. Good coffee. Enjoyed dish: my Mexican cousin. Just a little bit expensive, with extra avocado costing six dollars!

Coffee was amazing, prompting purchase of the Nespresso pods to enjoy at home. Food was delicious, serving size was a bit small. The vegetarian dish was texturally amazing, and quite yummy. Confit salmon, couldn't fault it.

I’ve been here on the first day of 2019. The place was packed with people but they managed to find me (2 people) a seat within 10mins. I was impressed! <br/>We ordered a flat white, soy chai and a tiramisu pancake, a ‘the daddy’. The food was delicious and very fulfilling. The minus point is that these are on expensive side but that makes sense because it was public holiday.<br/>A huge turnoff for me is the soy chai. I’ve never had that bad soy chai before and it ruined the whole experience. Still recommend the place for a hipster brunch but not the soy chai.

St Ali has being a long time house hold name here in South Melbourne as a must visit cafe in this area. <br/><br/>Today decided to have breakfast here. Started off with a coffee of which they are well known for in regards of owing their own roasting company and St Ali coffee is sold in many cafes across Melbourne. Sorry to say was underwhelmed by the coffee. Found it weak and tasteless and also not an appropriate temperature when it arrived. To make things worst the second coffee I ordered was exactly the same at the first. <br/><br/>My food however was excellent and I had the Mexican style fritters with fried haloumi , sweet corn salsa and rocket... delicious. <br/><br/>So thumbs up on the food but two thumbs down on the coffee plus the disinterested unfriendly waitress that served us.

Ordered the tofu dish and extra cured salmon by side. Forgot to deliver the salmon out and when I asked for it, the waitress simply chucked the salmon plate on the table and no apologies whatsoever. Thank you St Ali, your client experience is next level.

I have been here a few times and it rarely disappoints.  Food is great here. For lunch today  I had the espresso shake and the green and grains with a side of house cured salmon.  Big lunch but enjoyed every bite. The place was buzzing and the service was prompt.

Came here on Sunday for brunch and I really enjoy the atmosphere. I had the pancakes, I was worried that pancakes wouldn’t be enough but it was plenty. The food and coffee were equally as good!

Good Coffee for sure! However, very disappointed by the food... the taste is similar as it looks, very ordinary. <br/>But very good atmosphere, got its own vibe in a back alley of South Melbourne. Good for catching up and chatting. <br/>Will come back for coffee, hope to see some improvements in the menu.

You often know you’re onto a winner when the setup is an old warehouse like settings in a back st in inner Melbourne. St Ali provided a funky, inviting atmosphere, friendly service and an interesting menu to match! Food looked good and tasted better. Loved their iced latte. Worth the hype!

4.5<br/>St Ali is one of the famous cafes in Melbourne. It is in a small lane might be a bit hard to find. I went there with my friends and we sat inside. I really like the vibes of this place so melbournian! I tried their special menu - chicken milk bun - The bun was so delicious and a bit sweet but amazing! I hope they will have it again when I go next time. Their coffee was amazing too! <br/><br/>They had many good looking dessert - so tempting ! Especially the lemon tart! 🥰

I came here with the bf on a sunny Melbourne day, and St Ali was the perfect choice. We were seated in the outdoor section, which was still covered but was all open and airy. My bf loved the music choice of RnB, and it really did add to the cool laneway vibes of the cafe. I ordered the mushroom dish and he got the pancakes. I loved that my dish wasn’t too heavy, and every element went well together, a good choice for mushroom lovers. I even managed to score a bite of his pancakes which were the perfect density and texture. And of course the coffee was great, but that’s a given! We only had to wait 5 mins for a table, and they brought out the food quite fast. Great cafe choice, especially in summer!

Will come back for:<br/>+ Steak and Frites<br/><br/>We have been to St Ali’s a number of times, but mainly for their brekky menu. Today, we wanted to try out their lunch items instead. I was particularly impressed with their steak and frites. The steak cooked medium was tender and juicy. And the frites was particularly moorish and delicious with the aioli. Steak also came with a selection of sauces which was great. The other items we felt were just ok unfortunately. We had their Bahn mi and The Daddy (a breakfast bun). Whilst both were ok, the prices of these just did not justify what you get. The Bahn Mi did not have enough crispy pork, and the bun was a smallish serving. Service was great, and attentive, and as usual the place was abuzz with diners.

St. Ali in South Melbourne should be next on your list of brunch places to hit this summer. It has a great vibe, playing r&b classics all morning. I was singing along to Mariah as I ate my mushrooms & Hash. <br/><br/>We ordered a mammoth amount of meals for 7 people plus multiple lattes, hot chocolate and Vietnamese coffee. The total of our bill was $250 including an 18% surcharge for the public holiday.<br/><br/>There’s a wide variety of seating arrangements indoor and outdoor. The coffee is incredible and the presentation is impeccable. The flavours of each of the dishes were very complimentary and the service was prompt. <br/><br/>I have zero complaints about my time here and I’ll definitely be back again for some great tunes & great food! <br/><br/>If you get a chance to check out St. Ali, let me know what you think!

What can I say about this place! Been here a few times and each time I am impressed. Great coffee, fast service and friendly staff. And those buttermilk pancakes are to die for! 🥞 🤤

Great place for coffee! The food is amazing too; they use simple every day ingredients to create utter deliciousness. Staff just go through the motions but are friendly enough.

Always a line when I come here for brunch. The iced latte coffees are served in a beer-like glass bottle. I ordered a sweet dish (pancakes) whilst my partner ordered a Koo Koo Ka Choo (crispy hash brown dish), both was good but nothing too special. We also shared the schnitzel dish. That was yummy.<br/>When we went to pay the bill, we can't believe there is also a long line of ten people. Very slow.

Working in the area, St Ali is one of my favourite cafes to return to as a treat. The food is always delicious, regardless of what you order. Great vibe, and an excellent cafe to give visitors to Melbourne a peek into our cafe scene. Coffee is of course stellar.

Came here a few times because visiting friends wanted to try. Coffee was good as always. Food was ok. For some reason I just feel that the waiting staff here are a bit cold. It’s like they are a very famous cafe and they will never care if you will return or not.

Great white coffee with their house blend, beautiful lingering aftertaste. Filter was above average but didn't wow me. Food was ok yet kinda overpriced for what you get. Service was unwelcoming. May not come back.

Sitting on broken and sinking chair, having fast food which is only named in a nice way. Only coffee is ok. Burger is hard to grab, and not in shape, after one bite, everything fall apart. Almond croissant tastes ok but is not crispy.