Trotters has all the best characteristics of casual dining; great food, extensive and reasonably priced menu, all served up with friendly service which can be slow depending if they are busy.
We find it the perfect match with a movie at the Nova which is just few doors further down Lygon Street.
I can’t guarantee you will enjoy the movie, but pretty sure you will enjoy the meal at Trotters which is open all day
Pan-friend gnocchi with pumpkin was absolutely delicious! They even happily made up a vegan version for my friend without the burnt-butter which she found just as tasty. The service was friendly and the food came out fast, our drinks however were forgotten and we had to ask a couple of times before the wine came out so staff can be a little absent minded.
I visited this restaurant for dinner. The staff were very welcoming. We had garlic bread to start with and then pan fried gnocchi. It came with grilled pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seed and spinach. It was extremely beautiful. It was very rich and beautifully presented. It’s recommended.
What a great place. The staff are great blokes and the food was delish. Would recommend the mixed grain porridge to anyone after a good lunch. Cheers for the banter
Came here for a Team Dinner a while back, got served with some seriously yummy pastas and pizzas!
Obviously we then proceeded to drink most of the wine.
Love it!
The Domestic Traveller
+5
I was a little dubious when my friend mentioned that this was the “best” meal that he ever had. And when I had my first mouthful, I had to agree. This was something else. This place is in the heart of Lygon street, one of the most famous Italian strips in Melbourne. You honestly can’t go wrong eating at any restraurant along this place. There is ample of paid parking about and if you’re savvy, you’ll be able to grab one of the free ones near the university nearby.
What a great casual place to have a drink and something filling to eat. You could say its almost the perfect pub, that isn't actually a pub. The food is warm and fills you up, and the drinks are interesting without being pretentious. If you're look for a low fuss and yet well above average eat out, try this place.
The blueberry and ricotta pancakes are amazing and the service staff are really lovely and accommodating. The coffee was good and the atmosphere was relaxed
The pan fried GF Gnocchi was amazing. Super delicious! Note that even though its not listed on the menu it has pinenuts in it - this didn't bother me but my friend who also opted for this dish hates them and had to eat around them marring their experience of the meal. The portion size is a little on the small side so I found it not great value for money despite how enjoyable the flavours were.
Although friendly the service was pretty lacking. The place was very busy so I can understand being a little slow but my wine order was forgotten once and then lost so I had to ask after it twice before it came out after my food did.
Come to trotter for the 1st time amazing food and the best customer service. Would really recommend this place for a great breakfast. I will defiantly be coming back.
This is undoubtably the best restaurant in Carlton. We have an office in Carlton and all of our staff go there for breakfast and lunch.
Ask for the chilli omelet. The friendly staff and service is second to none. If I could give them ten stars I would.
Thanks Trotters your simply the best. Xx
Actually went to Trotters at the start of the year. Was so happy to find somewhere gluten free when i hadn't really been out to eat yet. I had the gnocchi and also had a garlic and cheese focaccia which i really enjoyed, and creme brulee for dessert.Disappointingly, they changed their menu from strictly GF, which means coeliac diners either need to avoid, or be very careful with what they are choosing as i'm not sure about any cross contamination there may be now (eg, using the same tools on gluten and gluten free pizzas, position in the oven etc)
$20 Pizza & Drink is handy before the movie at Nova .....
That was an enjoyable Gamberi Pizza with four medium Tiger Prawns.
Thank you for your efficient, expedite and pleasant service ladies.
Great, cosy ambiance. JT-16/10/2017
Consistently great food and service! Homely ambience. Bosses are warm and friendly. My favourite place for breakfast! #salmonandhashwithavocado
I ordered the breakfast burger and was in love! It was delicious, filling and well priced. I ordered a side of chips with it though and was unimpressed at the half a handful of chips scattered on the side of my plate. My friend ordered the lemon and ricotta pancakes with bacon and they were beautifully served and tasted amazing. The service was a bit lacking, table service was abrupt and our finished coffee wasn't taken away when we offered them to the waitress to make room for our meals. It was incredibly busy though and it's understandable that it affected service. I'm definitely happy to recommend this Cafe for brunch and will absolutely be back.
DaniB @eatmystreet.net
+3.5
Back in its first heyday, my brother-in-law (The Professor) and sister and law used to live and work in Carlton. Whenever they visit us from Canada they love to go back there to visit friends, try out the delicious food on offer and enjoy the general atmosphere. Most of us who have grown up in Melbourne will probably have some kind of memories of our first visit to Carlton. I remember walking down the street as a 17-year-old, being called out to by the restaurant owners and being very impressed at the cosy and sophisticated ambience of what was going on inside each restaurant. I also fondly remember one of my first boyfriends who was a waiter in Lygon St, which probably couldn’t have impressed this Country girl more.
The atmosphere was cool! The service was excellent! The drinks were amazing! & the food was SENSATIONAL! Definitely heading to try more of the delicious menu!
Have had many a pizza here. They are to a pretty good standard but this is not an outstanding place considering it's on Lygon St The Pizza Capital Of The World! Atmosphere is a weird mix of students, older tourists and randoms, often people who talk very loudly and it makes me lose my appetite. I have been here for dinner (always one of the pizzas on the menu so I have tried most of them by now) many times, but not a huge fan. I would be more likely to recommend the Breakfast menu, all the items on it are good, it's quieter in the morning, and the coffee is quite good.
I have been to this café/restaurant in Lygon Street on many occasions with friends/colleagues and it is a favourite place to catch up. The service has always been efficient and amiable. The owner, who sometimes waits (cue scene with Manuel and Basil), has a droll sense of humour which is refreshing and fun. The café offers kerbside tables as well as a spacious dining area inside, including an upstairs function area. The timber décor, from the polished floorboards to the wall lining, lends a touch of elegance. The menu is kept interesting with some seasonal variations, and always includes a sufficient number of vegetarian choices. The meals are of a good standard and are well presented. On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana (yes, vegetarian). My fellow guests all indicated that their meals were also most enjoyable. The coffee was also up to scratch. I will certainly be returning for more of their splendid fare
Splendid service, the coffee was absolutely to my taste,as I've mentioned before being a coffee addict for my machiatto the gentleman made one of the best in Melbourne. The Food was great and very good portion at a fair price .the waiters were very polite and friendly,,,would I eat here again definitely yes.
The place is really cozy and has an energetic team that is willing to provide a good quality service . The food is rich in flavour. Also the proportions were good size .
We ordered the fettuccini chicken pasta and one of the special pizzas, both were delicious! Staff know how to treat their customers...manager was so lovely ,he first explained the menu to us and came back 5 min later to took our order. Food came on our table and he came back again to check how it s everything and do we need anything else...we really liked the service and the way they treat their customers at trotters and their music playlist was nice for the night.
Nice place for a simple meal. The inside is cozy and not crowed at all even when it is full. I had the black risotto, and it is very well seasoned but a bit salty after finished it all. Also had the apple crumble for dessert, it tasted good and really keep me warm :) Waitresses are friendly and nice.
I Came with my husband last Friday for dinner. The place was packed. We waited a bit to be seated and the food also took just over thirty minutes. We ordered Salmon and crispy Pork. I must say the food was great. It was worth the wait. Service was friendly. Will surely come back to explore the menu.
Good job..keep it up
Diana/Rob
Love this cafe!! Amazing coffee and delicious breakfast! I had been looking for breakfast bruschetta in melbourne EVERYWHERE and Trotters did not disappoint! Located on a gorgeous street as well. Will definitely be back. Thanks Trotters!
When we used to live nearby (way before Urbanspoon was around), Trotters was our favorite joint for any kind of meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, dessert, you name it. The one thing that we couldn't missed out was the Sticky Date Pudding. Back then it had a square-shape with this crunchy toffee caramel bits inside, it was divine! We dropped by again recently and discovered they have changed the shape (which was not a big deal), and they topped it with a dollop of chocolate (which prefer not to next time). We'll come again next time for the gnocchi.
This is my new local favourite for Breakfast or Lunch. Breakfast is always the Corn and Sweet Potato Fritters, Rocket, Apple Slaw Beetroot and Chipote dressing is devine.
I went out for breakfast with my mum and brother at my brother’s favourite cafe~ Trotters. I like the ambiance of the restaurant, very cosy and captures the Italian culture, the staff are very friendly and a great selection of meals on the menu. I had corn fritters with bacon and pesto sauce.
The presentation of each meal was very professional and fine dining. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. My brother had salmon potato hash. When it arrived at the table we were impressed with the presentation of it.
Mum has lemon and ricotta pancakes, the presentation not as impressive but tasted YUM!
Trotters, once again did not disappoint
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
In the ristorante cornucopia that is Thursday night on Lygon St, the sun had gone down but it was still 25 degrees. Fortunately Trotters is in the Carlton end of Lygon St as Carlton is certainly safer these days than Brunswick when it comes to avoiding gunshots on a hot night.
Trotters itself is a safe distance from the extreme bustle of Brunetti's and the Nova cinema and is generally a good option for a good quality meal on a hot night in Carlton.
The name alone suggests it as an appropriate venue for the Trough and the famiglia Trough did eat well this night.
We shared a plate of crumbed calamari with a bowl of chips as a starter. The calamari was nicely cooked in large irregularly shaped piecess and served with a tartar type sauce that gave it some zing.
For mains the top billing went to the salmon with sprouts, capsicum and zuchini, which was beautifully cooked. Seafood pasta with fresh mussels scored well, as did the linguine with beef ragu.
The Trough, however, was disappointed by his pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter. It was very dry and the gnocchi was a little overcooked and chewy. It came served in a bowl and the butter sauce was inaccesssible at the very bottom of the bowl until the dish was 80% eaten. The Trough's disappointment has harshened the judgment here as there was enough technique and flavour to show what a better version of this dish would have delivered.
Dessert was unnecessary for all bar one young man who later confessed to skipping lunch. He assured the Trough the sticky date pudding was very good, though the Trough is sceptical about whether he actually tasted it in the microsecond between it leaving the plate and being swallowed. Hot chocolates came with Trough quality seal of approval (that is, two marshmallows).
Although the Trough rated the gnocchi poorly, there were a lot of positives. All the other dishes were high quality. The service was friendly and efficient Overall the meal was very enjoyable and Trottrrs remains on the recommended list.
Trotters is generally the place my wife and I go either before or after watching a movie at the Cinema Nova. It's always a nice place to visit, and the pizzas and pastas are always of a high quality. I do also like the home-made lemonade and novelty beers they get in.The waiters are always on the ball there (especially when you have a movie to go and see).
Such a lovely restaurant, really good vibe and cool decorations. Service is consistently good and food is amazing, whether you come here for breakfast or dinner. Always has been a firm favourite, never disappoints.
Superb short black. Fruity, mellow. Excellent cooked breakfast, with wonderful grilled Roma tomatoes full of flavour, lovely sausages and perfectly cooked bacon and scrambled eggs (the latter light and moist). The whole thing topped off with a full bodied tomato chutney. Excellent. Service was perfect too!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We had a lovely dinner here last Saturday evening (I remember the days when it was an English restaurant, was pleasantly surprised by the new Italian-based menu). The entrees of garlic & cheese focaccia with sprinkled rocket was a fine start. The lamb meatballs in tomato sugo were slightly undercooked in the centre, which was a shame. The eggplant parmigiana looked a treat.
For mains I really enjoyed the garlic prawns with chorizo, peppers, tomato & pecorino in a little hotpot. The large capriciosa pizza (traditional style) was well appreciated as was the pork, lentil+veg soup. Nearly all of our mussels main was well cooked except for 2 which didn't open, nbd.
Some of us fitted in some yummy desserts like tiramisu, sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream (my fave) and coffees. Even a couple of police showed up for their regular takeaway coffees, which is a smooth, creamy blend. Very decent for a restaurant, even if I'm spoilt by Campos, Patricias or 7 Seeds. Our service was excellent all evening, the french girl who looked after us was delightful and very friendly/attentive. My glass of Te Mania sauvignon blanc was also very generous, like everything else on the night.
Looking forward to returning again very soon (even just for their takeaway coffee, regardless of Brunettis a few doors away)
This is a good place to meet friends for lunch. They have good food and good prices to match. Take away coffee is always a must for me and they brew a good cup o joe.
I ate here with some work colleges last week. Not feeling like pizza or pasta i decided to try their burger. That was a good idea too, the burger was juicy and full of flavour. Very impressive indeed
Victorian Dinner Critics
+4
Enjoyed a Great lunch here of fresh homemade pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter sauce, full of flavor and taste, service was great I would definitely dine here again.
Quality breakfast and quality coffee. Poached eggs with feta cheese, mushrooms and truffle oil could do with just a touch more feta and truffle oil as the flavours didn't quite come through but otherwise it was very nice, the eggs were perfectly poached. Loved the music being played there.
the coffee was absolute silky perfection and the FOH girl was a delight super friendly and charismatic! Tried a rhubarb and chocolate muffin too and it was delicious!
Fantastic everything!! We had about a minute wait for a table to clear because it was so busy but the service was superb! The food was delicious!! (Highly recommend the pizza) and it was really just a lovely atmosphere to sit in, definitely take a seat here!! The food comes out fast aswell which is a real credit to them considering how many customers they have
The scrambled eggs were tasty, and came perched atop two slices of soughdough; yum. Accompanied by great coffee, it was a good way to start the morning.
Trotters adds further fuel to my theory that the block of Lygon Street between Faraday and Elgin is by far the best block and possibly the only part of Lygon Street actually worth going to (though there’s also the corner with Lazzat & Il Dolce Freddo).
I had a delicious burger but I had to ask for some side sauces for the chips as it comes with zero condiments, and then they charged $2 per tiny tub of sauce! The staff were friendly & hospitable & they don't mind splitting the bill.
My first time here for dinner but have had coffee before. All very nice food, but must say my homemade pavlova is better!
Reliable regular!. This is our go to local breakky place. Nice service and quick, tasty meals.
Recommend the Kipfler potato hash and the breakfast burger!
Thank You. We wish to thank our host for Tuesday night, who made it special. from the moment we entered to the moment we left, it was just awesome. from food to jokes was just a perfect night. we would definitely come to this place again to be served by this guy called Pa1. i believe that's how he told me. love his humor and style of service.
We walked here from our hotel in the CBD for breakfast because we were a bit disappointed with the cafes we had tried in the CBD. I can certainly say that it was worth the walk! The food was delish! I had the Balsamic Roasted Beetroot wedges served with basil pesto, smoked Tasmanian salmon and poached eggs. It was divine! My partner had the Brekkie Burger and he agreed that it's the best breakfast we've had in Melbourne. The service was average and wait time perhaps a little long but it was so worth the wait!
Friendly. Nice place with a kinda old comfortable feel. Very nice atmosphere. Service was quick and the food was very nice. Would go there again :)
I've been here for breakfast a number of times and never been disappointed, no complaints here!
Good coffee. Friendly staff. Your typical Melbourne café. I had an eggs Benedict with smoked salmon - it was good but nothing to write home about (hence the 4 stars). Would go there again for the coffee though. Nice atmosphere
Nice restaurant but it isn't easy to find if you don't know the area. The toilet is upstairs which is a bit tricky for some. Good for and vibe but it is pretty noisy with the crowd.
My friend I had a long wait before our food came out. The food was good, not bad at all. Cosy eatery. The only complaint would be the half an hour wait for our food to come out.
We enjoyed delicious meals in lively surroundings. The staff were warm and friendly, which made it a very pleasant experience.
Excellent food! Highly recommend the pan fried gnocchi. Service was great too.
Food was amazing! Lovely spot and good variety
The wild mushroom salad was excellent. The mussels were in spicy tomato sauce which hid the taste of mussels - might as well use some cheaper ingredient if the taste is overwhelmed anyway. So the mussels were OK, but not great.
The seating is fairly closely packed and the tables small, but for Friday lunch there was plenty of availability. Outdoors (for the pavement seating), there are the usual problems of wind, dust and noise.
The service was quick, which was nice.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes