I visited this cafe in South Melbourne for a coffee. I was going to grab a plain croissant but not for $5 each.
My strong skinny latte had some good flavour but there was no milk froth.
The price for my coffee was good, and this cafe serves bread rolls and sandwiches but nothing that I was after when I visited.
Dead Men Espresso was a cafe in South Melbourne serving great coffee and brunch meals. I’d been here a few times and every time coffee was always good and service was friendly. On my last visit, we ordered the porterhouse open sandwich and breaky bowl. The porterhouse was juicy and nicely matched with sweet potato crisps. The breaky bowl was a healthier option with eggs, quinoa and a variety of greens. Both were delicious and generous in portion. Looking forward to the reopening of this cafe.
Delicious food with lots of varieties. Nice coffee. Friendly staff that willing to answer all of our silly questions
Although the chilli and scrambled eggs look plain, they're one of the best I've had. Flavours packed a memorable punch.
Ordered:
🍳 Chilli and Feta scrambled (gf): Chilli and feta cheese scrambled eggs with a soy and lime dressing drizzled panned vegetables and sticky black rice ($18.50)
🥤Deadman Dragon (gf) (v): mango, pineapple, banana & dragonfruit ($12.50)
Review:
I love it when a menu dish says "chilli" and it's actually spicy. The burn added an extra depth to what would otherwise be a plain dish. The black rice mixed within the salad was the perfect filler. It's honestly the attention to these little details that made this brunch amazing.
I should've known better when there's banana in the smoothie. The banana scent is strong enough to overpower everything - that I couldn't taste my favorite fruit; mango. Nonetheless, it was definitely a fun accompaniment to my meal.
The service was friendly, and for your fyi - they don't do split bills on the weekend.
Great food with great service
LOVED:
🔸Cute decor, a bit rustic with lots of wood
🔸Delicious risotto, the crispy pulled pork added an interesting texture to the otherwise mushiness of risotto which I quite liked
🔸Perfectly cooked eggs on the benedict
🔸SUPER CRISPY KALE CHIPS! I COULD HEAR IT ACROSS THE TABLE
🔸Yummy coffee that brought me back to life
We got there early in the morning on Saturday and it was still quiet! Everything was great, awesome coffee and lots of options in breakfast menu!
Staff and service were also outstanding!
Really friendly staff. We hadn’t booked on a busy weekend but they did what they could to get us a table out on the deck I the corner where my 1 year old could roam around safely. Food was delicious, and it was particularly good for gluten free and dairy free!
Will come back for:
+ Ruben
+ Strawberry Waffles
This is a pretty comfy spot in a wintery afternoon to grab a bite to eat. The space is sheltered, but warm and light. The food was pretty much on point. I particularly liked the Ruben (nice balance of flavours and textures and the accompanying mustard lifts it even more) and the strawberry waffle (nicely grilled waffles with a great combo of tasty strawberries, mascarpone cream and syrup. Simple but it all just works). We also had the eggs benedict which had a perfectly cooked eggs and good hollandaise sauce. Service was friendly and efficient, and prices were above average. Will definitely be back to try out some of the other menu options.
Great service, good food. Fried chicken surprisingly good, juicy and flavoursome. Waffles were great too. Wife is a fan of the coffee. Price is on the high side but you're getting what you pay for. Would return.
Davide EklipseMedia Cilloni
+4
Short version: the coffee here is to die for. Amazing, loved it and got another one because it was so damn good. Service was on equal level, our waiter, Davide, was lovely and attentive! The four stars are for these two reason, BUT, food is definitely forgettable, and here’s why me and my partner didn’t like it:
She had the eggs Benny and they were ok, presentation could have been way better though! The chicken and waffles were a disappointment as the meat was dry and tasteless, the waffle itself could have been crispier and a bit more tasty. Again, the presentation was lacking, with the chicken tenders sliced and thrown on top of the waffle, that chicken did nothing wrong. a lot more love could have been put into the plating.
This said as this was my first visit I’ll be definitely returning and try something different on the menu. Keep up the good work and thanks again for being so nice to us!
Absolutely a huge fan of the Rueben sandwich.
Also had a green salad with grilled chicken which had a good variety of greens and textures. Not a boring salad at all. Both very filling and flavourful! Wish there was more cheese in the Rueben though but that’s because I love my cheese in my toasties.
Coffee was delicious as well, strong bodied smooth long black.
Great space. Small but loved the the elevation and openness of the cafe.
Will be back to try the waffles!
Good food, good coffee, good atmosphere... triple threat! This place has everything going for it. The food is simple yet tasty. The kale chips were top notch, was told the burger tasted really good as well.
Coffee was really good, barista was on the ball the whole time and impeccable latte art.
Staff were attentive, helpful, and friendly... all you want in a cafe. I definitely recommend this place if you are ever in South Melbourne and want a good bite to eat after a morning at the markets.
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Real rating 4.4 ⭐️
We were really hungry and decided to try out Dead Man Espresso! Here’s what we had!
Dukkha Eggs - served with beetroot purée, poached eggs, avocado, feta, chili smash, this was quite a combo! Most smashed avo toast are standard but this was had a uniqueness to it which caught my attention! The chili smash was an interesting touch to it adding an extra kick to my tastebuds (but not overly spicy)!
Waffles with berry compote and mascarpone cheese - as you can see from the picture, the berry compote was pretty generous! The mascarpone cheese complemented the compote making it a very filling meal! Though simple looking, the taste was pretty good!
The Reuben - corned beef with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing! I am not a big fan of corn beef but I was told this was worth trying and guess what, it so worth it! The corn beef was really juicy and savory and the other elements added to that savoriness! It did get a little salty towards the end but the pickles and English mustard had helped balance this!
Scones - served with house made jam and cream. I have to say this was my fave for the day and the scones were super fresh and crumbly and the house made jam was fabulous! It went so well with the cream and all of it just melted into my mouth!
Overall, we had a great time at Dead Man and would not mind killing to get some more! 😆
I visited Dead man today for a team breakfast (a colleagues choice). I ordered smashed avo with scrambled eggs figuring you can’t go wrong and was satisfied. The rest of my group all had the dukkha eggs which they enjoyed. They also allowed us to split the bill which is always appreciated. Would be happy to go back
Original review
Well this was dead average. It didn't look appealing and it didn't taste appealing. Maybe Veggie fritters with poached eggs was too much of a healthy choice and I should have ordered the waffles that I so desired but after hearing such great things about this place I was really disappointed. South Melbourne is a melting pot of hot brunch spots and as such this is the last place I'd revisit. The highlight was the ability to sit outside in the sun
This cafe is awesome! Has a great vibe, it’s busy with people getting their coffee fix , lovely staff and the coffee is great! Worth a visit if you are in the area.
My dad wanted waffles and a search around my location scored waffles on the menu at DME, a perfect location with good coffee! It was meant to be when I got a park right out the front straight away. Lots of people waiting for coffee, more brunch than lunch, we were immediately shown to a table.
The waffles were substantial with a generous serve of bacon and drizzled with maple syrup! If you wanted less crispy waffles, the staff were happy to get more syrup to soak up the yummy goodness. Lucky we went walking for the rest of the afternoon so it felt like we walked it off a little (or we were kidding ourselves)!
Finally a place where I can grab a delicious Rueben sandwich! Having had some amazing Rueben sandwich’s in New York a few months ago this one definitely stacks up.
The dukka eggs were fantastic as well and you can’t go past the coffee.
Can’t believe I’ve lived near this place for this long and this was the first time I went 😱
Great coffee and interesting menu options. We ordered the beef cheek salad and the rueben. Although it seemed more like a lunch option than breakfast, I loved the beef cheek salad. It was very wholesome and satisfying. The Rueben was standard and served with a thousand island dressing, which was a good pairing. The staff were friendly and added to the clean and relaxed vibe of the cafe. I also found a few new suave coffee-shop tunes from their playlist, which is always a plus :)
I have been there few times, beautiful environment Amazing service, lovely and friendly staff, the best coffee in South Melbourne. The only thing is quite hard to find a car park in surrounding areas but not their faults :p
Dead Man Espresso is a nice place to hang out in the neighbourhood. If you get there early on a warmer day I’d suggest getting a table outside on the balcony. Nice setting, lots of greenery and perfect for people watching.
Dropped by coffee but I couldn't resist ordering the scones.
Service: attentive & fun
Ambience: trendy & casual
Pricepoints: Average
Coffee: awesome. Consistent.
Scones: could be better
Cheescake ball: recommended!
Tea: ok
Came by for coffee once before and it was brewed quite well. Had the filter this time. It was Ethiopian not sure of the flavours through but it was smooth and minimal to no bitternees. Good fusion of flavours... tasted a bit of nuttiness.
My friend and I ordered a scone each, which may have been too much as they were quite big in size. Home made jam was beautifully made but the scone did crumble easily.
Cheesecake ball was a highlight. A definite must try. Highly creative. I loved the mix of the soft cheese and outside crunchy sweet texture.
Tried their 10 year old tea. Unfortunately, Nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to teas for me.
We will be back to try the brunch menu!
First time tried lunch this place.
Coffee was great, so smooth and I enjoyed it.
food was nice but I wouldn’t miss it even if I don’t come back for a year. Maybe I expected too high because of high rate but I couldn’t find anything so special.
The cofffffeeeeee omg. Where you'd go for your last coffee. Seriously. It made a rich caramel milk coffee and a bright, long lasting balanced coffee acidity/bitterness in the macchiato. I had a latte and a mac but was desperate and didn't take z photo.
The Dead Man chicken waffles were unexpectedly what they say. Fried chicken, on waffles dowsed in maple syrup. The chicken was crispy and the flavour combo was surprisingly good! I honestly got it thinking there wouldn't be any traditional waffle and treated it as such, I didn't really have much of the waffle. I actually expected it to be a breaky parmi and tbh didn't really find the waffle added. I'd drop the waffle, but then i think everyone else would probably love the dish. You are committing to heavy when you order fried chicken waffles for breaky right?
Came here for a quick brunch recently and really enjoyed the food here! The coffee was also good which was a bonus 🤗 ordered the dukkha eggs and although it was a simple dish it was executed well! Also tried the eggs Benedict and really enjoyed the Smokey flavour from pork! (Would recommend this dish if you’re feeling something heavier for breakfast).
Really cool fitout, food was awesome, staff super friendly but not overly attentive. Coffee was outstanding!! We had the omelette and the fritters with mushrooms, both of which were delicious. Fritters would've been a little lacking without the mushrooms but worked a treat together.
Cinnamon's Food For Thought
+5
Who ever said waffles & fried chicken weren't compatible- lied! This combination is unexpectedly delightful!!! The sweet & savory mixture leave u wanting more, wash it down with one of their well brewed coffee's and you're setting yourself up for a great day! #waffleweekend #whatdiet #wafflegoals
We were the first ones in the cafe in the morning and the service was welcoming and attentive. The almond milk chai was very nice. The food was fresh and delicious. The omelette was a stand out! Quirky music, nicely decorated. Would recommend.
We booked a table via Zomato to avoid queues and it was the smart thing to do if you’re planning to visit this cafe at a busy time.
The service was excellent, the staff was friendly but not intrusive. I unknowingly dropped my napkin and one of the wait staff members quickly picked it up from the floor and gave me a new one.
The coffee was great, as you would probably know aleeady. I had the chilli pork burger and it was delicious! Overall, a very enjoyable experience.
Deadman espresso is my go-to choice whenever I wanna have a good brunch but am too lazy to head to the city.
I am a massive fan of their avo toast! Portions are always generous, and the flavour is always spot-on. They also add a wee bit of chilli to give the classic an extra kick of flavour! Their salmon salad is also worth trying if you prefer a lighter brunch option.
Their signature dish, the deadman chicken waffles topped with maple syrup, is also pretty good but it’s not my favourite. Yes, the chicken chunks are fried to perfection, crisp on the outside but moist on the inside. The waffles are also thick and fluffy. However, they tend to go a lil heavy handed on the maple syrup, making the dish overwhelmingly sweet and heavy on the palate after a couple of mouthfuls. I personally wont order this as a dish for myself, but a dish for sharing instead.
Wine And Food Lovers
+3.5
Pleasant spot, it did start to get really busy from 10.30am the plus was they allowed reservations.
Coffee was average, luke warm.
Eggs were sightly undercooked.
Fritters were good.
Service was friendly however slightly slow.
The brunch menu is great and so is the coffee. Loved how delicious the food looked and tasted. My dish was unfortunately a special, because I would love to come back just to have it again.
The cold brew coffee is really great! The food are nice but only some basic brunch options. If u are finding a spot for good food and coffee, dead man is perfect.
Quiet cafe located in quiet street of south melbourne.
Patio and outdoor street seatings available.
Not much to say bout the food, same standards as most cafes around south melb, which is good.
Update Jan 18: the menu has been updated since the last time I've visited. The meals are now more "fancier" and taste pretty good as well.
This place from coffee and cafe discoveries collection when in Melbourne..I popped in there purely thinking they were using 7 seeds coffee.. Apparently this hasn’t been the case for the last 3-4 years :) (google to blame here). They use St.Ali coffee which to me is a decent coffee but depends on barista and the milk as well! That day I was happy with my flat white, it can even be the best St.Ali one I have had:) the cafe look very relaxing and lighty, airy, unassuming. I would love to try their food as well!
Great place to brunch on the weekend! The staff were very attentive and the food very delicious. The stand out dish was the waffles and fried chicken, we added bacon to it just because we could! Will go back to try the rest of the menu.
The place is nice, not very crowded at 11am on a weekday. I like the open area where you can enjoy your coffee and watch local pedestrians. The hosts are very friendly. The coffee and food are quite average compare to other brunch places in Melbourne though.
Speedy service but still with a smile. Their take on eggs benedict with pulled pork, kale and a crumpet was delicious and their coffee more than hits the spot
The dish has almost everything I love！
Beetroot purée tastes super nice，little acid and sweetness from the ingredient itself.
Avocado is mixed with feta and chilli，the chilli actually doesn't help to improve the flavor without being smashed together.
Poached eggs are good.
Coffee，average.
Smoked salmon（added），tastes like the packaged production we can get in the supermarket. Not good.
The staff did ask my feeling of food，but seemed she does's care at all after I gave some feedbacks.
Been here couple of times for business meetings. Love sitting on the bacony with my long black. Never had a chance for food but will definitely come to try. As for now, I recommend for the atmosphere and coffee .great place for meet up. 👍
The portion was generous. Tried the avocado toast with beetroot puree. Tasted fresh, creamy and filling. I could not finish it at the end as I was too full. The coffee was good, tasted the cappucino, tasted bright and light. The ambience was very relaxed and calm, nice for an afternoon coffee. Service was relatively quick. Overall, nice little hang out space at the South Melbourne.
Really nice spot for brunch! They have really great coffee and the food is well prepared and delicious, sometimes a little too decadent! The mixed juice is great for a hangover!! :)
One of the finest in South Melbourne if you're hunting for good coffee hubs. This place is brimming with the sweet smell of coffee beans, lively staff and beautiful rustic decor. The outside patio looked like an excellent place to dine on a sunny day 😄
➕ beautiful coffee blend. portion sizes were great and staff was friendly.
➖ staff wasn't very attentive (took quite long for us to get someone to help us with things other than ordering...twice we walked up to the counter to ask for a few things).
Nice wooden fit out for a cafe especially the outdoor area which is lovely on a summers day. Unfortunately the food I had that day wasn't great. Maybe I came on a off day might come back again...
Couldn't fault the place. Everything was great. One of the workers was extremely helpful and nice when I needed directions to the bus stop. Thank you!
Very good food. Menu changers regularly and always excites. The takeaway treats are to irresistable. It does get busy so don't go if in a rush.
Great atmosphere cafe with friendly and energetic staff. Coffee was delicious and served quickly. I had scones which went well with coffee. Their logo was on the jam jar, that's so pretty :) I would try proper food next time as many reviewers did so.
Located away from the main stretch of cafes in south Melbourne dead man espresso offers a comfy spot to sip on a coffee and have something to eat.
The interior is a little dark but we did come early so maybe with a little more light outside it would feel a bit brighter and the service a little slow it seemed. However the food was worth waiting for, we ordered the porridge which was warm and delicious, perfect for a cold morning. Accompanied with rhubarb, apple and a chai crumb made it the perfect winters breakfast.
We also ordered the polenta and sweet potato cakes which were a little dry on there own but with the poached eggs and red pepper relish served with them made everything work together.
The coffee was also good, subtle but very good.
Overall, a nice spot to have a weekend breakfast, given the size I imagine it may get busy so I recommend arriving early or booking but the food is worth the wait !
Seminyak, Bali in the heart of South Melbourne!
What a cool spot. Really like how this place is kitted out and especially the outdoor bar we got under the heaters.
Staff were friendly and service was great. Plenty of options on the Menu leaves you making a last minute decision when asked if your ready to order.
Coffee was spot on. Ordered the waffles with bacon which was just what I wanted! Partner ordered the omelette which was very nice but a little oily so don't order as a healthy option. YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HERE HUNGRY!
It got very busy towards the end so service slowed up but overall I would not hesitate in coming back. Especially when it starts to warm up!
Dead Man Espresso is a great little cafe in South Melbourne. With its cosy wooden interiors and light filled dining area, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. Coffees are beautiful and amazing while all the food is delicious! Would recommend trying out!. Latte $4Latte $4. Beautiful coffee art and delicious coffee. No sugar needed. Would come back for more. 9/10
Alas, a Saturday whereby I get a blissful day off away from paperwork. Does not happen often but when it does, the first thing that pops to mind would be going to places I rarely go to due like markets or cafes that don't open on Sundays. Equally glad that with more company surrounding the brunch table, I get to snap more food pictures and also taste more:) Midway through 2017, could not have asked for a better turnout for the year.
Really nice cafe in South Melbourne. Had a real chilled vibe about it.
Food was very tasty. Everyone at the table went silent when the food came out which is usually a great sign.
Only suggesting is with the Rueben, I felt the sesame seed crust didn't work that well. But that's just me. Everything else about it was lovely.
Well worth checking out.
The service is superb. The waitress who served us is very attentive. Warm greetings and always smiles to each customer. Every customer has been looked after very well by all of the staffs here. Great team work I would say. The food here is great as well. Will definitely come back again and try some more dishes.
I went for brunch on a sunday. I found the décor and the outdoor area beautiful and spacious. great and fast service. great quiet place in south melbourne. we had the carrot fritters, which was nice but I thought it could use a bit more flavour I had to put salt and pepper on it. and the eggs benedict needed a piece of toast or some form of carb with it, there was a tiny piece but not enough a bit greasy. overall It was a good brunch though and I will go back.
Fried chicken and maple syrup waffles? Curiosity KO'ed good sense and a few minutes later this giant dish came out. The tender pieces of chicken had a light kick of chilli. The sweet-savoury combination with diluted maple syrup and buttermilk waffles was delicious in the first few mouthfuls and went well together. However because there was nothing else with it, the taste sensation quickly gave way to monotony and a sluggish feeling from all the oil.
A busy brunch spot in a functional setting and polite service. Enjoyed sitting at the balcony watching the world go by. I would experiment here again but probably with other dishes.
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Dead Man Espresso is nestled in one of our favourite suburbs - South Melbourne. Helen and I were just talking about how much we loved South Melbourne the other day. The suburb seems to travel at a different pace than the CBD, it's busy but not overwhelming. Great boutique shops and eateries are assembled here. If we had more money, we'd definitely consider moving here. With Melbourne's crazy house prices at the moment, we can only dream...
I do like the name of this cafe, it stands out. Never a bad thing these days since we're swamped with brunch places in Melbourne. It's getting harder to filter out all these brunch places on Zomato! Dead Man Espresso sounds kinda cool... I don't know the history of it, but it got us through the door and that's all that matters.
We walked in and was surrounded by wood. Feels like a huge cabin in the middle of nowhere. All this wood and they couldn't get some decent chairs with lower back support! Rant aside, I do like the feel of this place. It's nice and bright inside, with a warm feel. High ceilings are also great for hot days.
I got the appropriately named Deadman steak sandwich and Helen got the Seafood Scramble. The portion sizes were perfect, we were satisfied and didn't feel the need to order anything else. To all the other brunch places who think we don't know that you've been skimping on portion sizes.... oh we know! Not gonna mention any names, but it's happening more frequently lately! Steak sandwich was cooked and flavoured well. The smoked pickled onion puree was pleasantly different, and the beets provided a healthy sweetness to the sandwich. The seafood scramble was also very enjoyable, the seafood was fresh with some textbook ingredients complimenting it. Chilli, corriander, and spring onion, can't go wrong really. The scrambled eggs were cooked a little runny, just how it should be.
I can see that Dead Man Espresso is utilising some different ingredients with their dishes, but looking at the menu, I felt a bit bored to be honest. This feeling carried over even after I finished my meal. They do brunch style dishes and they do it well, but it feels a little same ol'. I'm not excited or eager to devour this food, because it feels the same as what other places are offering. There is nothing wrong with this, if that's what you're after, however I'd like to see places like Dead Man Espresso push the boundaries a bit. They obviously know how to cook good food, and know how food should taste, but they could do a bit more to stimulate and surprise their customers.
- D
The Peanut Butter Choc Waffles were absolutely flawless. With a nice crunchy outer, the inner was soft, airy and had just the perfect buttery sweetness. The refreshing and slight sourness of the exceptionally fresh berries provided just the perfect balance in tartness, when combined with the rich and creamy peanut butter and chocolate mousse.
It was overall a very solid breakfast offering. While not the most exciting or innovative, they did excel at their current offerings, and I certainly don’t have anything to complain about.
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I'm always travelling to Fitzroy for brunch but I should appreciate more the area I live in. Hence, this warm saturday arvo, I decided to explore a top cafe in South Melbourne
Located on a quiet street, this unobtrusive cafe opens out to a rustic interior with interesting foldable looking chairs, square tables and a high hipster factor (without the hipster music).
Before you even sit down you are asked for your choice of beverage . Staff are quite attentive and considerate
The menu is quite interesting but my eyes couldn't go past the mushroom pate on sourdough toast, poached eggs, feta, salad and honey walnuts. My brunch friend wanted something sweet so we got the ricotta hot cakes with hazelnut mascarpone and passion fruit curd .
Coffees arrived quickly with gorgeous coffee art. The coffee is quite robust but creamy. Not my favorite but definitely a wake up call.
The mushroom pate was delish with solid bits of mushroom. There was so much of it too. I didn't even need the poached eggs but I couldn't resist. The walnuts went so well with the mushroom and feta (plenty of it was provided). Such an interesting but complementary combination of flavours and ingredients.
The ricotta hot cakes were equally sublime . Fluffy. We had three of them layered like a sandwich with rhubarb and poached pear stuffed inside. They went so well with the sour but sweet passion fruit curd and the hazelnut mascarpone. Omg heaven in my mouth
As we were sharing, share plates were brought out.
When we finished our savoury dish, additional share plates were brought out so that we had clean plates and cutlery to thoroughly enjoy the sweet brunch choice. Table was cleared readily to make room on our table and water jug was replaced when it was nearing emptiness. Very very attentive staff
Love this place!!!!!
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