This morning I treated myself to a breakfast in. I ordered some Dench bakery sour dough toast with blood orange marmalade and a chai almond latte.
The chai was lovely and spicy and the toast was a real treat (not many inner city cafes offer marmalade), I lapped it up.
My only complaint was a glass sliding door inside the café leading to a side entrance, it constantly squeaked on opening. My advice would be visit here but don’t sit near the glass door if you can avoid it!
KD
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Previous review
Savoury muffins are a weakness (well one of many weaknesses) of mine and so I will always try them when I see them. Today’s example at Mister Close was a prime example of how a savoury muffin should be. Nice big chunks of red capsicum and zucchini and the muffin mix itself not sweet. So many get the sweetness levels wrong. Coffee was also really good which is excellent as they do have a rotating espresso and cold drip blend going. A great little find.
Espy
Nice retreat in cbd, never too loud despite being in a mall. Coffee is good - campos. Best Rogan Josh I've had. It was lean & quality meat, made with love. Lots of yummy breakfast options but the lunch cabinet looked more even better with plenty of delicious & full sandwich options. . Staff are friendly & attentive
Great coffee and muffins, also enjoy the mushroom and egg baguette but my fave is the dark chocolate, orange and coconut muffin - YUMMY! Great breakfast spot.
We were directed to Mister Close by the lovely tourist information people to this amazing cafe and had an awesome breaky. Better than that was the service. Anthony, our waiter, who correctly assumed we were not from Melbourne, went out of his way to give us tips for first time visitors to Melbourne, even working out what kind of things we were interested in and then writing us a list of places and addresses to visit. A truly generous act from a lovely bloke.
Oh and yep, the coffee was fantastic!!!
The best dish was "wake up in Mexico", such a creative brunch dish you cannot find anywhere else! The ham...ummm... Yum! But unfortunately I'm cutting processed meat due to health concern. Still on my list for occasional indulgence.
Tasty and wholesome chicken burrito with salad for lunch. I needed a vegie fix and this dish hit the spot. Coffee was good too.
Hard to find, enter off Swanston St.
So impressed with a delicious brekkie at Mister Close. Favo toast was the best avocado toast dish I've ever had. The coffee was strong without being bitter. The savoury waffle with smoked salmon was also to die for, very filling and rich. Waiters were lovely. The music is a little too loud in there though. Will definitely return.
Sandwiches were so good I went here for lunch two days in a row! The place is a little hard to find, tucked away is true Melbourne style but definately worth the try.
Sensational coffee (if you like Campos beans - I definitely do!), and surprisingly creative food for a coffee cafe. The prices are slightly higher than the competition, but they deliver quality for that price. I wish I worked closer to this place, it would be my go-to coffee. It can get pretty packed at lunch, but is a great place for 1:1 meetings over coffee or food.
The food was delicious. I had the waffle fritters and the other dish was the toastie. The presentation was nice and it was a very quick service
Fast and efficient service, spices in the chai latte were spot on + great for a cold day. Would recommend :-) heard great things about their coffee in general so will consider coming back.
Very rich flavour for the uncle ande ordered, friendly service and beyond expectations for its location. Would like to try other dishes when get the chance.
The Girl With Blue Hair
+3.5
Have walked pass this place numerous times and didn't realise it's actually a cafe! We had the savoury waffles (one with pulled ham and one with Smoked Salmon) and Piece of Resistance. The savoury waffles were delicious and definitely go better with the pulled ham than smoked salmon. Piece of Resistance was pretty standard except that the bacon was a pleasant surprise which is more like a thick smoked ham. Very delicious but the food are quite salty for my liking. They use Campos Coffee but it seems to be a bit weak. Will come back for the waffles with ham again for sure!
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I must say I was a bit sceptical given its location in an arcade with the likes of Gloria jeans and sushi sushi type establishments, but I was happily proven wrong. My 3/4 almond latte was on point. They use 3/4 size cups too so no accidentally filling it too much. I got the veggie omelet breakfast with gluten free toast. Omelet came in a little pan and was kind of hybrid between and omelet and a frittata. It was filled with yummy mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach and tipped with tomato salsa/relish and goats cheese. The gluten free bread was a nice dense sourdough style. The serving was generous and I really enjoyed it. My partner had the piece of resistance which is their big breakfast. He really liked it, especially the house made pesto mayo and nice thick bacon. He was also satisfied with the serving which is saying something because he often leaves places still hungry. Service was also very good. Only one waitperson on the floor but they were handling it well. All in all a good experience and we would go back.
Thanks to my colleague, I discovered this gem at CBD. How do I know this is a great cafe? There are many working people having casual chats and business discussions here. Everyone who's been here enjoyed their coffee / drinks, food, service and ambience, including myself. Awesome spot for unwinding (bonus: tons of National Geographic magazines!) and having informal gatherings.
I've done caterings with Mister Close by ordering large amount of food and coffees (I.e food enough to feed 15 people). Not only were they efficient (they always deliver on time), they always get a staff to help deliver the food and coffees to my office as well! They are so considerate. Did I also mention they make mean croissants and toasties?
Highly highly rate Mister Close - have been and always would be a regular there 👌🏻
When I worked err closer to Mister Close, I was here weekly for lunch and/or coffee. Revisited recently and I was reminded why I would always come here.
Food is good, coffee is better. The servings are huge and the menu changes daily but still manages to have many options; I don't think I've ever been disappointed with what I've ordered.
It does get very busy around lunch, however I've always managed to get a table and the wait for food was never too long.
Was there for a quick coffee and a brownie. I got to say that the coffee is better than acceptable and is worth a go if you are looking for somewhere quiet to have good conversations. The brownie is soooooo good. It just melts in your mouth..... (ooooohhhh) I'm giving it a 4 based on the coffee and brownie I had.
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A surprisingly good cafe that is nestled amongst foodcourt-standard eateries. The cabinet at the front is full of tempting sweet treats and baked goods, as well as fresh, gourmet salads, rolls, sandwiches, hot foods etc.
My choice of the day was the Super Porridge with oats, black quinoa, LSA, nuts, seeds and poached fruit ($14). This came at a huge serve and was super filling; I wasn't even hungry for dinner 7 hours later! The porridge was really delicious. It came piping hot and was chock full of all types of seeds and grains - they certainly were not stingy with the good stuff! They were very generous with the poached fruit as well. Amongst all the berries and what not was a lovely poached pear that I particularly loved. It was poached to the perfect texture and was not overly sweet. This was the perfect dish for what was a rather windy and chilly day.
My dining companions ordered a Chicken, ginger and lemon pie with a side of Fennel salad ($17.50) and the Favo Toast (smashed up avocado & fetta layered on Sourdough grain toast with a touch of dukkah & lemon zest and added poached egg - $14 + $2.50). Out of the two, the pie was definitely better value. It was huge, and filled with large chunks of tender chicken meat inside. The salad was made of very fresh, high quality ingredients and worked well to offset the heaviness of the pie. The avocado toast also appeared to be very fresh, and the toppings were generously piled on.
The coffees we ordered were also fantastic, although they were on the small side.
Overall I was very impressed with my meal at Mister Close. I will aim to leave some stomach room for one of their sweet treats next time.
One thing to note - there is no toilet inside the cafe itself. You have to go to level 1 of the centre to use the public toilets, which was a bit annoying.
Visited this place for a few times already, love their soup esp
in cold days and the lunch time special. Recommend the pumpkin sandwich so yummy yet so healthy. It's a very casual place to enjoy lunch/brunch with friends
I didn't expect this but they have offered friendly service as well as excellent expresso - at a convenient location. Personally I think the best shot I could find in bourke st mall.
After enduring a bad coffee at a premium price (previous review) it was a relief coming here.
I had read about the place in a Melbourne Coffee anthology book and it lived up to expectations.
The coffee was rich and textured; the froth could have been less bubbly and creamier, but that was only a minor aside from the overall experience. The bean flavour was sensational and I liked the pattern.
Service was efficient and friendly.
Excellent food - had the favo toast with smashed avocado and feta. They have beautiful seeded sourdough and dukkah on top yumm. Coffee was average, could be better.
If you are looking for a place good to catch up with friends, then this is the one. I have been here 3 times now. One of the main reason was, a good iced coffee. I really enjoyed their iced coffee here. They also have good selection of food, from sandwiches to salad and they serve desserts. The staff are nice and that's always good.
Great food great coffee. Never had to wait in line, always a treat! Convenient location (slightly hidden which is a good thing!). Prices are reasonable for brunch food.
Great place for a quick feed or to get something to takeaway right in the heart of the CBD. Lots of variety and they change their menu up daily, so you're going to be spoilt for choice! (I sure was) I had the pasta bake and they gave me a side salad (true café style = love it!). Can't want to come back to get something quick for my lunch breaks at uni!
Lovely service and food :) my porridge was pretty good and friends French toast was amazing!
I am a regular customer who buys their sweet muffin (depending on the flavour of the day) and chai latte with honey. This time i brought hubby for a breakfast on Saturday morning and the place was quite empty. We ordered the Fastbreaker and Chive waffle with scrambled egg and smoked salmon.
Here comes the review:
muffin, coffee & chai latte 5/5
food 3.5/5
customer service 2.5/5, as we dont really get the 'friendly' vibe and they dont offer a smile at anytime of the day.
To sum up, dont expect a good customer service but do come here to enjoy their food and drinks :)
Mister Close is the kind of place that serves up wholesome, delicious and large portions of food made by someone who really cares about you. Coffee is top notch and staff always makes sure you're looked after, well.
Absolutely fantastic coffee and food. Horrible HORRIBLE service! Some of the staff here neglect to acknowledge you presence until they are ready. I once waited for my sandwich to be reheated from the display for a good 15 mins no exaggeration! If this rating was based on food only I would give them a 4.5 easily, but realistically some of their stuff and their attitude ruin their image and ensure I didn't
return as often as I liked when I worked in so close to the Target Centre. Walk a bit up to In a rush instead where the ladies are lovely!!
Frenchtoastandindiepop
+3.5
In the heart of the CBD you’ll find the sleek and cool Mister Close. The cafe is a completely unified design and space, your eye flows through the space, catching on little delights. There’s sunflowers, works of art that spring from the wall and the Victorian Coffee Book which every Melbourne coffee snob should have in their collection. We found Mister Close’s coffee to be creamy, pleasantly light and subtle. It didn’t have the knock out body Melbourne coffee is known for, but it was a nice brew nonetheless. Our first dish was the smashed avocado to which we added bacon and egg, because everything can be improved with bacon and egg. It was all nice, there were great hunks of bacon and a nice crunch and mix of textures. While it was polished and a great concept, the dish was good, but just didn’t knock our socks off. We wanted that wow factor that the presentation suggested. We found it in the next dish. A mix of peas, dill and tomato with a poached egg. It was supposed to be served with goats curd, but they ran out and we went with feta instead. Luckily this dish was a bit of a knockout, a beautifully balanced mix of light, fresh ingredients, acidity and a hint of creamy. In fact the only thing that could have improved it was the goats curd, there was so little feta on the plate that it’s saltiness didn’t unbalance what was otherwise a finely tuned dish.
Beautiful cafe, friendly and welcoming staff. Campos coffee was beautiful and well presented. Had the 12hr cooked lamb which was amazing and butter chicken. We will be back.
Cracking little place in the heart of Melbourne. All the food looked delicious but I opted for the 12 hr lamb which was awesome. Barista was also quality
Friendly and welcoming staff promptly found us a nice table, grabbed our drink order, and then gave us a few minutes to decide on lunch. I had the lasagne and it was probably the best one I've had! The pulled beef combined with veggies and feta was a great combo! So nice to have something a bit different than a standard mince based lasagne. Friend had the lamb sandwich and said it was great. Chances are we'll be back on our next trip to Melbourne
Except the service, i quite like food there.
Most coffees are very aromatic and thick taste which i prefer and the toasted coleslaw and ham sandwich is my favorite.
Whenever i want a quick take away lunch i love to go there but shouldn't expect any smile and friendly service from the staffs
Love the fresh food here! I got the riccotta and spinach spanokopita and it was fantastic. The salads are to die for, and I love the fitout.
Tasteful breakfast, maybe a little bit too "oily" but very good.
One of my favourites. I am so lucky that this is within a very close proximity to my office. Never fail to get a bad coffee here and the food is amazing. Have eaten here quite a few times and I like to have my meetings here too. Can get quite noisy so keep this in mind. Great selection of savoury and sweet stuff. Great team who looks after you well. I have also done our office catering here a few times - they are very easy to deal with and are more than happy to assist. Have always had a good experience here. Do check it out.
September 18, 2014 Ticked off The List: September 6, 2013 Anh took me down to Melbourne for a weekend during my last trip to Australia in September last year. It was an absolute foodie dream with many restaurants nestled in the CBD (downtown for my Canadians), each turn down the winding laneways revealed yet more places to eat. We were staying right in the heart of it all and it was a delight to be able to walk a few steps to some amazing food. We’re coming back in a couple weeks to celebrate Anh’s mate’s son’s birthday and I can’t wait to explore some more, especially of what else Melbourne has on offer to eat.
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Waffle On, 17.50AUD I never expected Midtown Plaza to situate a brunch place inside it. Who knew there would be a cafe being kept hidden in this very strategic location, just on Bourke on Swanston. At Bourke's tram stop, just head in to Midtown Plaza and you would see it straight, a logo of a faceless bearded man with a tie and geeky shades. Hard to imagine I know, but just walk in and you will know what I mean. I finally met my long time friend whom I am friends with since my teenage years, we had a good catch up after many years of pause. I heard Mister Close changes its menu daily, and you might not see what we ate when you pay a visit. We went to Mister Close on a Sunday so perhaps you would see these two items we ordered if you come by on the day of sabbath. I knew immediately that I wanted the sweet corn and chive waffles with creamy scrambled eggs. You can take a pick between honey roasted ham or smoked salmon to pair with. My ham dipped so well with the seeded mustard mayonnaise. The waffles was dense, not light and airy. It looks tiny but trust me, it was pretty filling. The GFF (So Modern), 16.50AUD My friend had two free range poached eggs, with fried potato rosti, roasted tomato, slow roasted ham underneath the rocket salad, some parmesan and mayonnaise on the side. Skinny Cappuccino + Flat White And a coffee to start and end. There were plenty of seats available at Mister Close . I suspect that given its location and being new entrant to the brunch scene, it hasn't been very well received on the social media side. It is still though, a good place to hang out if you want the piece and quiet. Give it a go and let me know what you think. Mister Close Shop 13 Midtown Plaza, 246 Bourke Street, CBD Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia Tel: +(61) 03 9654 7778 Mon to Fri: 7am-4pm Sat: 9am-4pm Sun: 10am-4pm
My breakfast frittata is a fluffy, eggy pan of thick chorizo, chunks of potato, and a bright orange romesco sauce. Whilst the usual frittata comes with toast, Mister Close will happily substitute the toast for a fresh salad (which I quickly take advantage of).
I love myself a breakfast date. There are so many quirky and busy cafes in Melbourne that it’d be crime for anyone to visit Melbourne and not explore our hidden alleyways and lanes. I recently became good friends with someone at work. I was really surprised with the things we had in common. Also it was a bonus that she also liked breakfast dates as much as I did. I found this Mister Close on Urbanspoon and the reviews for the cafe looked promising, but of course you’ll never really know unless your experience for yourself first hand. I got a bit lost trying to find my way to the cafe, because the cafe was located on Bourke St in the Midtown plaza, but the entrance to the front is actually on Swanston St near the Bourke St and Swanston St intersection. There’s a little chalkboard outside the plaza on the footpath directing us to the cafe. The cafe is located in a shopping plaza. They have their own private seating area and some chairs and tables along the plaza walkway. At 10:30am, the
Overall, I really liked the look and feel of Mister Close. The fact that it's just a stone's throw away from where I stay and the gym (sometimes they're the same thing, really) and most aspects of the place have impressed me will probably keep me coming back.
Expensive Delicious Habit.
+4.5
I was really excited to find somewhere like this in the middle of the city: cool cafe, interesting food, good crowd, and reasonable prices. This is what gets a food blogger's heart pumping!
Single origin coffee. It is the only place in this area that has single origin coffee and it is really good and it changes. Some of the staff seem frumpy but most are lovely.
Great find!. Sunday morning after a spin class and in desperate need of a good feed. Walking down Bourke Street my friend suggested we check out this place. A bit off the main street inside the Midtown Plaza. I was a bit dubious at first but that was soon transformed as we took our seat surrounded by very geometric shaped furniture that had a Scandinavian feel to it.
I ordered the Favo toast with poached egg that came with a nice thick cut slice of grainy bread layered with cream cheese and a generous spread of avocado, with poached egg on the side.
Overall service was efficient and food was equally great......also does a good coffee!
My favourite place for breakfast. Coffee is flawless, food is fantastic and service is fast and friendly. There is nowhere better to have breakfast in the Melbourne CBD.
Friendly efficient service, good coffee & yummy breakfast.
The Bircher museli is the best!!!
Not your typical plaza cafe!. I certainly wasn't expecting a quaint and quirky cafe like this in a plaza in the middle of the CBD, but everything about Mister Close was great. Excellent serve of scrambled eggs (they can be hard to get right), lovely employees who were very attending and swiftly served food. The only qualm is the refusal to split the bills - most morning cafes when you're in-n-out quite quickly are able to accommodate this, and it was rather frustrating! Otherwise, an eggsellent choice.
Corn and Chive Waffles, Smoked Salmon, Scrambled Eggs and Seeded Mustard Mayo. Tasty and delicious !
Awesome coffee and great food. I had the super porridge which was huge and great with soy as i am dairy intolerant. Pity they don't serve almond milk or rice milk though.
Nice Food Nice Service Cool Logo. Good morning!
Favourite cafe in Melbourne. Mr Close has been my weekday local for years now and always has excellent coffee, great food and friendly staff.
Great lunch. Walked past at first and was impressed with fridge display, came back and seated on communal table as on my own. Very quick service..good coffee and had a great salad, large portion and super fresh. Would definitely return.
Delicious! Great, attentive.... Delicious!
Great, attentive service and fresh, healthy looking produce.
I love that it's in a busy, central location but you can actually get a seat on the weekend without having to queue for an hour. The staff were distant but polite. I got the Piece of Resistance dish. Which had yummy sausage, wilted spinach and super tasty potato rosti. The only downside was the bacon, which felt quite 'thick' and a little dry and wasn't sizzling and juicy. Also didn't like that access to the toilets wasn't easy and involved climbing up some stairs and going through a labyrinthian maze.
GREAT SERVICE! an amazing atmosphere!
Brilliant Atmosphere & Very Accommodating for Large Groups. This is a favourite of mine. The staff are super friendly and even with a group of 10 on a busy day they always seem to be able to make room. Dietary requirements are happily met and the food is always very tasty. The coffee is one of the best places in Melbourne. Highly recommended.
Yumm!!. My first time at Mister Close. I ordered one of the specials - the Chicken Parma - a lovely twist on a traditional favourite - the chicken was crispy, great ham, and a special twist, a lovely tomato/spicy olive salsa, which was fresh and had a bit of a bite. Another thing I liked, a number of the specials on the list were GF.
Service was prompt & friendly. They even let us swap the garden salad in the meal to ones in the display cabinet. I had the zucchini/carrot slaw with toasted hazelnuts.
Yum ! Loved it, and will be back.
This cafe cares about the food it serves, and I thought it was right to point this out. We often forget to leave a good review when food & service is great !
Three of us loved our breakfasts, they were all so fresh, simple and healthy, coffee was prefect and the service was lovely and relaxed. A hidden little gem!
Beautiful place!. Mister Close is adorable!
Beautiful decor and such lovely staff!
Breakfast was divine! Will be recommending and returning soon!
Only downfall - leaky teapot!
Oh wow!! If this isn't a hidden gem I don't know what is. I had the chicken waffle dish and my partner had the omelette. Watched him cook both in an open kitchen with passion. Not only that, but it was perfection! Holy cow! There are not enough exclamations in the world to describe my satisfaction with the brunch I had here
One of the best chai in the CBD. The presentation of the drinks was great and taste was awesome. Staff are professional and courteous. If you are looking for a great tasting coffee or chai, Mr. Close is the place.
They serve Campos coffee which in itself is a BIG plus! The brunch food's presented beautifully, delicious and reasonably priced. Great place to just sit and chill in the heart of the city.
This cafe is better than it's looks and location might suggest. It has an interesting contemporary diverse breakfast menu with fresh ideas and a variety of cuisine influences, all executed at very high quality standards at fair value prices and quite good quality coffee. Almost everything, even down to the muesli, is created on site. I was delightfully surprised by this quality venue.
Mr. Close is a fantastic little spot tucked away inside midtown! The food is fantastic with menus changing daily. The coffee is beautiful and the staff are always so lovely with fantastic service! Vegan and gluten free options and so much more! Would recommend to anybody.
Staff were so kind and attentive, coffee was great and breakfast portions were generous. Lightning fast service, meal was served less than 5 minutes after ordering and everything was fresh. Definitely a new favourite spot! :)
Was here 2 years ago and rated it with 5 Stars.
Back again this morning and wow, still 5 Stars.
Great food, dining area and service, well done all.
Try the 'Wake up in Mexico' from the table menu, its awesome.
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