I came here for a quick bite at lunch. This place has a bit of everything, good choice of salads, sandwiches as well as hot meals. I ordered the Reuben sandwich. Really good, and well worth a visit if you're a little undecided about what to eat. They have something for everyone.
I must have looked like death when I went into Fair Trader. I am coming down with something, probably a cold, and was feeling a bit weak but needing breakfast.
I spotted Golden Latte and wondered what the heck it is and does it taste like golden showers đ (not that I know what that tasted like!!!) and the person behind the counter kindly explained to me that itâs turmeric latte. I decided to try one because I heard turmeric is really good for the body and I realllllllyyyy need something good for my body right now. In all honesty it wasnât love at first sight. Itâs too spicy and gingery and like my friend Ange said, it tasted like Laksa. But the more I sip it (no point wasting money!), the more I felt the warming benefits of this golden latte for my cold.
Of course I also got some food to go with it and that helps too - Fair Trader does a nice savoury muffin with chunky pumpkin, zucchini and feta in it.
I canât wait to try their lunch salads and report back!
Fair trader is such a great place for lunch. Such a big salad selection which is constantly changing. Available for eat in and takeaway. Also plenty of hot food and focaccias etc. Different sizes of salad available too, and you can get more than one different type of salad per serve. Coffee is tasty, service is prompt and polite.
This place is one of my options at my lunch time almost just
being under my company. Place has plenty of option from salads to sandwiches to
warm food. I tried their salads today and it was fresh and delicious, recommended.
Healthy and YUMMY!
Quick, fresh, clean, modern, healthy, trendy! Gourmet salads, reasonable prices and efficient, friendly service. Top notch spot for a quick lunch time feed amongst the hustle and bustle of the CBD! Satisfied customer!
This cafe is a little like a Tardis... it looks little from the entrance but just keeps going and going and going. A heap of food cabinets and different ordering stations and a substantial range of items from soups the barley risotto to croque madam. There is also a well stocked liquor supply... always good.
Today we just came in for a quick breakfast and coffee and I opted to try the giant savoury muffin with my regular latte. Kelisi was happy with the availability lots of lactose free milk and GF bread... lucky her.
My muffin was tasty but still a little dry despite being heated and with dollops of butter. Coffee was probably one of the best Iâve had in this vacinity.
Feedback from Kelisi was the GF bread was amazing as well.
Would definitely come back for coffee but would most likely try something other than savoury muffin (there was literally dozens of options).
Coffee is fantastic. I drink a magic and always get a good product here. Great barista - Raad, really friendly and outgoing, and you can see that he has a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to coffee. Big open space with heaps of seating. Egg tart is amazing.
Here's to another place I didn't know existed. I was taken here by a work colleague. I really liked my meal - a warm beetroot salad - which he recommended. I thought it was lovely and exactly what I needed and desired. I'm almost done with food court offerings. Bistros offer so much extra. I'll be back for more.
Had a lovely breakfast here. The staff were polite and friendly. They were happy to make something that wasn't on the menu for me. The chai latte was the best I have ever had!
Nicely decked out, plenty of room, good location, great (breakfast) food, great coffee. Let down slightly by some indifferent staff. Hopefully they'll be on song when you go.
Still recommended.
Has a pretty good menu of sandwiches, hot food and salads. Good for an occasional cbd lunch but nothing spectacular. Coffee is pretty good and friendly staff. A bit loud when busy however.
Took away a turkey, brie, and rocket sandwich. It was toasted nicely, but the person who served me spread butter on the outside after it was toasted, which made it nice and crispy but also rather greasy. I would have preferred it without. Otherwise the sandwich was decent. I wasn't very happy with the service, though. The guy who took my order was fine, but the girl who put my order through was rather rude and dismissive.
Divine. Absolutely divine. Most delicious, healthy salads. Looking at the menu, amazing breakfasts as well! Service is incredible. Will return again and again!
Yum. Great service, great food, good prices and good coffee. I'm a regular
We stopped by for drinks but tried some chips and dessert. The chips were average nothing too yumtastic but not too bad either. Staff were super friendly and gave us some free desserts - custard donut was delish but the chocolate slice was just a little stale.
Lunch became dinner. What a feast! The steak sandwich (with egg and cheese) was absolutely huge, with home-made delicious chips. Certainly the best I've had in a long time. We ate around 12.30pm and by dinner time I was still statisfied, without the feeling of being overstuffed when we ate. If only I worked close by it would be a regular.
This place not only delivers amazing coffee and sensational food but the service is second to none and with the owners making everyone that walks in want to come back it is a very chilled but sophisticated little spot coffee is great! And happy hour is an added bonus#
Simply the best. What can i say great coffee, great food.....OMG sensational nona style meatballs and of course pleasant,friendly service.I am definitely making the Fair Trader one of my favorite city cafes.Thanks guys see you soon.
Had the best wagu burger ever, this will be definitely my regular lunch stop.
Awesome cafe. Cool decor,good coffee,delicious food and the staff very attentive and always have a chat with you.
Love it!. Wow! I went to this place as I work in the city, my coffee was fantastic there is so much food to choose from (salads are amazing!!) and the service was also quick and friendly.
I'll be back for sure!
Great lunches, awesome steak pies, fantastic shepherds pie and great range of salads and superfoods. You will find something to eat! Very reasonable priced.
The coffee is amongst the best in this locale too.
Large warm premises with good ambience.
Highly recommended.
YUM! Amazing food & place!. I'm still drooling about the delicious selection of salads and food at The Fair Trader! The new owners have really picked everything up! Service was great and the wagu burger was amazing and great value. Love the decor and atmosphere! Will certainly be back for lunch and will have to try happy hour on a Friday!
Give it a fair go. Salads are fantastic and full of flavour: the mediterranean, the Fig, Prosciutto & buffalo moz, the pumpkin and sweet potato. Healthy portions. Burgers are juicy. Pasta is delish. Zucchini fritters are fresh and has the great crunchy texture on the outside. Service is fast. No fuss.
Great coffee but sometimes a bit up and down depending on the barista (Annie is great). Delish salads and sandwiches, a tad pricey but you get what you pay for. Cool floor staff, Marco is always chatty. Head chef is great as well!
Coffee great. Love the look of this place, coffee was sensational once but only great the next. service is a touch on the slow side. will be back for sure.
Great food and cofee. I go to Fair Trader quiet a lot just because they have the best food and cofee in the city. I love their salads (Super food salad rocks), they are amazingly tasty and fresh and also the sandwiches (pulled beef sandwich is the bomb), This place is cool in a way that it offers just what the city workers want. I hope they do the peanut butter and chocolatte muffin again :))
City Worker Cafe Lover
+4.5
Great Food but Expensive. The Fair Trader has lovely food, which I don't mind paying for. I really recommend a visit. The one thing I'd recommend they tell their staff is that when they are serving in front of a customer they should not intentionally spread the food over the plate to make it look like there is more than there really is - it makes them look a bit dodgy and dishonest. Just put a fair serve on the plate and be done wiht it. This kind of behaviour I think is really off putting. But in saying that, the food is really nice and although it's a bit on the expensive side, it's worth it for a nice Friday lunch... Give it a go.
Love it!. At last.......not just a "decent" coffee in the city, an exceptional one!
At the bottom of Exhibition Street (Fair Work Australia building) this is the place to go for a great coffee and an array of tasty treats.Try the Lemon Slice.......yum!
This is a place to note!. I'm a city worker and literally been everywhere. The Fair Trader on each and every occasion I have graced it's doorway has blown me away with the quality of their coffee and food fare. The range is impressive and each time I have been (and it would be at least a dozen times now) the quality of coffee and food has got better as they tweak their offering. Right now I would give the FT an 8 out of 10. If the quality of food and coffee continues to improve then this place will be on its way to becoming one of those "destination cafes"! Keep up the good work.......
Lovely little place. Although this cafe is somewhat pricey, the food is what they say "Quality, not Quantity".
I was somewhat reserved to spend money here at first when i heard it can be pricey, however after trying their breakfast food, I understand why the price is extra. The ingredients used are gourmet and simply devine! The food reminds me of country style food which they use amazing combinations to add that extra spark to your boring old sandwich.
I think if you can appreciate the food value and what goes into each selection, you will never go back. For those who say its too pricey are usually the ones eating out everyday. Unfortunately for them, they will go back to their boring standard cafe menu at a cheaper price, but not savour each mouthful like you do with The Fair Trader's menu and enjoy this sort of cafe for the "special day of the week".
This would have to be the best place in the whole CBD for coffee. I have tried almost everywhere and these guys truly know their stuff. They're using St Ali coffee and personally I think the cup is better here! The vast array of cakes are made in house and are sensational.
There's a great range of made up lunches ready to go. They also have a menu. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable and staff are very friendly.
My favorite place so far, see you tomorrow!
I work across the road in 8 Exhibition and although there are some good coffee shops around the place, Fair Trader is by far the best! Keep up the good work guys!
Great atmosphere coffee staff are great for a chat and always say hi when I walk in as well as pull some Stella St Ali's coffee. Brioch is 6 dollars(not 9) but for nine bucks u can get some sweet sandwiches including schnitzel and lamb which I liked. I'm definatly going back for more.
Good coffee- shame about the service though.. It's nice to see a decent coffee being offered at this end of the city. I've been quite a number of times and it's always been excellent. However, the service has definitely slipped; when it first opened in late June, staff were humble, friendly and chatty. Fast forward no more than one month, and it seems that they have taken on a holier-than-though approach to customer service. I've had a frustrating couple of experiences recently, including the coffee machine breaking down halfway through my order and not being told AT ALL (I had to come back to claim it, and not even an apology or thank you). Sadly, it appears to be the same staff that offend each time.
Also, as has already been noted, the layout is confusing. If it wasn't for the coffee, I'd be outta there!
The World Loves Melbourne
+4.5
The Fair Trader has made a big impact in a short time with its fabulous coffee, spacious cafe and culinary delights. Having being used to cafes that are small and sometimes cramped, The Fair Trader can cope with hordes of coffee lovers descending from nearby offices.
Fair Trader is one of my favourites. Serving really good coffee, many healthy food options as well as more decadent choices, it's a favourite for many who work around the top end of Collins Street.  We also like it here because it is one of the few venues that is decently spacious. In this modern era of queues-out-the-door, hole-in-the-wall types, it's nice to not have to conduct an anxious search for an available seat or table. On Friday nights, they are also open later for drinks and it's a great after-work, pre-dinner meeting place.
Warren Tate Speaker Coach
+4
A surprise at the bottom of Exhibition street and part of the Fair Work building. What a selection of meals - focacciaâs, wraps, salads and hot meals - one problem, what to eat!!! Ample room to dine in with large share tables or smaller tables for two. Take away is definitely popular with the CBD workers. Fully licensed with a great selection of wine and spirits as well as coffee and cakes. Busy so therefore a little over zealous with wanting to take your order to keep the business ticking over, I understand that for the regulars however being new to the venue, I needed a little more time to work through the huge variety of delicious foods. Something for everyone and worth a visit.
Probably my favourite chai right now. Has a really good ginger kick which I like. Always goes well with a muffin or pastry like a Portuguese tart.
Anyway, come support a great CBD cafe during covid. The city is doing it tough and as a proud Melbournite I am happy to be back.
Great coffee, great food, fast service. Glad I dropped in for brunch.
As an essential worker, it can be difficult to find a decent place to eat at the moment. Highly recommend the burger here though! Absolutely brilliant and they are seemingly open every day during the week. Coffee is great too!
Great coffee awesome food. (Hope your hungry đ) fantastic breakfast
Really really fresh food and great coffee .. must have one meal here, when in Melbourne.
Great atmosphere and fantastic coffee.
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