John Gorilla is hands down the most delicious, welcoming, heart warming joint in Brunswick.
John Gorilla is a hidden gem found in Brunswick. A lot of little cafes like this don't produce the best food but this cafe is brilliant. What it lacks in size it makes up for in quality. The food is amazing. The staff are very friendly and always greet you with a warm smile. Some cons to it is the coffee is unreliable and it is a bit expensive. I highly recommend this cafe.
We stopped in for a mid week autumn lunch in the back of brunswick, and were not disappointed. The attentive staff made us feel welcomed, and cared for. Menus appeared quickly. Coffee was great.
The food was beautifully served and full of complex flavours. I had the cubano sandwich which was simply amazing.
While this one is a little out of the way, it is a gem that needs to be experienced
A rare find.
John Gorilla is a bit quirky but in the few visits for coffee we have not been disappointed.
We had the opportunity to stop by for Saturday morning breakfast and were very positively surprised.
A very prompt friendly greeting as soon as we walked in and quickly seated with coffee orders taken while we decided on food.
The menu is thoughtful with some fantastic opportunities to build with extras.
We decided on the Corn & Jalapeno Fritters with a couple of poached eggs and the Haloumi Bagel. Good choices. Very happy with the way the dishes were put together and presented. Generous flavours and very fulfilling serves.
Friendly and attentive staff circulating all the time.Well worth the visit.
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John Gorilla is classic retro Brunswick cafe serving magnificent food and coffee in a relaxing sociable environment. The small yet humble cafe features an intimate courtyard out the back as well as a small amount of bench seating out the front on Pearson Street. The interior is very homestyle, separated into two different rooms. When entering there is a long low table situated on the left of the main counter ideal if your just having a coffee or study session with friends. The additional room is slightly larger where most of the seating is. Wooden tables with blue booth style seatings screams vintage. Old school wall paper and miscellaneous paintings featured throughout the cafe gives John Gorilla its unique feel which locals seem to thrive off.
A waitress greeted me and I sat myself in the second room on one of those outrageously comfortable cushioned booted seats against the wall under, the specials blackboard by the window with the perfect spot to engage in some mindless people watching. I was given time to view their simple yet tasty menu but thought I would just start with a coffee, getting caffeine in my veins in an attempt to try and get some work done. The brew was good. Strong and thick with a great velvety texture and earthy tart favour.
Tummy grumbling and a menu featuring house made granola I was sold. I decided to satisfy my cravings and ordered the honey toasted granola with vanilla labne, poached pears and fresh strawberries minus the strawberry buttermilk and replaced it with almond milk due to dietary requirements. The dish looked adorable and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Firstly that vanilla labne was the best I’ve had, thick creamy and not overly sweet with plenty of flavour. The poached pears where tender and fell apart with ease. The granola itself was equally as superb, chunky and well toasted bringing a biter tasting note which I loved. From almost whole dried figs, nuts, shards of coconut, seeds and chewy oats all dressed in pungent honey this granola was a naughty indulgence.
John Gorilla has now become one of my favourite cafes in the area purely due to the friendly staff, great coffee and flawless food. The atmosphere is completely relaxed with locals popping in for there daily feed. I certainly will be back when the weather gets warmer to take the opportunity to kick back in the courtyard out the back to truely witness this cafe in full effect.
I love this little neighbourhood cafe. Was my local for a long time. Ventured back today because I knew it was dog friendly. The breakfast was really good, top ticket items run $18-$22 but it was really well executed , both food and coffee. I'm a fan.
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This cafe is tucked away at the quieter end of Brunswick west and not easily accessible by public transport. It's easy to dismiss this cafe from outside looking in but is definitely a different feel the minute you walk in. I was curious to check this cafe out after being featured in the melbourne spring 2017 official visitor guide. According to the guide, the avocado piquillo (avo on sourdough with poached eggs and piquillo peppers) comes highly recommended by locals in the know. So that's the dish I ordered with almond latte and one of the specials of the day- porchini mushrooms soup with cheese toast. The coffee was really good and I had to ask which almond milk the barista use. The avo piquillo was fresh and tasty but I wouldn't travel far for it. On the other hand, the soup was delish!! Loved the interior decors with interesting ornaments on the table, wall and shelves. Staff are friendly too. Would recommend this cafe if you're around the area, plenty of off street parking in the residential area and you don't have to worry about long wait for this hidden gem.
Went here for breakfast over the weekend. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the food and coffee is incredible! Highly recommended!
The Beauty Of Melbourne
+4
John Gorilla makes the best scrambled eggs in Brunswick (and I've done the rounds to know) love their relish also. Coffee can sometime be a bit hit and miss however but I always enjoy breakfast here.
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John Gorilla. I didn't think much of it online when my friend suggested it for breakfast this morning but I couldn't believe how cute it was when I stepped inside. Loved the set up with the portrait wall, hanging lights and measuring tape detailing (random) on the counter. The mismatched plates were super cute too. On to the food. Now while lots of places employ a strictly no alterations and no split bills policy I still find it so inflexible and unnecessary. Sure you don't want a line of people waiting behind some annoying person who's standing there itemising a bill but if there's no one around and you just want to split in half it's really no skin off their nose. Likewise if I want to swap the tofu in my meal to the smoked salmon (which is on the sides menu) I don't see how that's really going to overcomplicate life in the kitchen. I mean I know we are in Brunswick but who wants tofu in their breakfast burrito anyway?? This is definitely a local hang as evidenced by the owner/waitress chatting intimate life details with every patron in the place to the detriment of serving my friend and I, clearly the interlopers. Overall I loved the atmosphere and vibe but the menu was a little too hipster for my liking. Definitely worth checking out though
Lovely friendly staff, though they seemed a little overwhelmed during breakfast. We ordered avocado piquello (Basically a standard avo toast), and the chicken burger. Both were good. But I kinda expected a little more for the price. The coffee was also nice.
Delicious breakfast (served all day). Cubano sandwich was next level. Friendly and helpful staff. Great coffee too!
Nice comfy laid back cafe eatery in the burbs which consistently applies friendly customer service.
Did the meal arse about coffee & cake then the schnitzy meal which was just right & washed down with Sip drink, which I'd recommend as not v sweet at all but zingy lemon taste.
Great place and always friendly.
Avocado Piquillo is the dish to go for. Perfect combo of sweet, sour and spicy. Coffee is excellent!
Great cafe that does Brunswick West proud!
Cosy vibes, love the plants and decor, friendly staff that seem genuinely happy, great coffee and an incredible eggplant banh mi! 5 stars and recommend
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