Review The Basement Cafe - Melbourne

I love a strong latte and most time it's hard to get. But....here I found a really nice strong latte. Very relaxing place we even played chess. The young gentleman was very friendly. (It's good to see friendly service that's genuine 👌) I watched people come and go and this place has a community feel about it. If you are in Melbourne pop in worth it. Good job guys.

My partner and I went there ay 10am Saturday this morning, 10am Saturday. It's a bit disappointed. The breakfast was below cafe standard. It seems you can buy from the supermarket and made it at home. We ordered Latte and Soy mocha. The mocha was taste like milo and didn't taste like a coffee at all. 1/4 was foam in Latte. The customer services were zero which served by an old guy. Sorry guys, first time and last time here.

I had beak fast here. It was excellent. The coffee is awesome and has an exceptional aroma and taste. Every one must try for sure.

Disappointing all round Came here on a Saturday morning for brunch with my partner. Unfortunately we received quite rude service in respect to our orders being mishandled(lukewarm ice latte instead of iced chai) and also some poached eggs that were more on the boiled side. Our wait time was significant(30 minutes plus) and overall the big breakfast was lacking in size and taste appeal.

A very Relaxing and a homey cafe in a busy street of melbourne. Awesome customer service and have the best tasting filipino dish. When you're craving for a good coffee with tapsilog or tocilog breakfast. Go there and enjoy the food, you'll never regret it.

Good place for breakfast or lunch. They close around 4 pm. Had the burger which came with fries and hash browns accompanied by tomato sauce and mayonnaise. Friendly service. I always appreciate it when asked “how was your meal?” The answer was very good. Plan to come again.

What a great find! Stumbled upon this cafe, and it has authentic filipino dishes on the menu! If you’re looking for tapsi/tocilog, this is the perfect place! It was sooo good! Excellent customer service, Cappuccino and fresh apple/orange juice were amazing as well! Would come back for more and try their live music at night ❤️

If you are looking for the customer experience, don't expect much. I came in and no one assisted or bothered to take my order. I can see people left bcoz they're not being taken care of. U need proper server guys, c'mon this is Australia not Philippines. Also they forgot to process my order so I waited at least 20 mins, since everyones order is delayed anyway. They were apologetic about it. The breakfast is okay, don't expect alot for 15$ meal, although it could have been more affordable. Nice cosy ambience though. And prolly ur clothes will smell inside

The best chicken salsa bowl I've ever had. Love the presentation, and it tastes sooo good. Definitely a must try. <br/><br/>Love this place! Easy to find and get to via public transport. <br/><br/>10/10 !

I've got to admit that I was a bit doubtful when I came in because it was completely empty on a Friday lunchtime and the chef was out which makes me think this is a common occurrence. They had a list of salads and pizzas on the menu which sounded good but the pulled pork roll caught my attention. On the menu, it said that the pulled pork came with green apple and kohlrabi (never heard of this and pretty sure it was the first time I had that) and chilli fried egg on brioche. They also had a number of specials including a beef stew which would have been my second choice. When I ordered the pulled pork roll, the guy at the counter called the chef who showed up a few minutes later. It is a bit dark in there because well, it is called the basement cafe for a reason but they have a cool raised area at the front that gets more light. A few tables and chairs outside too but it was a bit too cold for me to be outside today. Anyway, the food arrived and wow, it was well presented and even better, it was absolutely delicious. The brioche was toasted perfectly so it was crispy and soft at the same time and buttered (makes a huge difference!). The fried egg was on point; not completely cooked but cooked to the point that it is not runny anymore. The chillies were very subtle, you could tell they were there but their contribution was minimal and it didn't make the burger spicy at all if that makes any sense. The green apple and kohlrabi were amazing but I would say there was only slightly too much sauce for me (although it wasn't bad at all and did not make the brioche soggy). The pulled pork was tender and stringy. To be honest, I believe the pulled pork brioche was probably quite healthy; it did not taste salty, there wasn't any crazy sauces, the meat was not burnt but I can see some people might not prefer that. I was satisfied with the way that it was. Oh and there were mustard seeds which brought it up to another level. Totally recommend this if you go there. And the prices are so good too.

This place is crazy cheap, especially for Melbourne. A very cute (very small) cafe with satisfactory service. Coffee was good. Getting an eggs benny for under $12 anywhere is unheard of so I had to try it. Usually serviced with ham I requested mushrooms or spinach be substituted and it came with tomato, bit odd but I appreciate them changing out the meat for me. Hollandaise wasn’t great, lumpy consistency and somewhat curdled. If it wasn’t for the price and if at any other location I probably would’ve sent it back. Again, it’s the most affordable breakfast spot I’ve ever been to, but you do get what you pay for

The chai latte was average. Staffs were friendly. A lovely small cafe located on the busy La trobe street close to Melbourne Central. Overall it was fine.

Was drawn to the really cool vibe of the place! It's small and cosy and unique and just really chill. Enjoyed my coffee and theres a pretty broad menu which is really good. Nice staff that are up for a chat so my experience here was very pleasant.

The Basement :)<br/><br/>I was walking along La Trobe Street and looking for something different when a sign caught my eye. The Basement Cafe. It looked odd in the sense that people eating at a different level while others walk by on the street does look odd I guess. <br/><br/>Anyways, I decided to order a sandwich, ham, spinach, tomato and other vegies and had it toasted with a chai latte on the side. Waiting inside I looked about me and checked out the decor, it's kind of a mix of 90s grunge meets rock and roll with a black and white theme is how best I can describe it.<br/><br/>Food was tasty, sandwich well toasted and went down a treat, staff were friendly and amicable and nice so put this one down as one of Melbourne's little known places and give it a visit. :)

Such a great place to eat! Always such a chilled out environment with amazing customer service. The food was great and catered to our vegan needs. Also the food and drink are very affordable. I would highly suggest to try this out!

Best coffee in the CBD. Very friendly barista, I'll be back to this place. <br/><br/>It is wam inside and has a small turfed area where DJ plays weekend. I'll be back for that tonight.

Not the best place for coffee on the street, but it will do in the early mornings before my regular place opens up! Service is fine, a little disinterested. Coffee served slowly considering the busyness or lack there of at the time. I can't understand why some barista's are so slow.

A cozy place in CBD for coffee cakes and breakfast. Went for brekky very early in the morning. Scrambled egss and coffee were really good. The owner and staff are very welcoming.

We use this tiny coffee shop for coffee break and business meetings...haha! It's called basement but really it is street level but with an elevated platform open up to the street. It's pretty cool. Menu covers usual breakfast suspects and pizza, all very reasonably priced. Nice coffee and pretty latte art! An unassuming no frill down to earth place with good service!

First place we are at melbourne for breakfast <br/>You defs get value for money <br/>Can't fault it <br/>Just order and eat <br/>Great coffee too! <br/>Would recommend

Great bacon and egg muffin, friendly staff, inviting layout - very Melbourne way. Coffee looked great but tasted bitter. Will try again soon...

Amazing coffee!. Beautiful coffee to sit down and relax too. Enjoyed the atmosphere and friendly staff! Very funky :)

Avocado on toast.... There are three medium slices of dense, seedy sourdough – generously smeared (say about 1/2 cm) with smashed avocado. It’s not piled high – but it’s enough. That, and another cup of their good coffee set me up for the day. And even if you thought you would like more – why not add some bacon, or chorizo, or tomato to the avocado on toast! I’m sure they’d be accommodating!<br/>

Got to get you into my life! This retro café which has a rock music theme is a great gem on La Trobe! Here it is all about the ambience with great coffee and simple but tasty menu options.

Everything is always great!. Whenever I'm in the CBD I come here (or rue my decision not to). Great coffee, great food (pesto chicken salad is always my favourite, so is that gooey brownie thingie). Quick service, friendly staff, other customers aren't the annoying sort. Good place to meet friends for lunch or chill out. Plus it's fun to sit in the window! :D

Very good. Enjoyed a tasty slice of toasted banana bread and well made coffee in a cozy, friendly atmosphere.

Diverse menu, great atmosphere and the staff didn't laugh at me when I asked for milk with my green tea.

Just enjoyed a coffee at the basement under the new management team. Was good. Good luck guys.

Perfect Lunch. I was looking for a quick place to get a great lunch from a unique place and I stumbled into Basement. Literally. It was perfect. I had the Pesto Chicken Salad and it was exactly what I wanted at that time. <br/><br/>Incredibly yummy. Thumbs up!

Delicious big slice of gluten free banana bread and great coffee!

Friendly service and tasty food in a cosy CBD location.<br/><br/>I ate the pumpkin pizza which also contained feta, pine nuts, tomato and pesto. It was a great combination.<br/><br/>My only criticism was that the base was merely pita bread; had it been a thin base made of dough it would have been a more substantial meal.<br/><br/>My workmates all rated their food highly, so thumbs up all around.

I've been living in Melbourne for four months now and have been looking for the perfect coffee- this place certainly will be a regular for me. The coffee is lovely and staff are quite friendly. They also do eftpos for under 10 bucks which is another win. Highly recommend!

Work in the area, this place is a fave! Yummy Turkish breads, pizzas, nice atmosphere to dine solo too. Only negative, soy coffee no good, stick with cow's milk.

Great coffee. Any cafe that serves Coffee Supreme can't go wrong! <br/>Looks like this gem is going to be a regular favorite of mine!

Working in the area, I've been to nearly cafe on the block. Best coffee by far. Start the day with a morning coffee from here religiously.

Never disappointed.. Regularly visit the cafe and it always shines. The service is brilliant and the staff are super friends. <br/><br/>The coffee is good and consistent. The food is simple, healthy and always good. The venue is cosy and a little different, which makes it a place I will definitely keep visiting.

Fresh food and flavours. Basement has good veg offerings - the Greek salad is a wonderful fresh mix of lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumber and good dressing. The feta could be more crumbly in texture, but that's a minor point. Veg cous cous is also flavoursome, a well seasoned base with zucchini, baby spinach leaves, carrots and capsicum throughout. Decent coffees and chai lattes too, and friendly attentive service.

Amazing coffee and fab service

Damn fine coffee. The Basement Cafe does all the right stuff right and doesnt do any of the wrong stuff. The coffee is the best for miles around, the staff are friendly and welcoming, the food is awesome and the music and atmosphere are very very good. This place gets very busy for obvious reasons but don't let that deter you from making a visit as they deal with a queue of caffeine needy cusotmers quickly without compromising their apparent ethic of great product with great service. Look out for Barrista Joe, he's crafty!

Best baguettes. I really like this cafe. It's cool and relaxed, they do great coffee and peppermint tea, and I love their pre-made baguettes - it is a real baguette, not an Australian version - with yummy fillings like prosciutto and brie etc. Must make a return trip soon!<br/><br/>*update* - made a return trip on 26.10.10 and the baguette (ham, cheese, tomato) was great. Love the affirmation that the baguettes are consistently good.

Love the basement. Nat and Tom are so friendly and look after the regulars while welcoming all the new people

Love this place. Funky décor, lovely service, great coffee and sensible sized, healthy breakfasts.

Get Down!. The Basement has gone through several changes of feel and owners, with the current iteration being the most welcoming and professional so far.<br/><br/>Upon stepping down into this über-cool little cafe, you instantly get the feel that these guys take pride in what they do - which is hard to find in this part of the city - and it's a feeling that's confirmed when you're greeted by the ever-smiling Nat behind the bar. <br/><br/>Nat knows her stuff, and makes the most delicious coffees around. Out the back, Tom is producing the nicest, tastiest food the Basement has ever offered. Try the chicken salad with pesto and pine nuts - it's to die for!

There's something about Basement Café that really appeals to me. Slightly whimsical and a bit grungy, it's a casual sort of place where you can get a beer and sandwich for lunch for $13. I like the way you can sit at the tables on the (artificial) grass watching the passing Lonsdale Street crowd. A bar at the back, pictures of trumpet players hiding behind the pot plants, Billie Holiday and Nancy Sinatra album covers decorating the walls, it's like a cross between a Brunswick Street Café and a 1960's underground jazz club. The day's options are written up on a large blackboard on the wall. The dishes we tried were probably typical café standard or slightly better, but to me this isn't what Basement Café is about. Here it's all about the vibe. My choice de jour was the homemade sausage roll. The salad was kind of perfunctory and the sausage roll not as good as it should have been. The roll itself was good but it had been overcooked, not yet burnt but getting there. A pity, because a