Review Ascot Food + Wine - Moonee Ponds

I love everything about this place! The food is amazing, the combinations of flavours, colours and textures work perfectly well with the ambience and are a joy for the palate! Highly recommended: get all the share platters you can and leave some space for the Tiramisù, because it's next level!

This restaurant has been on my list for quite some time and I was so glad I finally visited! Ascot food and wine is an intimate bistro style restaurant with a menu designed with such taste! The restaurant itself features gorgeous dark walls, booths and screams cozy (perfect for a cold wintery Melbourne night). It is definitely a perfect spot to dine with family and friends but also oozes romance for a special date night! The food we had was sooo delicious! 🫶🏼 Foccacia with Stracciatella and Mortadella 💖 Frutti Di Mare 👏🏼 Gippsland Grass Fed Fillet Mignon with peppercorn sauce 🤌🏼 Sides: Burnt Carrots with smoked Eggplant and Honey Vinegar, Broccolini with fermented chilli, green garlic and blanched almonds and fries of course! 🤍 Desserts: Tiramisu and Salted Caramel Viennetta My favourite of the night was the frutti di mare which was seriously the bestttt seafood pasta I have ever eaten- I will go back just to eat this all over again 😍. The stracciatella paired with the fresh focaccia was beautiful! The burnt carrots are a must as well as the broccolini! The tiramisu was also an 11/10 🤌🏼 The service we received was so warm and welcoming, we had ample time to enjoy our meal and a good gap between entree and main. The only downside was it was difficult to get the attention of wait staff after we had finished our mains in order to order dessert but that can absolutely be forgiven! I cannot wait to revisit this gem and I’m so happy it is so close to home for me! 🤍 5/5 ✨

Ascot Food Store has been around for years, it was one of the first brunch spots I ever visited. However I still think it’s abit of hidden gem that many haven’t yet visited. Open from brunch right through to dinner, they offer a truely unique bistro experience, it has really grown from a cafe into a more sophisticated neighbourhood wine bar. The menu I would probably describe as modern European, a small menu with few classics reimagined and executed impeccably. Everything is on the more expensive side but you absolutely are getting top quality and a generous serve. The dish I didn’t think twice about ordering was the Ricotta Tortellini with King Prawns. I saw it on their Instagram and just had to have it. Let me tell you I think this was probably dish of the year for me. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks since I had it, I pray it never leaves the menu! It was so flavourful with the fermented chilli butter sauce and the pasta cooked Al Dente. Every dish was perfection! The Steak was massive, perfectly cooked and rendered. I loved the broccoli so much with the chilli and peanuts I would’ve enjoyed it as a main, as were the carrots with the dip. Don’t skip dessert, they have a few delicious options. The drinks were great and the service was so kind and attentive. I can’t wait to come back and try more dishes, I would say this is now one of my favourite restaurants. Highly recommend.

Exceptional experience at this venue. If you’re looking for a local gem, look no further. Awesome food, cocktails & the staff were amazing absolute stand out! Accommodating for a large group, made everything to share and would highly recommend the Yuzu sour!

We’d not visited the Ascot Food store in a while and thought to return. Arriving at 9.15am on a Sunday morning we were surprised to only see two tables of two. After a slightly awkward greeting we were taken to our table (kinda) and waited patiently for our order to be taken …. and waited …. and waited. It would seem that the placement of glasses on empty tables took priority over us and our order. After 10 minutes we were yet to even place a drink order and left. There wasn’t any music playing either which made for a stark experience …. disappointed that an old favorite seems to no longer be what it once was.

What a wonderful place! The menu had me drooling before I even arrived for dinner. Sometimes this can be a bad thing, because it means I have such high expectations and would be bitterly disappointed if they weren't met! But Ascot Food & Wine pulled out the goods. The food was utterly lovely and the service was excellent. The Kingfish, my god the Kingfish. Do yourself a favour and get the Kingfish ✌🏻

Sunday brunch. Greeted by (very) tall, dark and (very) handsome smile on arrival, authenticly polite and welcoming. Our table had Chilli eggs and avo on toast. Both bursting with flavour. Generous portions. Great atmosphere. Well priced. #SupportLocal

Dave, Shaun and the team have really up the anti of food offerings in Moonee Ponds area. Stunning food and service to match. The Corner Inlet Flathead Tails were delicious. Lots on the menu for all tastes.

This was a nice homely feeling place. We started with our coffees which were great. The staff were also very good.<br/><br/>When our meals arrive, the looked delicious. However, the taste did not meet the standards of how they looked. The hollandaise sauce was nothing special, barely had any taste to it. The pork belly that accompanied it lacked seasoning and was overcooked. The crackle (the part not with sauce), was soggy, which made it less pleasing. The smashed avo was nothing special. It did not have it's own uniqueness like other places we have gone.<br/><br/>I would recommend this place for coffee but not a dine in, unless you are looking for average food.

This place has the best vibe as soon as you walk in, the venue is set up so you dont feel like it's so loud you can't hear each other (a common brunch problem lately) and the service was so great! The guys were attentive & helpful, my friend had her new son and they catered to her needs so well. The coffee was superb, all three of us had two rounds and not a fault could be made. The food was beautiful, we had the avacado smash, my friend had the salmon and she raced about it, I had the chilli scramble which they even offered to put on sourdough instead of baguette if I was after more filling option, if was well enough on it's own though! Everything was well presented, full of flavour, only down side was it was my dish was a bit oily and more like an omelette than scrambled eggs but still full of flavour. Would totally recommend coming here, be aware weekends are full but they don't have a long wait!

Food was ok but not exceptional. Everything is however overpriced for what it is. Plus 10% weekend outrageous service surcharge as a surprise on the way out. Will not go back.

Ascot Food Store has wonderful, simply delicious food with a great atmosphere & lovely staff! It is a great place to go for brunch and you generally won’t have to line up or wait for long! We love their gluten free smashed avocado & they also have great coffee!

The food is on point, but as a local in the western suburbs with a plethora of other cafe options, service is obviously key. ‘Service is a word that seems foreign to Ascot Food store. Why would I waste my time waiting 45 minutes after being nicely greeted by the waiter only to be ignored? Clearly there are staffing issues there. I lost my appetite just waiting. Steer clear of here if you want quick and easy service.

Lovely staff and attentive. Unfortunately food was average considering the price. $30-40 for brunch for one meal and a drink is ridiculous!! Smashed avo could go without pumpkin purée as it clashes with rest of meal. Pickled zucchini was highlight on dish

The food was tasty, but one tiny bit of chicken was just not good enough for $24.00. Sometimes I think restaurants in Australia just take the proverbial.. the insta photos don’t look any like what I received 🤷‍♂️

The lovely eatery along ascot vale road is popular amongst the locals. Love the concept of walking into the seperate rooms and the place is filled with natural light. <br/><br/>We had the Smashed avocado,goats curd on pumpkin toast and 63 degree egg and it was really good! Really enjoyed our meal

A case of over promise and grossly under deliver. The menu sounds amazing but falls flat. We had the Benedict which had dry pork belly and a tasteless ‘tarragon’ bearnaise priced at $26.50. We also had the corn fritters with a side of mushrooms which was all fairly tasteless and a smear of avocado underneath for $31!! On top of all this there was a 10% surcharge on the weekend. We paid $93 for two adults and a toddler for extremely average food and service with an attitude. There are so many other cafes that serve much better food for a much more reasonable price. Would not recommend.

A good place locally for a coffee and breakfast/lunch. My personal favourites are the ‘62 degree egg soldiers’ and the ‘benedict’. The eggs are great because the brioche toast is soo good with soft egg yolks and the pickled truffle gives such a great aroma to the dish. I love the Benedict because the pork belly is usually great, a few times it’s come a bit dry but overall a delicious variation of eggs benedict. My partner got the ‘Chilli Folded Eggs’ but was disappointed because it didn’t have a kick or spice at all! Just scrambled eggs with chilli thrown on top with dill and sour cream. Also, beware... a few times we have had to wait over 30 minutes for our food to come out on the weekend.

Lovely coffee, extremely fast service when it came to ducking in for a quick dine-in coffee for three. The place is buzzing with busy-ness, as it rightly should be. Cute plant life out the front, clean internal area and reasonable customer service. Thank you!

Having driven past this cafe multiple times I deciced to finally give it a go over the weekend.<br/><br/>The cafe is nice with different rooms , it is cosy with a lot of light; The menu is great with a lot of different things to choose from, my friend and I were happy with what we selected.<br/><br/>Firstly, my friend ordered a turmeric latte with coconut milk which was so nice and beautiful! I had a cappuccino which was full bodied and smooth, just perfect. For brunch, my friend ordered the chilli scrambled eggs with the additional of lobster.. that's right - lobster! Holy Moly it was so flavoursome, I tried a little but I had serious food envy and will order this next time. I got my standard smashed avo, playing it safe I know but that is what I really felt like. For me the standout was the pumpkin bread, cut nice and thick and the taste was a little like a brioche bread, It was really outstanding.<br/><br/>All in all a fabulous cafe that I will be attending again very soon.

Another breakfast Cafe in Ascot Vale which will leave a taste in your heart. Ordered waffle topped with fairy floos, corn fitters, kale salad and avo toast. All dishes were very well presented and good potions. Only thing that juice we felt was a little off in taste. A good outdoor sitting if sun is out.

Been here quite a few times and it never disappoints! The lobster and soft shell crab burgers are winner, as is the 62° eggs! Always friendly service and delicious coffee. One of my favourite places to go for brunch or lunch.

The presentation of the food is amazing. But that's the only impressive feature. Seating is really not comfortable at all, food took over 30 minutes to arrive on a non-public holiday Friday (there were maybe 5 tables of customers including myself), and food whilst looking fancy doesn't deliver. The corn fritters were deep fried, dry and tasteless. The smear of avocado just tasted spicy and dominated the avocado. Coffee was fine. Almost $25 later I left with most uneaten and no care factor or enquiry by staff.

😱Lizzie’s first impression: been here a few times and it’s been good everytime. <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: the dishes are all pretty good but nothing outstanding. We tried the fried chicken on waffles ages ago and it was pretty good. I also tried the burcher museli and that was nice. <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: not really sure I enjoy the fitouts of the cafe - it is quite old and they have many different spaces. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: good spot to have brunch but there are plenty of choices around the moonee ponds ascot vale area.

This was my first time at Ascot food Store, service was fairly quick at first and as i hadn't eaten here before the Benedict was highly recommended. Unfortunately i found this to be very underwhelming, the pork was chewy and tough! and i dislike toast coming out with burnt edges. My plate was not taken away even though the waiter was walking past looking at it and clearly looked as if I'd finished. No one came back to take plate away or ask if i needed anything else. Unfortunately this will be my last visit here

Came here on a Sunday at Lunchtime for a 2 pax. Told we would have to wait for a table which is no problem at all, but then was sat and no coffees nor drinks offered. The waitress (blond young) caught our eye a few times but didn’t offer any drinks. She walked in and out of the room another 3/4 times again with no communication made and then finally she walked into the room to let the two other tables sitting next to us know, that there was a 20-30 minute wait on food. Again, didn’t come over to offer any coffees or drinks. Eventually we just gave up after 5 times and walked out. I understand it is busy but I still believe a standard sequence of service would have really assisted this place in avoiding this situation in the future.

The food was pretty good! Definitely better than average cafe food. I had the kale salad which was excellent in terms of flavour. The only thing was that I added tofu and only received 2 slices which were fairly thin as well and they were underneath all the salad. I even thought they weren’t there. The tofu tasted lovely with the salad, it just wasn’t worth the price though seeing as how I didn’t get very much. Everyone else’s food tasted equally as lovely, however it was little heavy. Whilst we definitely took our time ordering (sorry) we waited a fair while for our food :( other than that, everything else was great and would still definitely recommend people to come and would still gladly come back to this lovely place. Great work guys!

I visited the Ascot food store when it first opened on a weekday afternoon for a late lunch and it was great!<br/>Fast forward to last Sunday (which I understand the weekends can be crazy busy) but I took my partner for a late brunch/lunch at about 12.20 because I remember it being really good. <br/>When we first walked in the waiter clearly saw us and decided to put his head down and walk away and rinse some glasses.. But then a lovely waitress came up behind us from outside and she sat us promptly so I didn't think much of it.<br/>We didn't order drinks straight away as we wanted to view the menu first, so they gave us some time to look. Once we had decided, after about 10 minutes or so what we wanted, we waited.. and waited.. and waited when we finally decided to wave down a the waiter (which I hate to do because I found it so rude when I was in hospitality).<br/>Our drinks came out quick enough (we ordered the watermelon juice and it kind of had a fishy off smell, the watermelon may have been bad??)  <br/>After about 30 minutes we started to get a little restless but we decided to wait a little longer- surely it would come out soon?? after 45 minutes we asked our waiter if he could check on our food. He came back and said that it was still going to be a while longer.. So we told him to cancel our order- we offered to pay for the juices we had but he said they were on the house- which was a nice gesture I guess.<br/>I understand they were busy but to wait an hour for food is insane! If you can't handle the amount of people that are already there, then turn people away or at least let them know about the wait times. If we had been told from the start or even during our wait that it was going to be that long we would have gone somewhere else and tried here another time and been perfectly happy with the place. But this has put a bad taste in our mouths and won't be returning any time soon- especially because there is so many more awesome places out there.

Love coming to this place, nestled in the burbs of Ascot Vale, owned by Megan Gale and hubby Shaun Hampson who frequent here. This eatery serves up some delicious breakfast and lunch options. With St Ali coffee to accompany who would say no? I can assure you this menu will keep me coming back for more. I mean look at these waffles with raspberry and blueberry compote and a piece of mouth watering fried chicken. Who does that? @ascotfoodstore does and they are geniuses. It is SO good (in moderation haha), I didn’t think anything could tempt me to get out of bed, but now that I’ve had this I’m open minded. Anyway, I’m waffling 😉 try this place, it doesn’t disappoint.<br/><br/>+ Delicious, creative food menu, great coffee, great ambiance, dog friendly, friendly service <br/>- Chairs are a tad uncomfy (wooden), if it’s really busy service is slower

The cafe is located not far from the busy junction.<br/>I usually come here for St Ali coffee.<br/>They have fresh clean and mild flavour.<br/><br/>Dining areas separated in 3 rooms.<br/>Beautiful Hot cake was one moist tall thick pancake with fresh fruits, flaxseeds and lemon balm on clear syrup.<br/>Scrambled egg was oily and flavour of bacon remind my partner of hometown.<br/>Both dishes were quite filling and this place is more for my liking.

A good place for breakfast/brunch<br/><br/>The café seems to be using the shell of an old brick home which means that it has lots of seating broken up into a range of rooms. It also has quite a large outside area at the front which seems to be well used despite being on a busy road. <br/><br/>The décor is at best understated. The music playing in the background didn’t compete with the conversation.<br/><br/>The service on arrival was prompt and friendly.<br/><br/>I ordered the corn fritters with spiced avocado, pickled zucchini, soft poached egg and popcorn shoots and my partner ordered poached eggs on toast. <br/><br/>The order took a while to arrive but when it did it was fresh and tasty. The corn fritters were more like large croquettes but were a lovely crispy brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. The spiced avocado had quite a hit but wasn’t overpowering. Overall a very tasty dish.<br/><br/>The poached eggs on toast were well cooked. Toast is always tricky to get right but on this occasion it was perfect. The bread used was of a really good quality and maintained a lovely chewy quality to it despite having spent quite a bit of time under the grill. It would have been nice to have the butter on the side rather than having it soak into the toast before it arrived at the table.<br/><br/>The orange juice was very good and pleasingly squeezed onsite that day.<br/><br/>The coffee was just OK and could definitely have been better.<br/><br/>I would have liked to have had the menu clearly state where the eggs and meat were being sourced.<br/><br/>One of the best places we've tried in the Ascot Vale area and we'll be back to try more things from the menu.<br/><br/>Food 3.0* above average<br/>Coffee 2.5* could have been much better<br/>Service 3.0* very friendly and attentive but the food took quite a while to arrive<br/>Ambience 2.5* an ok place to have a meal but the venue was quite stark.

Yes the food is good BUT it is consistently late. I’ve not been here and not had to wait at least 20 minutes for my food so don’t go if you’re in a hurry. <br/>

Pretty disappointed with the service here. All well at first - we were seated when a table became free, coffee orders were taken and arrived not too long after. That was the last service we had. Waited about 20 minutes before we had to ask someone to take our food order, then still no food to be seen 40 minutes after that. Ended up cancelling the order, went down the road to Mama Bear where the service was friendly and quick! <br/>Understand it was a busy day but lack of communication was a shame. Happy to wait for the food if you just let me know it’s going to be a bit longer!

It has been a couple years since my last visit, but it was as good as I remembered.<br/>Love the innovative menu, and enjoyed the blue swimmer crab crumpled. Very generous in size, I couldn’t finish it all. Fantastic flavour combination of the crab, with the pearls offering bursts of flavour, creaminess of the sauce, and freshness of the salad and herbs.<br/><br/>I’ve previously tried the truffle eggs & soldiers which were great, as well as the range of donuts.<br/><br/>Highly recommend a visit, for good food and also good coffee.

Yum, great variety and extremely tasty. We had Buttermilk Hotcake that was light and very fresh; poached eggs and haloumi Tori said was yum and Lou loved the Avocado on pumpkin bread the bread makes it. Coffee to die for, attentive service and light modern atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Extremely slow service. Ordered food and two coffees. First coffee arrives 20 mins from the time we ordered and second one after 40mins. Food isn’t on the table for more than hour. Waiters didn’t bother to apologise or update us on the status of the coffee. Appalling service!

I always enjoy coming here. The coffee is always great and the food is always a delight and I get to support a local business. It is also apparent the kitchen enjoy their craft, it oozes on plate. Hats off to the chef.

This is a lovely local cafe in Moonee Ponds, perfect for breakfast/brunch/lunch! The food is great, the staff are friendly and the venue has a modern look. A really nice place for a coffee or a bite to eat and relax.

Was so excited to check this place out! Great staff who welcome and seat you right away, the food came out quick as well. I ordered the ‘AFC’ chicken and waffles which were great! I would definitely come back & recommend this lovely little cafe to others.

I was super keen to try the Ascot Food Store, such a cute interior and exterior. Coffee by St Ali, it was great and a decent size. I ordered the Benedict, heaps of tender pork belly served on sour dough, two poached eggs, homemade bernaise sauce, bacon dust and a pickle - woah! So good! Creative menu, friendly staff - can’t wait to go back!

Visually appeasing waffles that were unfortunately a little underwhelming in flavour and rather artificial tasting. The menu write up could do with some refinement. Af first glance it can appear a little overwhelming in choices. Some sub heading would help. Coffee was good.

3.5 out of 5<br/>I was looking forward to this visit for months. Unfortunately, my experience was a mix of good and bad, and not inviting for me to return.<br/><br/>The good is the coffee and the food, which were great in both cases. The staff were very friendly, too.<br/><br/>My experience regarding the rest was not good. Service was chaotic;  they are short of at least one staff member because, otherwise, it's impossible to explain the delays and chaos. If they can only attend, say, 30 people, do not seat and keep waiting 50; have a waiting list so people can decide upfront if they want to wait or not. Instead, I was told that there was a 20-minute wait for food after I sat and ordered my coffee, even though I had mentioned that I was visiting for food.<br/><br/>Three people who arrived after I did got their coffee before I did and two who ordered food were put their cutlery way before I did. Coffee took over 10 minutes to arrive and food nearly 20.  My lobster burger was delicious but, at 22 dollars the piece, I expected some sort of side. I left hungry!<br/><br/>I could go back, but I have visited places that have better food, better service, better premises for the same prices, so why bother?

I was excited to go here - had heard many great things. Unfortunately it didn’t really meet my expectations. I had the smoked salmon rillette and it was quite flavourless and small. It sounded like it was going to be exciting and interesting but just really was bland. <br/>My friends had the 62 degree eggs and also found them to be lacklustre. We had to wait a while for a table, which is obviously fine, but even once we were seated there was quite a delay in taking our order which made the whole experience a bit negative. I’d try it again, but not in a hurry.

Great place however parking is a big issue. Very cosy little place, summer time will be even nicer as you can just dine outside, winter not so much of option, unless the place add some outdoor heating, some people will be struggling to seat outside. <br/>Food: coffee - terrific; great options for juices, very nice. I have ordered their crispy chicken, the chicken is juicy but lack of real flavour. <br/>Menu: great range of selection.<br/>Staff: friendly.

Lovely cafe in Moonee Ponds. Great environment and friendly staff. However, there is long wait to get a table and for the food to come. They serve tasty food and good coffee.<br/>I went there with a group of friends. Our favourite orders were the corn fritters, avocado toast and the French toast.

Came here for brunch on a Sat morning excited to try some delicious tasting food. Waited 15 mins for a table only to sit down and be told after coffees were ordered that there was a 45 min wait on food, so we left with our coffees takeaway and a donut (which really was quite good). Given all the negative reviews around service, hopefully management will get their act together and focus on being more attentive and up front with customers.

It’s not often we venture to Oxford Brosé’s local, but he’d sung Ascot Food Store’s praises so many times I was intrigued. A preliminary sleuth revealed that the café is known for their syringe-spiked doughnuts, not that that would be allowed under whichever restrictive diet I happened to be following on the day. More persuasive was the fact that Eco Warrior and Grumpelstiltskin (who conveniently live on the same street as me) were driving so the dilemma of trying to commute from Fitzroy North to Moonee Ponds without a) the ability to confidently ride a bike, b) the ability to drive a car and c) no desire to go into the city and train out again was thankfully resolved.

Not the best place but far from the worst. Place is clean and well presented but you get the feeling that they are understaffed in the kitchen due to waiting over 45 minutes for eggs on a Monday morning.

3.5. A great find for brunch in the Western suburbs. Had the AFC (Ascot Fried Chicken) - the chicken was really well crumbed and tasted great! Pickles were a nice addition too. My friend had the pork belly - skin was crispy and delicious although the meat was a little overcooked. Coffees were good. Service was a little uneven, the food came out fast but some corners of the room were unattended for periods of time. Will definitely be back though to try more dishes.

Was excited to try Ascot Food Store, it has a great reputation. Food was good, couldnt past their famous donuts which was yum. Good coffee & a really cool space. Another gem for the west side.

I’m so upset that I hadn’t discovered this place sooner, especially given how close it is to home. The menu is creative, delicious and the service is outstanding. Couldn’t ask for a better brunch combo. If you want savoury, then Breakfast poke bowl and the duck egg on toast were my favourites. For something sweet, both the waffles and lemon cheesecake were dreamy.

Popped in for just a quick coffee and ended up laying my eyes upon the corn fritters. So I made time to sit down and eat them. I wasn’t disappointed. Full and flavorful. Coffee was great too. This place a really good atmosphere. There’s no pretentious vibe and the staff are all lovely. It’s well lit and the ambiance is conducive to a great dining experience with some friends and loved ones. Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

Such a cute little place! An old house gutted and refurbished! So lovely! The staff were polite and the service was quick (in and out in under an hour)! I ordered the waffles which I really enjoyed! Not overly sweet! Friends’ meals were good too! I ordered the Berry Ripe smoothie! I felt it was overly flavoured with cacao and that overpowered the berries - I wish I’d enjoyed it more...especially as it cost $11! Iced latte was also not so enjoyable either - too bitter!

I made my own breakfast and it was delicious and beautifully presented. My long black and filter were perfect too!! Will definitely be back.

Went here for the first time on the weekend and thought it was great. I ordered the Smashed Avo on Pumpkin Bread with a poached egg and pickled zucchini and it was delicious. Also had a side of the mixed mushrooms, and they were cooked in butter and tasted AMAZING and it was a generous serve. My fried had the pork eggs benedict and it looked and tasted great too. Coffee was nice, and I also had one of the smoothies - the one with mango and banana with coconut sprinkled on the top. Huge smoothie, and it was DELISH!! Can't wait to try the caramel one next time. Food and coffees were both fairly slow to come out -  it was quite busy though. Very cool café - will be looking to try some of the lunch options next time!!

Nice trendy café in Ascot Vale.  Delicious food, however we did wait a very long time for our food to arrive. But I would still go back : ) Staff were very all friendly  as well

Trendy cafe located near Moonee ponds junction. Had the opportunity to sample their chicken, beef and lobster burgers. Their "royal with cheese" (beef burger) was the overall winner. Simple ingredients executed perfectly. Also got to try a few donuts which were also awesome. Only knock is that the milkshake just tasted like chocolate syrup and the pricing isn't very affordable.

Friendly staff accompanied by attentive service. People need to lay off the wait time complaints, because they do a good job of informing you prior to seating and with food looking this extraordinary, they deserve all the credit. The Benedict was done well with the crispy pork and the hollandaise sauce was at a good acidity and thickness. A lot things going on the salmon rillets, but my partner enjoyed it thoroughly.<br/><br/>Well done and coffee was nice as expected.

Good but not great. We came on a public holiday and got a table straight away but the food service was very slow. The avocado on roast pumpkin bread was beautifully presented however I got a rather sad small end piece of toast. For nearly $20 with one egg it wasn’t the most satisfying brunch. It was tasty enough but I wouldn’t come back in a hurry.

Seated outside on a bright warm sunny morning, I ordered the duck egg breakkie with a coffee. The coffee wasn't spectacular but the breakfast made up for it. <br/><br/>The portion sizes were a bit too big for me. The egg, brioche and mushrooms were well seasoned. I didn't realize Jamon was ham - (I don't eat pork and beef) and was mildly amused to see it on my plate. The dish was complete for me without the Jamon (it sat by its lonesome self on the side anyway) and I enjoyed it. <br/><br/>The service was prompt. I'd go back to AFS but maybe for the pumpkin dish or the syringe donuts.

Sat at the back of the restaurant and found that a lot of people were leaving only after having a coffee on the Saturday morning. Unsure of whether that was all they ordered or they were fed up with waiting. <br/><br/>My food looked and probably tasted a lot better than my mate's too. I actively sought a fun brunch meal that was wholesome and creatively designed for pure enjoyment.<br/> His meal which was grabbed from the menu would've benefited from more research. <br/><br/>Interesting flavours and an interior style that was more haphazard than anything seemed only worth a 1 trip experience. <br/><br/>Ordered: <br/>62° Egg Soldiers: chives, shaved grana, pickled truffle, brioche soldiers ($18.50)

We had an early morning breakfast at Ascot Food Store a few months ago, just before work. The place was starting to get busy but we were served in no time and our food did not take long to come out.<br/><br/>I had the Strawberries & Cream waffles. Probably more of a dessert than breakfast food but I loved it! It came with a delicious Vanilla Anglaise and a Strawberry Parfait. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth.<br/><br/>We also tried the Coconut Sago with roasted maple nuts and fruits.Delicious and fresh, perfect for hot summer mornings!<br/><br/>The Avocado on Roast Pumpkin Bread however gave me massive food envy. The smashed avo was delicious with the goat's curd and zucchini pickle.<br/><br/>Overall, all 3 dishes were beautifully presented and were good value for money. Coffees were also on point 👌Service was extremely efficient and friendly. We shall definitely return to sample their new menu 😺<br/><br/>

Acai bowl was amazing. Only drawback would be that we sat at the back of the restaurant, couldn't save anyone down, and had to order at the counter.

I HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET ONLY FRENCH TOAST. And then i have to asked 3 times to them but then they said my order is lost in the system and then i have to wait another minutes but i’m in hurry so i cancelled the order. DON’T GO HERE IT’S SUCH A WASTE OF TIME.

Excellent food but crap service. They can’t handle a busy Saturday. Waited 40 Minutes for coffee and then has to ask 3 times for when it was ready. But second to poor set up and service the food is excellent and coffee outstanding

‘Pumpkin’<br/>Haven’t been here for a while but this time I had the Avocado on roasted pumpkin bread which was amazingly tasty, perhaps my top two breakfasts ever!! A perfect blend of smash avocado, goats curd, roasted pumpkin bread, pepitas, zucchini pickle & a 62deg egg which I felt was too runny for me,but overall superb taste & presentation!!<br/>Their coffee is nice and service was a bit better than in the past where it took ages to get an order in.<br/>

The Benedict was delicious and everything you could want and more. I would advise against ordering the burgers because they are small. Overall had a lovely dining experience here.

Food is amazing! Very tasty with great coffee. We had corn fritters and eggs Benedict. The tarragon in hollandaise was yummy! Smoothies a little on the expensive side.

I ordered the corn fritters for myself. They were nice but a little dry. The flavours worked well together. I tried the other dishes as well. I really enjoyed the eggs Benedict and 62 degrees soldier eggs. All in all, good experience and great service 👍

We ventured to this hidden away cafe for breakfast this morning. It was super busy at 10.30am and we had to wait for a small amount of time. <br/>I enjoyed my soy latte and The smashed avo with goat curd, 65 degree boiled egg with pumpkin purée and zucchini was perfectly presented like art work - and was equally flavoursome. Amazing presentation, amazing fresh produce - an absolute experience. The customer service was 5 Star. <br/>I’ll definitely return.

This place has the potential to be a 5/5 but falls short because they get some fundamentals wrong. Although the coffee is faultless and their menu is funky, some food items on the menu are a rip off (eg burgers are tiny and don't even come with chips) and their service can be slow. Good suburban option but if you are going to charge those prices, then deliver exceptional everything.

First week of Jan, came for mid week brunch. Lucky we chose today, it was their first day being open after the Christmas break. Arrived at 10am to lots of free tables. By 11am the place was almost full. When we left just before noon it was packed. Lots of walk ins for take away coffee so bonus if you can grab a table away from the coffee service area. <br/>Loved that the cold bottle of water hit the table straight away, especially in the heat. <br/>Took a while to order but we didn't mind, we were in no hurry. Mork hot chocolate was good. Went for the 70% option but if you don't like a heavy chocolate there's the choice of a 50% blend. <br/>Dishes were plated beautifully. My friend enjoyed her French Toast and St Ali latte. The Acai Bowl was nice & refreshing. <br/>Would definitely come back but best to get in early.

Love this place. Their dark hot chocolate was very smooth with a great balance of bitterness and sweetness. Both the chicken waffles and pork belly were delicious. The pork skin was crunchy however I wasn't a fan of how sticky the skin was when chewing. The beetroot relish added a touch of sweetness and colour to pork and Kim chi. The waffle was perfect complimenting the crunchy chicken pieces very well. Service was exceptional. I would definitely recommend this place to brunch enthusiasts and coffee lovers.

Great well thought through menu. So much variety to choose from! We sampled the beef, chicken and lobster burgers all were great quality and beautifully presented. The coffee was awesome too!

Seriously THE best burger in Melbourne... the ‘Royale’ is always cooked to perfection, saucy, flavourful and melts in your mouth... amazing! We keep coming back, and it’s consistently great, every time.

A lovely brunch with my mum! It is rare for me to travel to the northern suburbs but I really wanted to try out Ascot Food Store, so we stopped here on our way from the airport.  Have to say my mum's order was better than mine and that maybe the food is more instaworthy than taste-worthy. I also find the name confusing, always thought it was in Ascot Vale, but it is not.

The Acai Bowls are delicious! I've dined in at this cafe a few times before and have always been impressed with their scrumptious menu items and great service. I am a recent recruit to the acai bowl scene (if there is such a thing?) ;P) and I decided to check theirs out. I called up and spoke to the lovely James and I asked if I'd be able to get an acai bowl to take away. James very nicely said that that could be arranged and transferred me to a lovely lady front of house (I'm not sure of her name), who took my order. Ten minutes later I was there, greeted by a smiling face at the counter and moments later I left with my prized acai bowl in tow. I was originally planning to find somewhere nice to sit in the sunshine, however I thought I'd have a peek/taste test of the bowl whilst in my car. One bite and I was hooked! I smashed that baby as quickly as you can say "Ascot Food Store's Acai Bowls are the bomb diggety!" Thanks everyone for a great experience. I'll definitely be back for more!

I live in the area and come here occasionally. Staff are nice. Food is not bad, a bit overpriced but still ok. But when you couple not bad, slightly overpriced food with a very very long wait before 10am on a Sunday morning on a couple of occassions, it starts to get a bit annoying. May give it another go, hopefully things will be better.

The food at Ascot Food Store is definitely above average compared to other brunch cafes. The service was very friendly & attentive. We shared the corn fritters, which were slightly dry for my liking but my sister thought it was perfect. The strawberry waffles were beautifully presented & tasted as good as it looked.

Service is friendly, however it was extremely slow the day I went. Great coffees but the food portion sizes are small for the price and unfortunately the quality just isn't worth the trip.

The food was not nice, and waiting time are so long. Wait for 50mins for my food. And the cafe was not busy. Get cheated by Zomato rating. Don't go again.

What a gem ! Staff are cheeky and fun but extremely attentive and run a pretty good lunch service despite being completely full and extremely busy, great selection of food - coffee outstanding, burger was outstanding eggs benny was perfect and poke bowl faultless- bravo !

Today I thought it would be a nice treat to go out and have a quick breakfast with the family. However, I had a far from nice and quick breakfast. <br/>Long story short, Mum ordered a burger, the bun was burnt. Dad and I ordered eggs on toast, it took over half an hour. <br/>The only positive thing I have to say about Ascot Food Store is that the toilets were clean.

Great coffee.  Very good bean choice, espresso was maybe a little long, but not over the top.<br/><br/>A little loud and coffee took a bit longer than expected, but will go back.

I got the Strawberries & Cream 🍓<br/>W Sweet Berry Waffles, Berry Textures, Vanilla Anglaise & Strawberry Parfait <br/>Always a pleasure at ascot food store! Love having brunch in my home town ! Amazing service and beautiful interior it's honestly such a gem and even better that's it's local. Another plus is it’s not a huge wait when it’s busy!

Had the salmon rillettes with an extra side of mushrooms and the strawberry waffles both were pretty good the waffles were especially nice with a hint of cinnamon. Mushrooms are a must for the salmon dish. One of the better cafes in the inner west and would recommend.

I ordered the ricotta gnudi with halloumi and smashed peas. The dish is beautifully presented and I thought it was a decent sized serve (not the case in a lot of trendy food places).<br/><br/>The food was well cooked and went together the very well. The ricotta gnudi was great, I've never had it before so I don't have anything to compare it to but I enjoyed it.<br/>The only fault for me is that the dish was a little dry and needed the lemon and beetroot to give it moisture and boost the flavour. Once I had used/eat that up I didn't enjoy it as much.<br/><br/>Coffee was great here too!

I had a lovely welcome when walking in to this cafe! So hard to come by these days. Food was great, I just had toast and sides but everything was really fresh and lovely. Coffee was hot and full of flavour, thank you!!<br/>I will be back.

Reliably tasty and fresh, as well as beautifully presented. We enjoy the healthy options and the warm local atmosphere.<br/><br/>This is a place that is consistently delicious, so it's a no brainer when taking friends out. Waiting staff are just lovely too.<br/><br/>The best soy chai in town... the real deal and made with love... thank you.

Enjoyed lunch here today, service was great and quick, staff here are really friendly. Had a coffee whilst waiting for my friend. Coffee is really good here. For lunch I had the chicken roll which was really yummy, spicy buttermilk fried chicken in a brioche bun with heaps of mayo,lettuce and pickles, a little pricey but really tasty! The decor is lovely. I love coming here!

Decent brunch place with good items on their menu. The 62 degrees eggs are a must try. Their coffee and and juices are good too. Staff are always friendly

Chef Dave is a genius, converting an old polish deli into what is the best coffee, breakfast / lunch, catch-up venue that I know of. The value for money is great here considering the selection of locally sourced premium produce. Some<br/>Favourites of mine over the years: <br/>- corn fritters, (now copied by almost every startup coffee shop )<br/>- 62 degree egg soldiers <br/>- chicken roll burger pictured <br/>- soft shell crab burger <br/>

My wife and I have been here 2-3 x recently as we are locals. Last time service was not good -we were told numerous times "it won't be long" but were left standing at the door for a good 20min. Food was not impressive.<br/>Today, service was good and my burger was also good. Wife ordered corn fritters - be warned - this is very deep fried (not mentioned on the menu) so we sent it back and got chicken breast instead free of charge which was not bad. <br/>Another point is that this is very expensive cafe to dine at $65 for 2 for lunch ??!

Still waiting for my burger...<br/><br/>Starting to think the more expensive a burger the longer i have to wait. Its been 40mins, but then again its a Sunday...

A delicious brunch at this retro café. Was seated right away with their friendly staff. Really great food that looked just as good as their pics, great coffee too ☕ only issue was half way through my meal i noticed they forgot to add the egg 😁 all good though was still tasty!

This is my go to place when I visit Melbourne. Hidden away from the busy street tucked away between homes, beautiful in the inside. Plenty of tables and served immediately. It boasts a variety of options in their breakfast menu and haven't found one I hadn't liked.

Really great atmosphere & food. All the staff were really attentive and accomadating. Had a wonderful afternooon! Highly recommend the lobster burger. Really well made coffee aswell

My husband and I have just moved to Ascot Vale and were looking forward to enjoying our new local cafe. <br/>Unfortunately things haven't been off to a great start. Sunday brunch ; walked in, we were acknowledged and told it "wouldn't be long". 10min later we are still standing in the doorway as there wasn't anywhere else to wait and we got another update of "shouldn't be long" another 10 minutes passed. I went to the waiter and asked him how long we would actually be waiting- anyway 5min later we got seated. I feel sorry for the poor guy as I think they were understaffed but all we needed was more succinct communication. Sat down- Big menu - I got this vegetable plate based on waitresses recommendation as she said it'd be super filling - it was 1 egg, a big chunk of pumpkin and a strand of brocollini -$19?! Hubby got AFC - hated it. Food took ages .. coffee was good though and i like the fit out<br/>Will give it other shot: fingers crossed

Been here a few times. Have to say the food is rather average. Slow but friendly service. We got a seat at the counter... Waited 25 mins before someone took ort order. Pork belly was dry. Benedict was bland. Won't be recommending this joint. Gave this place many chances. Overall average!

I had the 62 degree egg soldiers. My gosh it was beautiful!! The eggs were cooked perfectly and the pickled truffles went so well with it. The service was great and the coffee was good too. I've been here a few times and they never seem to disappoint

Nice presentation of the food and the coffee was good when we eventually got it. A bit over priced for the size of the meals. The French toast was two mouthfulls and it was gone.

I gave this a rating of 5 not only because  of the delicious food but also because of the wonderful, sweet, lovely service from this kind young lady. It was a leisure Wednesday morning and my partner and I decided that we should walk beyond our usual Dear Abbey and head down to Ascot Food store for our brekky. We definitely were very satisfied and contented and it really started our day off on a delightful note. I had the winterbowl with smoked salmon rice and picked veggies, it was hearty and wholesome, one of those meals that inspires you and get you thinking, wanting to recreate it at home. My partner and the fried chicken with waffles and it was delicious! Lots of flavour and texture with the crispy fried chicken and the waffle. The waffles and the blueberry butter was comforting. The dish is well balanced, not overly oily, it is probably a decadent, sinful meal but it definitely was very well masked! LOVE IT! oh yes and love the coffee too!! Will definitely be back!!! in fact i am thinking this weekend!

A cosy homely space with attentive service from staff. The menu has some very elaborate and delicious sounding dishes and they did not disappoint. Our little man also thoroughly enjoyed his thickly cocoa dusted babycino.

Sunday morning and finally got a chance to leave the kids and have some much-needed R&R on my own and opted to go to the place I once thought was an oasis. Arrived at 9.30 and I was done by 9.45. YES, I got my coffee and food that quick. Even the other customers around me were surprised as the table next to me arrived at the same time, we had just placed our food order and I got mine about 5 min after I placed. It was a combination of serving the person on their own occupying a table and the fact I got someone else's food order. I could see this happening but I honestly thought they would not do it. A lovely staff member took my coffee order and I got a great coffee and then placed my French toast order. I was really anticipating eating this as I have had many fantastic breakfasts at AFS. Then it all came crumbling down. <br/><br/>Two tables down and a table of 5 adults was just about to get their food. I was food watching and as each dish got put down there was a mistake and the French toast was not ordered. So I watched what was going to be my food go through the following process. Go back to a bench where the staff enters orders on an iPad, sit there for about 2min then after that table was served the French toast that was a mistake entered back into the kitchen and within a few min I had my food. My table had a direct view of the kitchen and I could see people go in and out. I could see the lovely girls hesitation in bringing me something that potentially had done the rounds but it got put in front of me. Other customers that had been waiting before me were looking and thinking how is this possible she just ordered. Unfortunately knowing what had happened and the fact it did not come directly out of the kitchen onto my table was not satisfying. The French toast was cold cold cold, not sure if this is how it is served. I could not help but think it was because it went through numerous hands, back and forth and potentially waited in the kitchen for the other food for that table to be ready. <br/><br/>My food looked outstanding but the only thing I enjoyed was the strawberries. I was trying hard to be happy. One part of me was thinking don't waste food, it's ok and the other part of me was thinking I'm paying for that. I did finish it, however, all I was thinking was my Sunday breakfast was done in 15min. I should have just got a takeaway coffee. The lovely waitress asked me how it was and I was polite and replied good thank you but deep down my face was probably saying what do you think. <br/><br/>My 3 Key Pointers<br/>• Am I being dramatic? What if this happened to you? <br/>• Coffee was great, so I had something to smile about <br/>• Food looked good, unfortunately, I rated the experience as I could not enjoy what I was eating

Tried one of their donuts which they're known for and thought it was nice but it amazing. I had poached eggs and bacon and it delivered so cannot complain.