Tucked away on the corner of Miller and Ida Streets in Fitzroy North, where an old cafƩ in need of some serious TLC once stood, lies Mary Miller, a relatively new and quaint cafƩ which is cooking up a storm in the Melbourne food scene.
Unlike many cafes that slowly make their way up the many levels of insta-fame, Mary Miller remains modest with no hint of pretention- the dĆ©cor is simple and inviting, the staff are warm and friendly and the food is unique and delicious. Having heard these and many other great things about Mary Miller, we couldnāt wait to dig in!
The tasting plate:
One half of our team couldnāt decide between trying the āBeet Berryā or āTurmeric Chaiā lattes, so our host Marie brought out a tasting platter of not only those two, but also the āMatcha Mintā. Feeling absolutely spoilt, we went in for the taste! Whilst all 3 were creamy and decadent, with gorgeous latte art, the turmeric chai was the clear winner! The mixture of turmeric with the spices of the chai tea made for a lovely drink. The beet berry came a very close second though!
We also ordered a fresh watermelon juice which was not only perfect for the 30 degree heat we were experiencing, but also managed to satisfy that epic sugar craving we always seem to have!
The fritters:
As has been well established, we are huge fans of fritters and always tend to veer towards them whenever we try out a new cafƩ, and the case of Mary Miller was no different.
- Zucchini and haloumi fritters with bacon, smashed avocado, tomato relish, poached eggs, feta, rocket salad and corn salsa
*heavy breathing* Mouth-watering would be a massive understatement! This is quite possibly the most delicious fritter dish weāve ever had in our lives! The fritters themselves were perfectly moist and delicious, but the accompaniments are what made it. The mixture of bacon, avocado, feta and the relish with the corn salsa gave the dish a massive blast of tangy flavour we never expected, and we couldnāt get enough. We were genuinely sad when the plate was empty and resorted to licking the plate clean just to savour every morsel of deliciousness we could. It took us a moment to remember that we still had two other dishes on the table that required our attentionā¦onwards and upwards!
The benny:
-Pulled Pork Benedict with two poached eggs, slow cooked pork shoulder, julienne apple, house-made hollandaise and sesame seeds on potato rosti
Having seen many pictures of the Benny on Instagram, and being huge fans of anything with potato, we were pretty excited to try it out. Unfortunately, despite the aesthetic appeal of the dish, it was ever so slightly lacking in flavour. The pork was melt-in-your-mouth, but even with the hollandaise, which was light and creamy, it didnāt have much taste overall. The rosti, however, made up for itā¦crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it was a clear winner!
Altogether, it was a pleasant dish that has a lot of potential.
The salad:
Now a salad may seem like a slightly boring option when going out for brunch/lunch, but anyone in the Melbourne food scene today will tell you that salads have come a looooong way since the standard tomato, lettuce and cucumber plates we were dealt years ago. Today, salads have become masterpieces and bridge the line between a side dish and a gourmet feast. Mary Millerās mango chicken salad was the latter.
-Mango & chicken with Asian herbs, cherry tomatoes and roasted peanuts on a crispy noodle salad, topped with bean shoots & and chilli lime coconut dressing
First of all, the addition of mango to any dish warrants a huge YES from us. Second of all, the salad was absolutely beautiful. Every element worked together to create a unique blend of flavours which we loved. The noodles and peanuts added a nice crunch, and the dressing was just perfect for the chicken and mango. We were absolutely in love, and all of a sudden, the plate was empty again (HOW does that keep happening?!)
Our experience at Mary Miller was absolutely lovely. Our host, Marie, was warm, welcoming and so friendly, as was the rest of the staff. We were made to feel right at home from the moment we walked in and that set the scene for a wonderful brunch. The cafĆ© itself was beautiful, with lots of hanging plants, open space and light colours; the service was lovely and the food and drink was gorgeous- clearly made with passion. Overall, a delightful way to spend a warm summerās day. Thank you so much to the whole team at Mary Miller- we canāt wait to come back in the new year!!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes