Review Pomona Cafe - Preston

Really enjoy the food here and coffee, first time customer a fortnight ago and been back three times since. Love the Breakfast Burger and Reuben Sandwich (Pictured). Also love the homemade gingerbread and the coffee is great.

Lovely food and service. Perfect local brunch place for the neighbourhood. We work nearby and we always come here for either coffee or brunch!

Well-spent day with my friends in this lovely cafe. The food is incredibly great, the staff members are super friendly and helpful. My friends are really in love with the gluten free options. Best coffee in town. Will definitely come back

I was having an average day until Pomona’s halloumi sandwich, wow. The housemate beetroot relish is so delicious, and with avocado and greens the whole thing was so satisfying, with ideal amounts of the ingredients. Now having a great day, haha - So glad I found it!

Disappointing slow service and food was below average. Asked for kids burger with no sauce, waited 30 minutes and it came with sauce. No solution offered. Scrambled eggs was bland not anything worth paying for. The scrambled chilli was just sloppy, didn’t taste like anything a professional chef would cook. I understand home style but this is just bland tbh. Coffee was nothing special. The price doesn’t match the quality.

lovely and quietly place ，u can enjoy ur coffee in this area

Lovely cafe. Hot chips were not gluten free unfortunately. Other good options for GF though.

My first time here at Pomona. It didn’t seem like a busy day but my coffee order took a good 15 to 20 minutes? And I ordered their Reuben Sanga. It was tasty, but it left me feeling underwhelmed. I wanted to like this place more, but I can’t give it more than 4 stars based on my first experience there. Maybe they were having an off day. Will I be back? Yes.

Great food, with good variety and options. Excellent for coffee and a muffin....seriously the best muffins ever! Dog friendly back section and the staff are very welcoming.....just like visiting friends! Can't wait to get back there!!

I can really recommend Pomona Cafe to all my friends, especially anyone with coeliac disease. The food was beautiful and the staff very friendly and helpful.Six of us had a lovely lunch and afternoon together.

Delicious food, great range of gluten free options and friendly service.

I love this place. There is so much on the menu I wanna eat, which means I have to go back! Great coffee, great service and lots of GF food too. ✅

Unfortunately, the wait was too long. It took 45 minutes for the food to be ready. Then, my polenta was sitting on the counter and it was less than lukewarm by the time I got it. Not a place to go to with kids!

Great coffee and delicious food, friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Thanks

Absolutely love this cafe! Excellent coffee, 5 star meals, lovely service and perfect place for family. Plenty of toys and space to keep the kids occupied while we were enjoying every bite of the delicious meals. Definitely coming back.

Great service nice food good place to go with kids

Waited 1 hour for breakfast to then be told they forgot to place the order in the kitchen. Last time we waited 50 mins for our food. Never again.

I drink a lot of coffee in lots of different Cafes around Melbourne and have to say it's among the best blends. Decent staff too.

Pomona is one of those rare gems. It mixes great coffee and food, with attentive and down-to-earth service. I could not speak more highly of this cafe.

The doughnuts are amazing. Staff are just beautiful and so friendly.

Super great food and service! Coffee is so good. Food is filling and tasty!

Yesterday at 7:30 I came in and there was only the chef and one counter staff. I just want to say how amazing the girl on the counter was. She was so busy but she kept calm and was always nice to customers although she was over inundated with customers. I congratulate her for a brilliant job under those circumstances . 5 stars for her.

First visit to pomona at the weekend after quite long break as I don't live nearby now. Sad to say, service was slow and not very well organised. Food was all lukewarm, and the bacon had been cooked in a pan that was burnt (so covered in crusty bit of pan 'dirt'). Just utterly average

Coffee is very average. I've tried the espresso here a few times and it is poorly extracted:<br/>Over extracted<br/>No texture<br/>All bitterness and no sweetness<br/><br/>Below average.

I'm surprised by the bad reviews, we really enjoyed Pomona. Coffee was good, staff were friendly and food was tasty. We sat in the back in the sun. Avocado smash with chorizo was delicious.

the eggs, bacon and toast were all stone cold. the avocado was brown and mushy. the “roasted tomatoes” were cold cherry tomatoes. our booking was ignored, we waited for an hour for our food. the only bright side was that our waiter was lovely

What happened? I was last here about a year ago I think but lots has changed - are there new owners? a new terrible chef? The menu is boring and the food itself was incredibly disappointing. <br/><br/>We went for lunch today and the service was relaxed to the point of the waitress being in trackies. We had the Reuben sandwich which was fatty, greasy and had hardly any corned beef - the heart attack would not be worth it, and the beetroot burger which was completely boring. Bread not fresh on either dish.<br/><br/>Embarrassed to have taken a friend there to show off Preston. this is the first time I've been disappointed enough to review something.

Ambience and staff beyond expectations... unfortunately the food is a big let down. I ordered the sweet potato hash browns with greens. The hash browns were just grated grated potato .. thin and seeping with oil... the greens were edible. Sadly my fellow companions had nothing to rave about either. Their staff are exceedingly good but not enough to bring me back.

Had a Lovley brunch here today, service was really friendly and not forceful which I love ! I had green special which was yum with side of poached egg and toast . Green tea brewed perfectly too, would definitely return .

Despite the coffee miss the elaborate texturing of the soy milk, the flavour was really good. The coffee doesn't hold a strong level of acidity with latte. I had the polenta, well plated and full of mild flavour. I will be back to try more food.

May the force be with you ...<br/><br/>This is the place to go if you want a very strong coffee ... if you aren't into strong roasted coffee, best to go somewhere else.<br/><br/>Lots to like about this gem, in terms of set up and the lovely people that are running it. JT-17/08/2018.

A cafe that is always mentioned over in the facebook groups is Pomona Cafe in Preston. The Cafe boasts being a spelt and gluten free specialist. Of course, spelt is not gluten free which made me a tad cautious. However, with positive reviews and the use of the phrase gluten free specialist, my curiosity was peaked. I ordered the Burnt Butter Gnocchi which was a really filling dish, no external reactions and they took contamination seriously.

Disappointed as I ordered a bacon and cheese sandwich but was charged with egg because they couldn’t comprehend the order without.<br/>So the sandwich is normally two free range eggs $11 with cheese and bacon, I paid this without the eggs, maybe they need to view the way things are done? Half the size, not really special, over priced and disappointed

Came here on a quiet Thursday for brunch, first impressions was that it was a very cute looking little cafe with friendly staff <br/>We were surprised by how long it took staff to come back to take our orders after seating us and how long the food took considering we were the only table without food <br/>I ordered from the "make your own" section and went for poached eggs on toast + hollandaise, avo & bacon - portion sizes definitely on the smaller side considering the price <br/>Hollandaise was nice and the cappuccino I ordered with it wasn't bad, a bit weak for my taste so not one I'd come running back for <br/>My friends who ordered from the set menu enjoyed their meals, they had the gnocchi, Ruben and bacon and egg toasted sandwich with the gnocchi being the favourite <br/>All in all it was a great sunny little spot to sit and have a catch up with friends and 3/4 left feeling satisfied with their meals

I've been here a few times and I love the cafe itself, the atmosphere and design is beautiful, the staff are super friendly and enthusiastic, and the home made treats in the front cabinet are scrumptious.<br/>However I feel the menu is a bit hit and miss - some items aren't very well presented and look very plain when they come out, and some of them taste quite bland (the corn fritters come to mind)<br/>Hot cakes are a gluten free delight though, and also present nicely.<br/>I wouldn't get another black coffee as both my long black and short black were bitter and burnt tasting. <br/>The menu is delightfully diverse for being mainly GF, and staff are super accommodating with changes. Overall it's a lovely cafe, I would just be careful of what I order and read reviews carefully.

Pomona cafe unfortunately had a plumbing issue and the ground was covered with water while we were there but the staff were still so lovely and positive. As a celiac I often struggle finding menu options but not at Pomona cafe. I had the ricotta hotcakes and they were delicious. The first one I had was incredibly pillowy and soft but the other two were slightly more dense. Still had a great taste. My friend had the mint and pea fritters. They tasted a bit flour-y but the fresh salsa was great. My friend and I both thought they could be improved. But from my perspective it was a lovely meal and brunch spot.

A suburban gem. Pomona is a great little cafe that's does good coffee, muffins and breakfast. Tucked away in West Preston, it has a nice neighborhood vibe.

Came here for brunch, totally enjoyed it. Staffs are very attentive and friendly. Matcha latte and coffee was good. I normally prefer my matcha latte to be a bit stronger but I just forgot to tell them when I ordered. All the food was tasty and very reasonably price.

I can only comment on the coffee here and must say its always been great. I order a soy latte most days from here and have not been disappointed. The staff are friendly.  I really want to try some of their gluten free options soon.

Went here early in the morning for breakfast and expected more since its a 4.0. And all I can say is average...maybe a bit less than average.<br/><br/>First up, coffee. It had no body to it. just bit of roughness. didnt taste any of the tasting notes of "fruity" or "nutty" and I would have liked to know the origin if you write 'origin' on the menu.<br/><br/>Next is food. The whole menu is extravagant but it turned me off from buying a meal like that so I went for the simple make your own. Now being early in the morning and something simple like that would probably be quick and easy. But that never happened. 30+minutes pass and I ask the waitress who took the order when our food will come out. Turns out she didnt put it through but it will be out shortly. Fair enough. as a fellow waitress I have done the same thing. However we were never checked on is what bothers me because the staff were busy talking to each other. if they had done so, problem wouldnt have happened.<br/><br/>Third was the room. It looked nice, an atmosphere that didnt match the menu but what made this a 1 is that because the room was cold our food went cold very quickly and it didnt taste nice afterwards. <br/><br/>My conclusion is that I was quite disappointed in coming here and there can be room for improvement<br/>

Pomona is the guaranteed never fail location for a faultless meal in Preston. Seems the change in ownership and staff have lifted this cafe to a new level.The menu is constantly changing and chefs are creative and inventive with menu choices.Staff ate friendly and curtious in manner. After 8 years of visiting Pomona I'm delighted to say it still meets my exceptations every time.

It's been my local hidden treasure for forever now. Gloria and the team have been amazing to bring back the community atmosphere that the space had when the original owners were here. The service is always amazing and the food just hits the spot. They are always so flexible with my menu changes (which practically sees me building my own new menu item) and always so attentive to feedback (which is always good). The staff and cooks are always wanting to try new things and are always listening to/accomodating to customer needs. My favourite place ever. X

Cute little cafe in Preston away from the hustle & bustle of the main shopping strip. Good food, good coffee but service is hit & miss depending on which staff are on.

Came here cos it opens so early, staff are very friendly -- Jack and a lady served me, ace customer service, food is delish & filling, not over-priced!<br/><br/>My only qualms are smokers can't smoke in the back, and there's no power-points available in the back for coffee shop entrepeuneurs. But I'm nit-picking -- they are fantastic!!

Had a fantastic breakfast here recently. Enjoyed the really polite and lovely service, and on a busy Sunday morning too. Great eggs benedict served on corn fritters (yum) and the waiter offered to substitute a vegetarian alternative when I asked to leave off the salmon (almost unheard of!). Really good soy coffee. So excited to call this place my new local cafe

I really don't understand all these wonderful reviews. The place is tiny and it looks a bit dirty with sticky tables and unclean toilets. The coffee was undrinkble and I really had to force myself to finish my meal which was pretty expensive. There are too many nice places around to be back there. I don't give 1 only because the waitress was nice.

Stopped in for a soy chai. Even though I was given a small vessel of honey, it wasn't needed. The chai came out well balanced, mildly sweetened and with a strong spiced cardamom aftertaste. There was a solid heap of leaves and spices that went into that pot. <br/><br/>Really good and so glad it wasn't the sweet syrupy versions that other cafes peddle.

Great coffee and friendly staff. <br/>Home style cakes that you can take away. Sometimes hard for parking but cute little cafe. Grab a table outside!

Had the porridge (with poached fruits) poached fruits were a couple if raisins and apple or pear slice. That's not what you've in your mind if you think about poached fruits. The porridge wasn't cooked enough so it was all in all a bit of a let down. My partner had the French toast. It was alright but also nothing special. The staff were nice though. Wouldn't rerun in a hurry

Always great food here. The ricotta hotcakes are sensational. French toast really good too and cakes and biscuits looks very tasty. Coffee good.

Away from the hustle and bustle of Preston's main strip lies Pomona. Just like most suburban cafes, we were warmly greeted when we walked in and our lovely waiter engaged us in small talk while taking our coffee orders. Choosing to sit out in the back courtyard with the sunlight streaming through the awnings was super relaxing on a beautiful sunny autumn day. Sipping our deliciously velvety smooth latte made it even better. The icing on the cake was when our food arrived. Generously portioned and bursting with favours. Dipping the fluffy bread into the creamy polenta with mushrooms and crunchy kale was just divine. Just as divine was the creamy scrambled eggs paired with sweet potatoes, avocados and bacon - sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy all at once. Therefore it was an easy job reviewing Pomona as between mouthful of food, my partner said "I give this place a 5".

A quirky little place with not much around it on Murray Rd. between the 'burg and Preston Market. We were seated in the centre room which was cozy, an apt descriptor for the whole venue really. Food is in that late 90's wholefood vibe - beetroot, lentils, carrots, dukkah and the like, with a few euro and standard cafe touches in the mix (a reuben, porridge, granola, gnocchi) I had a salmon burger which was quite good - a fish burger is hard to nail in my experience. My partner had the lentil and beetroot burger though and wasn't impressed - stodge without enough tang and and sauciness to balance it (I also had a bite). But we got a gnocchi for the kids to share which was a winner. Coffee was fine. It's a nice little place but perhaps choose carefully menu wise.

Had their Green Pea, Mint & Feta Fritters, Burnt Butter Gnocchi and Pomona's Scrambled. Firstly, the fritters contained too much flour, making the dish unpleasant, even though the salsa was great. However, on the other hand, the gnocchi were absolutely delectable! The interior of the gnocchi were soft, while the exterior of the gnocchi were crispy and were coated with the flavoursome burnt butter. Moreover, the roasted pumpkin was sweet and flavourful. The addition of the crispy sage and lemon ricotta was novel as it brought even more flavours to the stunning dish! Next, the scrambled eggs tasted only average as it I felt that it lacked something in it. Nevertheless, the bacon was fragrant and aromatic, while the sweet potato was tasty. Last but not least, both the flat white and batch brew were also great!<br/>I would definitely recommend their Gnocchi as it was hands down one of the best I have had!

Nice little cafe. Sometimes gets loud in the centre room (both times I've been, I have been sat next to a table of 10) but there are out front and out back seating as well. <br/>There aren't really enough good vegetarian options on the menu, although the gnocchi is delicious. <br/>Coffee isn't amazing but very acceptable.

Love this place, my husband and I have eaten a few times with and without our kids. Every time we're more than satisfied. The menu is modern and ultra tasty. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting a good cafe experience. It's kid friendly too with toys a plenty.

I went with the hot cakes – it’s something I’d never bother making myself for breaky, and I kinda wanted something that felt like a “treat.” Because of the fructose intolerance, I asked for mine without they spiced honey, but they kindly provided a dish of maple syrup on the side. They were thick and creamy, just sweet enough with the fruit and maple, and the mascarpone cream was the perfect addition. They looked a little on the small side coming out, but they were VERY filling, so don’t be fooled!

I have only trialled the coffee, and it is very good. There is also a loyalty point system. The menu looks interesting as well from the dishes I have seen. There has been a recent management change, and it appears that the high standards have been maintained.

Excellent service and coffee. Undoubtedly one of my all times favourite. The gnocci there got my mother in law hooked. It's just a nice little quirky place. Nice garden at the back.

Visited Pomona cafe yesterday and felt very welcome and at home once seated enjoyed a quick coffee the house blend 4 was full bodied and hit home hard,all cakes on display were house made and menu had all elements necessary to appease all and more.will be dining here with my family very soon,suburban gold mine

Food: creamy polenta, a dish I haven't tried before. It was innovative and packed of flavours from the wholesome mushrooms, kale and silverbeet, and something else? <br/><br/>Drink: coffee was Melbourne-best. Way better than Brisbane-coffee.<br/><br/>Service: great and polite! Attentive!

For the coffee lovers in the North. Highly recommend this place. The coffee was amazing and the menu wasn't lazy (your typical bacon and eggs, although also on the menu if you like) it gave you a variety of options and GF options too. We sat outside in a beautiful herb garden where they brought out water dish for our pup straight away. The service was lovely. This is a gem of a cafe hidden in the North.

Coffee brewed properly (highly recommend going for the single origin), new menu is interesting and trying to do something a little different form the poached egg / smashed avocado norm and the staff were friendly and accommodating.

Best coffee in Preston. Loved it. Perfect coffee. Lunch was super delicious. My new favorite, excellent place. Best cafe in Preston.

I really want to like it.. I really want to like Pomona because it's my local. <br/><br/>I've eaten there twice - once, for breakfast a few months ago. Everything was just really big and dry - big dry bread, weird big dry bacon. I vowed never to go back. <br/><br/>Today I went there - for a coffee, which is always really good - and ended up eating there, even though I knew I'd be better off having a half assed lunch at home for free, rather than paying for it. <br/><br/>Pomona disappointed, as usual. Big bland rosti. The good parts were the smoked salmon, the avocado and the rocket, none of which they had to make. But there was rosti everywhere, blanding all over my plate. <br/><br/>My two friends were also a bit wtf. Other words bandied about included: Big! Dry! Thick! Average! <br/><br/>Stick to the coffee, guys.

Jewel in Suburb.. 3 generations of females within a family enjoyed lunch today in a surprisingly trendy little restaurant amidst Preston suburbia. Backyard outdoor seating also available and food and service up to standard. Well patronised judging by the nearly full seating. Highly recommended for all, wheneverrrr.

Why is this popular?. Slow service. Average 15 - 20 mins before you get your watery average coffee. Yes they have a loyalty card. They need it . In fact they recently they gave coffee away. Very hip but no substance. Its another smoke and mirrors cafe. Toast is like eating bricks and kids screaming everywhere and mums in leg ins, my question why are they voted top 100 cafe in Melbourne ?They need some competition .

Went to Pomona this morning for Brekky and coffee with my mum and it didn't disappoint! Coffee was absolutely perfect for a Sunday morning after a late night before! Warm, smooth and the best pep up! We got poached eggs on toast and 'built' our own Brekky from there. everything was perfectly fresh and absolutely delicious. We were very impressed with the price of the meals as everything is free range and fresh. We also bought a lemon and sour cream biscuit and pear rhubarb and white chocolate muffin to take away and they were tasty and divine! Will definately be back soon!!

Good breakfast, lots of bacon. Smoked salmon was very nice.

Tasty food. Had lunch here earlier in the week. The cafe is surprisingly spacious and we enjoyed sitting out in the courtyard. I had the rosti with smoked salmon and avocado, latte and took a pistachio and cherry friand home to eat later. Wait staff were friendly and attentive and the food was really tasty. My only two minor criticisms were that the 'rosti' was more like a potato patty (but was still yum) and the friand actually contained two cherry pips. Not a major problem (luckily I didn't bite down onto them) but perhaps just warn customers that if they buy them they may have to be careful for pips.

Great place and food (only negative was my potato rosti - a tad bland. Other two meals were delicious though). Lots of menu options, quick, friendly service and very generous portions.

Awesome spot. Fast, friendly and super delicious! well worth a trip for Sunday brunch/lunch

Thank you to our local cafe Pomona. Steve and I enjoyed a beautiful meal on valentines day/night. The flavours were outstanding and the kitchen created amazing dishes with your home grown <br/>veggies. Service is always friendly and you create a lovely community atmosphere for us. Kim & Steve

Gem in Preston!. Great place where there is a lack of similar cafes. Their food options are very generous and their (home roasted?) coffee was pretty good.<br/><br/>Edit<br/>Been back here once, ordered the same food and was disappointed. Not great consistency.

Such a great brunch spot!! Keeping things simple with their own little twist it's hard to choose. Friendly service and great atmosphere. The hand drawn pictures on the table tops are a great touch. They are also fantastic with dietary requirements with the menu set up to support gluten and lactose intolerances.

Great cafe! Perfect for kids & babies... They've got highchairs AND kids menu! Our new fav!

Lacklustre service, pricey, and the coffee wasn't that great :(

Was disappointed with the breakfast. Really seemed like little effort and love in the dishes. Food was very bland, pretty much the only taste I got was the pesto from the green eggs and ham. Poor effort in my view. The fox in socks was the same...disappointing. Beans weren't cooked near enough and barely any cheese. Left hungry too. On the plus side the coffee was good.

Love, love, love it! Great space, yummy food and friendly staff :) You got me Pomona!

I travel to the north for work a lot, Pomona used to be one of my favourite stops for coffee. That is until I got a take away. I got over heated milk, half a cup of coffee and surly barista. :(

I have walked past Pomona a few times but yesterday was the first time I ate breakfast there. The cafe has a very inviting decor and out back it looked like a nice place to sit if it weren't raining like it was when I visited. I ordered the Pomona scrambled and the staff were cool with me changing bacon for something else. When my meal arrived I thought they really went all out here, I do feel I got more than I paid for ($16). I don't know how many eggs they used but it seemed like a lot, a generous serving to be honest. But they weren't the most flavoursome. Perhaps in the future they could use less eggs and maybe more herbs or something in their process? I liked Pomona, maybe not my first choice but if I was in the area I'd eat there again.

Fabulous Preston Cafe! A must-go.. I often go to Pomona, and it is so wonderful to have such a fabulous cafe in the neighbourhood. Tucked on a small strip of odd shops, including an Indian take-away and a shop that sells mowers and gardening stuff, Pomona is such a welcomed addition. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced for what you get. Highly recommend all breakfast options, especially the green eggs & ham, & the fox in socks. Also, the staff are wonderful! So friendly! I haven't had such good service in ages. They are Brunswick St cool without the attitude. Keep up the great work!!

I try and stop by here whenever I am passing through Preston.<br/>This cafe serves breakfast, lunch effortlessly and without pretension.<br/>Coffee short mac hits the spot

Fabulous. Went to Pomona with some friends and the food is fantastic. They actually sell real Chai Latte! Not that awful syrup stuff, it was delicious. They are child friendly and have toys and pencils. And the best bit was all the gluten free options which was heaven for me. Will definitely be back!

Homemade Coffee and An Exciting Menu That Both Deliver. Amongst the multitudes of excellent brunch venues popping up all around the northern suburbs lies Pomona. A quaint but cute little cafe that you could easily miss unless you went looking for it. Pomona distinguishes itself from other cafes with its house made coffee blend which they roast themselves. It is a great drop of coffee with bold strong flavors that taste amazing. Additionally their menu is very creative and unlike most i have seen. My green eggs and ham dish whilst quite overpriced considering the small portion size had a great emphasis on flavor and attention to detail. If your wanting a big filling breakfast old school style i would probably stay away from Pomona but if you don't mind spending a little extra on a place that delivers in quality rather then quantity with excellent coffee and a homy atmosphere then Pomona is a sure bet.<br/><br/>Coffee: 4.5/5<br/>Food: 4.2/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Design/Ambiance: 4.2/5<br/>Value:3.7/5<br/>Total: 20.6/25 (82.4%) *Pending further review

Go Pomona.. I don't live in the area but in-laws live a few minutes from Pomona. I make it a must to stop past every time I'm there and have brekky and a coffee. The place has a great feel about it and the service is superb. Well done and I can't wait for the next visit!

User reviews. We have been loyal fans of Pomonas since it opeened 3 years ago but our last visit was so disappointing it prompted me to ask the head waitress/manager whether there had been a change of ownership. I regretted asking the question because I almost got my head bitten off and it spoiled the rest of the day. Further disappointment followed when we were told 15 minutes after taking our order that they had run out of one of the items and that we'd get a "free coffee, or something". When our meals finally arrived 40 minutes later, the rosti were a soggy pile of oily mash and the pancakes were hard and rubbery.<br/>The junior staff were lovely, friendly and helpful but the head waitress/manager made it very clear she was in a bad mood. We didn't stay for the 'free cup of coffee' and left as soon as possible.<br/>Oh and did I mention that on a beautiful Melbourne Sunday afternoon at 1.00pm the restaurant was half empty. Maybe like us, other diners are not returning.<br/><br/><br/>-----21 Jul, 2013-----<br/><br/>So much is being said about 'Hipsterville' (Northcote-Thornbury-Preston) that we thought we'd cross the river and explore this part of town. We came across Pomona by chance and so glad we did! Genuine warm hospitality in funky surroundings with fabulous food. We're moving to Preston - enough said!

Great service, great food and coffee, will definitely be back :-D

Once only. Read the review, liked the look, service very underwhelming, coffee JUST warm and muffin never arrived Disappointing to say the least

Local favourite. We come here almost weekly, which I suppose is a good testament to the quality of the food. Very inconspicuous little space located in between a dusty second-hand mower shop and a dubious indian restaurant, but quite charming and warm inside. The breakfasts are good - if a little on the overpriced side - and the staff are friendly and attentive. Really lovely to sit out the back in the summer time, they have a really charming vege garden and play good music.<br/><br/>As others have mentioned, the coffee isn't always consistent - I've had a couple of bitter and burnt coffees in the past, and it's usually not hot enough. My other complaint would be that it can get pretty packed on a weekend morning, and for a small space with concrete floors, often frequented by families with children, things can get a little noisy - felt like I was shouting at my partner last weekend which isn't terribly relaxing.<br/>Otherwise, best café in the area (including its two newer competitors on Gilbert rd).

Love this place - but need to improve coffee. I don't drink coffee, but my wife always says that the coffee here is never served quite hot enough.<br/><br/>That said......We love Pomona. Staff are really friendly, atmosphere is great and it's very child friendly. Lovely place for a Sunday brunch.<br/><br/>I've tried a couple of dishes and, alhtough I've enjoyed them all, I keep going back to # hollandaised! <br/><br/>2 poached eggs on corn pikelets with hollandaise, sautéed spinach, fresh wild rocket & smoked salmon dressed with capers, dill & first press olive oil 17.50<br/><br/>Yummo

When you dont know what to do. Finding it hard to make a decision and pomona was a perfect option, good coffee, vibe and options for the lactose free kids , wife loved the day (thats important) F,L,R,A,V

Nice food bad coffee :(

You must try this place..... Firstly, reviewers Taste and AmsndaH , did you even step into Pomona Cafe. This place is far from having arrogant staff and horrible food. MR Taste I don't think you even stepped foot into this place. And AmandaH they don't have baked beans and eggs on the menu. So where did you go cos you didn't go to pomona cafe. People if you are going to write a review at least be honest and actually eat at the place. This place is great. Friendly and helpful staff, tasty food using fresh produce and herbs and vegie's from garden out the back and the coffee hits the spot. But you need to check it out yourself. You will enjoy the experience.

Horrible food.average coffee . arrogant staffs.

Just Not Tasty. Service is good, quantities appropriate and the menu is original, but the food and drink just don't taste good enough. Dishes come with a cute little spoon full of salt if you need it, but unfortunately it's because you really do need it. Green eggs and ham was bland - even the ham and pesto didn't have much flavour. And the chai was so bad that even after adding honey it didn't taste good. Try the sibling cafe Pizza Farro for dinner instead.

This place is nothing special. Had baked beans and eggs. Both were very bland. Not sure how eggs can be bland, but they managed to do that here.

Reliable quality with a twist on simple fare. Always enjoy a visit to this cafe. Everyone is greeted and made to feel welcome and the staff are down to earth and attentive, the coffee carefully roasted in-house, and thoughtfully served -we always ask which coffee is at it's best (once or twice over the holiday season it wasn't as fresh... but the quality has returned). There's a delectable array of gluten free treats and the food is consistently good - surprisingly good sandwiches! <br/>We went for the special Valentine's day dinner and found it good value and difficult to fault. The chef came over to discuss a food intolerance and whipped up an alternative with no fuss, and the shared desert platter hit the spot! It's a casual but fresh place and can get a bit warm in this crazy heatwave but I love it. Thanks guys, please keep up the quality.

Love this cafe! Great food with lots of gluten free options, very friendly staff, great coffee and a lovely vibe. Definitely recommend this place!!

Great staff & set-up. Mr, mini and I visited Pomona on Sunday at midday and despite being relatively busy, were promptly greeted and treated well.<br/>Coffee - yum, food - fresh and tasty<br/>The cafe is baby/kid friendly too.

This place has become my favourite cafe in melbourne! The coffee is brilliant, as are the staff! The place, is bright, clean and welcoming. They always have great specials to compliment a very tasty menu. Did I mention the amazing staff? Lol never had a bad meal or coffee. The menu is priced accordingly. The gnocchi is a personal favourite, its amazing. Would love to see more cake though, like chocolate cake, cheesecake, lemon tart etc. I think the assortment of friands and cookies has gotten a little boring, though they are still delicious.

Great local cafe. Good to see a Cafe in our local area. Great coffee. Good breakfast menu. Friendly service.

Fantastic range of gluten-free delights and fabulous service - impressive!

Way overpriced. Lovely looking place, friendly service and the menu sounded really inviting but what we had for a grand total of $33.40 was actually just a toasted sandwich with a beef pattie, some rocket tomato and chutney and the same deal with a vegie pattie instead of the beef. The bread slices were huge, slab like things. Unfortunately we won't be back, two toasted sandwiches plonked on a plate with no garnish, nothing on the side really shouldn't cost as much as that, $33.40 Tell 'em they're dreaming!

I love coming here. Pomona is easy going, with great coffee and a menu that I never tire of. The staff are genuinely friendly and service is quick. My niece loved the range of toys and the vegie garden out the back to wander in. This is a great place to come for a quick coffee, a study break or a family brunch.

Just ok. Coffee is alright, the food I've tried has been a bit bland. Staff are nice but what gets me is the way they seem to help themselves to tips, I've been overcharged here many times

A good stop in.. Cute place and friendly staff.<br/>lovely outdoor area and i love the big cups - they are fantastic (and the coffee was good too) !!

Simply supurb. Cannot fault our first visit here - awesome breakfast & coffee, great gluten free options, beautiful decor and lovely garden area out back with home grown vegies & herbs. Ignore any negative comments, they can only be from competition or junk food addicts.

Like!. Pomona gives me everything I'm looking for when I manage to pop in occasionally....Great coffee, great food and genuine, friendly staff. Thanks heaps guys, you're doing a great job.

Agreed that the coffee is hit and miss-been here a couple of times and different each time. Food was pretty stock standard-had some sausage rolls that were the special-and we're pretty cold-then found a piece of plastic in the salad. The staff were friendly-but sorry guys will probably not be back.

Good coffee and very child friendly. The spelt bread on the fox in sox was delicious. Our child was having so much fun with the toys that we could have a leisurely lunch for once. Will definitely go again.

Fab little find. The fox in socks is a must try breakfast.

Great food. The coffee here can be a bit hit and miss, but the food here is excellent! Been here several time for breakfast, and it is always delicious and fresh. Best gingerbread man i've ever had!

Great Cafe. From the first coffee I ordered here, it was lovely. The staff are super friendly! I go their once or twice a week, never had a bad experience. I have eaten here also and it has been delicious everytime. Love it, one of my favs out in the northern suburbs!

LOVE THE SINGLE ORIGIN. Find me a cafe where every time you go there you can have a different coffee experience. Pomona achieve this beautifully. From a beautiful southern Indian coffee bean to a Burundi bean. Each as tasty as the other. Love the dr Seuss names on the food. This is my regular local cafe and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Bring it. I ate here today and it was magnificent. I had the pamona scramble; eggs perfect, bacon ridiculously good, sweet potato and pine nut salad - whoever thought of that needs a sturdy handshake. And my coffee was beautiful. So much so that I ordered two - one was a decaf and I couldnt really tell the difference - a rare thing for most cafes. Keep in mind that a majority of this menu is prepared gluten free; stuff tastes different but no less delicious... I would suggest that anyone who thinks they can get better food or service at McDonalds is exactly where they should be.

The coffee is good here. I have been to this cafe countless times as it is located just up from my work. The coffee is good and they are very passionate about coffee. I find some comments on here peculiar - the coffee being "burnt" I have inspected the beans myself and they are not burnt - medium dark roast at the most, bitter is possible, but where does the coffee interact with your tounge (bitter is tasted at the back). I have had many coffees here, but never could I describe them as bitter. I think it is one of the better coffees of the outer north, in the dozens of coffees I have ordered here I have had only one coffee I felt could be made better, so I requested a replacement and they immediately and politely obliged, returning promptly with a really beautiful coffee. I believe I am able to talk with some credibility having run the victorian chapter of the austral asian specialty coffee association (AASCA), been a sensory judge at barista competitions and a barista at some of melbourne's iconic cafes. In my books this place is definitely worth going for coffee.

Not great. The staff were friendly and responsive, and the food and drinks came quick enough. I really liked how there is a vege patch out the back too!<br/><br/>But, there is no point having a vege patch if you can't cook what you grow. The food here is an exercise in mediocrity. I had the 'moodshadow' and I was immensely dissapointed. Yuck. The coffee was awful too, burnt and bitter.<br/><br/>Will never go here again, there are far far better options nearby.

What makes a good food experience?. Certainly, it takes an awful lot more than writing a review, an amateur review, which attempts at informed criticism by merely disassembling the components of a dish and then individually attacking them. Just a couple of points if i may....its MOONSTRUCK! If you seek to be destructive, make sure you check YOUR accuracy. If a mention of one ingredient had been made that did not come off the written menu, your thoughts would be more believable. People, why do we place any stead on writers without pedigree who disguise themselves under a pen name? In case you do, then hopefully this will counteract that negative.<br/>This place is just great. The spare and practical yet warm design. I love the hand made lights...the doodled on ply tables, the VEGE garden, the obvious attention to and follow through on the quality and origin of ingredients. The staff are darling. The food is delicious. I fully recommend others visit and make their own minds up. I came upon this place by chance and and glad of it. Want more of it.

Worst breakfast ever, though it came out fast and the staff were nice. Check out my photo of the 'Fox in Socks' dish - soggy bread, poor-quality bursted sausage and a 4 bean mix that didn't have a chance in life. The accompanying fetta wasn't present. That definitely was not a spicy sausage, a spiced sausage or even sold by a Spaniard. I first thought it was a Subway meatball! My friend's 'Moonshadow' dish should've been separated at birth - the scrambled egg and spring onion hidden inside the toast just didn't taste good! I agree with the other comments about the bad coffee. What's up with the price too? Unless the cooks get trained, I'll never come back here.

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, good and quick service but it's the 3rd time I try the coffee and it has a burnt bitter taste, I think it's the blend they use, perhaps the roasting.