Melbourne Eats: Three Bags Full, Richmond

It is impossible to walk past cafes in Melbourne and not be curious about it. Why the queue, and why is the place packed? The food (and coffee) must definitely be good, then!

Earlier last Sunday morning, we were in Studley Park supporting a few friends who ran Race 1 of the Salomon Trail Series. (I took a few random photos at the event.) We were expecting to arrive at the cafe in time for brunch but we got there just as lunch hour began.

Three Bags Full

60 Nicholson Street

Abbotsford, VIC 3067

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The place was packed to the brim but we were lucky to get two seats at the high table. Not the best spot to admire the interior and sneak a few photos, but it had to do. :)

A round table for a big group.

A waitress came and took our order for drinks before our seats were even warm. Talk about fast service!

I blushed when a waitress caught me taking this picture. She said, "Aww, how sweet!"
Which could have meant, "Bah! You're so lame!"

The usual for us, cappuccino for him and a flat white for me.

It was good enough for us, as we prefer to be able to taste the hint of bitterness from the espresso. I would have been unhappy if my flat white had turned out to be too milky. :)

We ordered the Benedict from the All Day Breakfast menu: two poached eggs on 2 slices of toast with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. (AUS$16.00)

I was stressed to the max when I had trouble sawing my toast into bite-size portions. I refused to use my hands, but let's just say my forearms had a good workout!

The toast is a bit tough for me, as it's more on crunchy crusty side. The saltiness of the smoked salmon provided a good balance to the hollandaise sauce. Yum!

One of the Sunday's special was slow braised beef brisket with celeriac puree, a fried egg, pickled cauliflower, roast tomato and garlic croutons. (AUS$18.00)

The beef was yums! It was so tender. The pickled cauliflower was a tease, first hitting you with some sourness and then some sweetness. It was all good.

I think the hubs wanted the egg yolk to be runny, though.

It can be quite noisy when the place is packed but service was good.

If you love the hustle and bustle of city life, you'll feel right at home. The ambience keeps you warm and toasty, making you feel like you belong. :)

Having said that, I miss the hustle and bustle of London!!