One of the (many) great things about Melbourne is all of the restaurants and cafes. Having been here over 4 months I felt pretty confident that I knew most of the good/cool spots to eat near the apartment. On Tuesday I decided to go for a run after work, lo-and-behold there was a series of small restaurant/cafes 2 blocks away that I didn’t even know existed. I made a mental note to check out one of the more interesting looking places and came back on Saturday to do some work while enjoying lunch/coffee.
Not sure what the place used to be, but it definitely wasn’t a restaurant. Feels more like an old factory that’s been stripped of everything and had a small kitchen added. Part of it is a lounge area for patrons to enjoy coffee and snacks. The other two-thirds is the “restaurant” section with proper tables. I quote “restaurant” because even that section was heavily occupied with people hanging out – talking, using laptops and listening to music. All of that was just the first quarter of the building. Behind some giant (probably 12 – 15 feet tall and 15 feet across) sliding doors was an open area with skylights and if I had to guess was only used for special events and private parties.
Value: 4/ 5
I had the “roo” burger for $12 AUD. Not a steal but pretty fair as far as Melbourne burger prices are concerned. A side would’ve been nice but the burger was loaded with toppings and actually got me pretty full. I did notice some cheaper “toasties” and $8 burger specials on Tuesdays which would make it an actual deal, rather than just par for the course.
Food: 4/5
The staff convinced me to try the Roo burger – saying it was better and very different from Roo steaks. I thought, “when in Rome” and went with their recommendation and was glad. Not the best burger I’ve had but really different and MUCH better than Roo steaks (no fault of the chef, obviously). Can’t comment on anything else but everything I saw looked fresh and tasty.
Overall: Like It
Another solid place in the Melbourne CBD to get a light meal, beer or coffee.
2 Comments
Nice review but how did this get written w/o Mandys help? Just playing of course, this is thoughtful, interesting and a solid review! Good to know that the old get out there and explore is still great advice!
Love the name, what does it mean/ Where does it come from?