With a beautiful Sunday to be had in Melbourne, we were off to the beach to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the sun, however first needed to grab a quick bit to eat before sun baking. We had set Brighton Beach as our final destination, so were after with outdoor seating to enjoy the weather. I’ve had the Brighton Schoolhouse Cafe on my list for quite a while, so happened to be the perfect time to check it out.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
Located on the corner of St Andrews & Church Street in Brighton, located in an 1842 heritage listed building, which of course, was an old schoolhouse. They have stayed very true to the decor of the building, with its beautiful brick exterior and interior featuring high ceilings, wooden floors and an abundance of old school furniture.
The interior is broken down into a few different areas. When first walking in, you are welcoming by the oversized bar area, some vintage old school desks & lockers, exposed bulb lighting and rustic decor accents throughout.
Outside, communal tables and high top tables fill the space. Perfectly manicured gardens and picnic tables fill the lawn area and ample seating to enjoy the afternoon sun. This is probably one the best kid friendly cafes we’ve been to, with an outdoor playground area in close sight for the kiddies to enjoy themselves while the older ones enjoy some food and drinks.
Although a beautiful space, the service was a let down on this occasion. We opted for a table outside in the shade and were able to grab one as someone was just getting up to leave. The waitress said she would be right over to clear the table for us. After 20 minutes of waiting, I had to get up to not only ask to have our table cleared, but also for menus and water.
FOOD
The menu is based around locally grown produce, organic items and staying as true as possible to the products themselves. With this said, the menu is more on the healthy spectrum, with of course, hot cakes, which did look delicious as I saw them passing by to the next table.
To start we ordered our usual round of a strong cap and piccolo, made with delicious St Ali coffee and premium milk from St David dairy. I’m usually not one to crave a second cup, however it was so delicious it was an easy decision.
Once we finished our coffees, our breakfast had finally arrived. MC ordered his usual big brekky with poached eggs, bacon and the works. I on the other hand, decided to go with the ‘Keep Calm & Granola On’, made with Schoolhouse granola, yogurt panna cotta, winter berries. I was impressed with how tasty the granola was and even better with the slight tartness from the berries. The panna cotta was a fantastic creamy finish to the dish to bring all the flavours together.
Although the service was a bit of a let down, the coffee, food and atmosphere were all fantastic. Hopefully we will be able to head back again soon and experience what we hope would be an overall great experience.
