Brick Lane, Melbourne CBD

Formerly known as Rustica, Brick Lane Cafe is tucked in the picturesque Guildford Lane staying true to Melbourne laneway culture . There a few cafes in this lane so finding this place was a bit confusing for me and the Grange Printing and Office Supplies sign painted above this place doesn't make it easy.

It took some peeping-in through the windows and walking past the door a couple of times till I spotted the less obvious sign above the door. I walked in still a bit unsure, the place was almost packed on a weekday and it took some time to catch someone's attention. As soon as they spotted me, they showed me to my seat on the huge communal table which is in a slightly separate area but not secluded. As I glanced through the menu, I couldn't believe how many vegetarian options there were. In all the cafes I have been to by far, this one has the most vegetarian options.

They are known for their chilli scramble but I was in the mood for something healthy and green so I went for the breakfast salad. Quinoa, wild rice, kale, rocket, baby spinach, nuts & berries, poached egg with sesame dressing and loads of hummus. Looked healthy and boy if I could make a salad so yummy, I wouldn't mind having salad for dinner at least thrice a week. But I can't so I see myself coming here again just for a salad.

On my next visit, I was accompanied by John Doe. I knew what I was having. I don't see myself looking forward to having a salad much often. But this time, I was informed that they had made a small change in it - they have changed the dressing to make it vegan-friendly. I still gave it a try and in my opinion, the previous version was so much better. I would love it if they did 2 options - one for vegans and other for others.

John Doe had the corn and chilli waffles and they were wholesome. He is used to having sweet waffles so this was an adventurous choice for him but he wasn't disappointed. The waffles were soft with no crunchy edges and just the right size. I was worried the sauce might make the waffles soggy if he takes his own sweet time finishing it but they were dense enough to not let that happen. The tomato relish was a bit tangy with some heat. The side of avo was generous and the overall the portion size was good. All in all, all the ingredients went well together and kept John full for a substantial amount of time.

Let's talk about the coffee!

There is a consistent amount of people lining up at the takeaway counter so I guess the coffee here must be good. I had a latte and John had a cappuccino as usual. The coffee was good with nice flavour yet not bitter leaving no room for picking faults but in my opinion, not the best in CBD.