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Another week another cafe has opened. Suddenly there are more cafe’s opening up in suburbs than I have weekends in the year to visit them! It’s going to look like I need to visit two cafes every Saturday and Sunday of the year to keep up with the amount of new places to visit.

One such new cafe that has recently popped into our radar is the revamped eatery connected to Hotel Urban. Indeed it is not too obvious, but if pointed out, you can see into the lobby of the hotel at the back of the cafe.

What I liked about the Hub Cafe was its decoration. From vintage Coke bottles to old brass pans hanging on the wall, the vibe you get is distinctly cheery, cool and funky all at once.

It was slightly eclectic and definitely screaming to my mad vintage collectable hobby right now.

Enthusiastic and upbeat, Roger Fowler, General Manager of the Hub Cafe spoke to us about the focus and direction of the cafe and its strong community focus. He also imparted many tips and tricks of the trade (which I shall not divulge here :P) which caused many a giggles from the table.

First up, we had a couple of coffees (from Genovese) served around the table which were quite decent.

The food menu is simply divided into two parts, The Classics and the Modern Takes and the drinks menu, Caffeine Fix and Thirst Quenchers.

House Made Crumpets with Creamed Honey & Lemon (The Classics)

Having heard so much about these crumpets, it would have been a sin if we hadn’t had the chance to eat them! And oh me, oh my!

These were possibly the most delicious thing I had that morning! The crumpets were just so delectable. Fluffy and dense a contradiction, but you have to eat it to believe it. The honey and lemon were wonderfully paired to the crumpets and I would have happily eaten the whole board on my own, but I had to maintain some sense of decorum 🙂

Brioche French Toast with Caramelised Apples, Mascarpone Cream, Maple Syrup and Extra Bacon (Special) & Eggs Benedict (The Classics)

The Hub Cafe uses ingredients sourced locally in Victoria such as the bread which is sourced from Zeally Bay in Torquay.

It was definitely a morning intended for French toasts, with nearly half the table opting for it. Unlike the others, I added bacon with mine as I have always loved the mix of sweet and savoury for my breakfast French toast meals. Just as well, as the dish was a little too sweet for my liking and I hadn’t even poured the maple syrup over my French toasts. The bacon provided the much needed saltiness to cut through the sweetness. I did like the caramelised apples that came with the dish.

The Boy who had the Eggs Benedict, rather enjoyed his breakfast.

[Clockwise from top left: Brioche French Toast with Caramelised Apples & Mascarpone Cream; Croque Madame – Toasted Sandwich with Ham, Gruyere Cheese, Bechamel Sauce and Fried Egg; Cinnamon Porridge with Caramelised Pears & Oat Crumble; and Crushed Avocado with Vine Ripened Tomatoes & Feta on Sourdough Toast]

These were what the others around the table had 🙂

Thirst quenchingly good, I had two serves of the Sunrise – Freshly squeezed juice (pineapple, apple and orange). I couldn’t get enough of it!

What I liked about the Hub Cafe is the simplicity of the menu. Though not revolutionary, by keeping it simple and honest, only good things can come out of it and I can’t see it not being successful.

Definitely come by and try and catch a seat next to the brick fireplace to enjoy some of those delicious crumpets and a glass of Sunrise juice 🙂

[Ms I-Hua & The Boy dined courtesy of Hub Cafe and Run Forest Run PR]

For other reviews on the Hub Cafe:

Amy’s Town
Brunch Addicts
Poppet’s Window 

*Disclaimer: All food ratings & review are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality at the time of visit

Food/ Cuisine: Breakfast, Lunch
Dining Style: Cafe

Opening Hours:
Sunday &  Monday, 6:30am – 3:00pm
Tuesday & Wednesday, 6:30am – 9:00pm
Thursday & Friday, 6:30am – 11:00pm
Saturday, 7:00am – 11:00pm

Address:
35-37 Fitzroy Street
St Kilda VIC 3182

Tel: (03) 8530 8888

Website: http://www.facebook.com/hubstk

Twitter: @HubStK

How to get there:

Hub Cafe on Urbanspoon