Ahhh… Melbourne Airport… epitome of boredom and bad food… filled with fast food chains that taste horrendous… what would we do without you?
What is this you say? A new renovated wing in the International Departure Terminal?
Cafe Vue has opened its doors to the fleeing crowd? Oui La La..!
So, in the last week of February… I eagerly walked through all the required checkpoints to get to my destination. I was excited and had high hopes from this quality chain! And Cafe Vue definitely did not disappoint!
From the moment I walked through its enclosure, I was greeted by a friendly waiter and shown my seat. Water was offered, and I was enquired to how my day was going.
I placed my order for a Cafe Latte $3.50 and sat back to relax myself before my flight ahead.
With my latte brought to me, I placed an order of Duck Egg, Bacon & Hollandaise Jaffle $12.50
It arrived fairly quickly.. which was great considering I had a plane to catch! The food was warm and freshly made on premise *BONUS*…
Little did I know however, that my flight was to be delayed for a whole 3 hours! (the NZ Christchurch earthquake had just occurred the day before)
So I did what was best… I read my book (no one had harassed me to leave my spot at the Cafe) and enjoyed my breakfast at a leisurely pace.
After a while, I got up to walk around the terminal and sat at the departure lounge in hope of good news. Alas! This was not the case. So I returned to Cafe Vue and was greeted with open arms like a long lost friend who found her way home to enjoy more coffee.
I also considered getting some of their delicious Macarons (Assorted Flavours) $3 each as I’ve been fortunate enough to try them from their outlet at 401 Cafe Vue. But decided to hold off on the sugar and keep my eating to a minimal.
All in all, that was a pleasant and lovely experience dining at the Cafe Vue in the airport
So, for the second time round (the following weekend)…I was jet-setting quite a bit…
I walked with no hesitation to the place with such happy memories for me…
Alas… it took a while before I was acknowledged and seated… a further 20 minutes before I was able to place my order…
I ordered the Croque-Monsieur with Kurobuta ham hock $9 and a side of spinach $3.80 (and it was the saddest and soggiest spinach I’d ever eaten.. but for nearly $4 I made myself eat every mouthful of it!!)
30 minutes later, my food arrived… with no cutlery. So I asked for it, and was told to wait. And it never came. My sandwich was getting colder by the minute.
After trying to wave someone down for a further 5 minutes, and finally getting up to try and get my own cutlery, someone came to give me my cutlery.
However, my order of English Breakfast Tea had still not arrived… and did not arrive until my meal was nearly over…
And when it did arrive… it came as a French Breakfast Tea… no explanation, no, “Sorry ma’am, we don’t happen to have EBT, but we do have FBT… ”
Nothing. Na-da. Not even an apology that the tea took so long to arrive! I had a plane to catch!!!
So… more annoyed than anything, I left really disgruntled and unhappy with my second visit here. In such a short span of 2 weeks, the quality of the customer service was at polar opposites.
I was annoyed, because I knew they could have done better. I WAS THERE WHEN they were better.
So my advice, dear travellers…. go with caution. It’s a hit and miss story with their service.
That being said, the breakfasts were good (don’t order the spinach though) and in all likelihood, I will come back. Where else is there to go?
Just give yourself ample time for waiting 🙂
*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality
Food/ Cuisine: French
Dining Style: Cafe
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 7/10 (it’s nearly on par with the actual Cafe Vue’s on the outside!)
Restaurant ambiance: 7/10
Service/ Attitude:
First Visit: 8/10
Second Visit: 5/10
Value for money: 7/10 (same pricing to the other Cafe Vues’)
Address:
Terminal 2 (International)
Melbourne Airport VIC 3045
Tel: (03) 9310 5091
Website: http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/cafe-vue.aspx
Cafe Vue (Melbourne International Airport) is open
7 days a week, 365 days a year from 4am to 1am
How to get there:
Maybe they are in their teething process… hmm
But it’s been over 6 months I think.. that’s got to be over the teething process right? 🙁
I’m so looking for that next time I travel to Melbourne! The idea of good food at the airport just sounds too good to be true! 😀
Yeah… it’s getting better and better.. but this is only available for the international terminal!
Wow. Yes. I have certainly never had any airport food that attempts to be good like that! Even if it doesn’t always attain brilliance… There’s pretty much no food at Canberra airport!
That is true.. but if I’m in the airport lounge, I’d expect to be served quickly so that I won’t miss my plane!
Good food? At an airport? Lies! At least I can console myself with Cafe Vu when I see my loved one off to Japan in a few weeks time.
Hi Rory! ahahhaa… Will you be checking in with him? Cos this is only inside the terminal at the gates.. not on the outside 🙂
How cool this it that we have this at the airport?! Such very different visits you experienced. The food looks great. I shall take your advice and exercise caution. Cannot wait to give it a go!
Heidi xo
I know right! It’s about time.. I mean, travellers deserve more than Hungry Jacks and Maccas right?
Ah, as we briefly discussed on twitter, my first and second experience are much like yours! Think in future I may just be tempted to get the breakfast box and some macarons to nom at my own leisure….
Yeah… the hits and misses are a bit of a worry. I read today that their kitchen had a meltdown and everyone had to wait 30mins and take away boxes!
Alas, I have been wanting to go for ages but just haven’t flown anywhere international! Attempted to go a few weeks ago but discovered that domestic flights won’t cut it, Shannon Bennett is clearly targeting long haul fliers. Have you tried their lunch/dinner boxes? Seems a much more yummy and actually more affordable option than Virgin or Jetstar inflight purchases, I think.
Did you like their fit out?
Yeah we had service issues when we went too – it was so weird because it was great, and then all of a sudden it slowed to a crawl. And it’s an airport, time is of the essence, much more so than usual!
So frustrating.. cos I really liked them the first time, and based on that visit, I would love to keep going back.. but I’m scared now!