[Melbourne] Melbourne a years ago and now, is considerably different in terms of café culture.
The good coffee is still a given. Though the infiltration of ‘hipster cafes’ and brunch places, along with social media creating the demand of Instagrammable-food, are fuels of these changes.
Top Paddock must be one of the frontrunners of this trend, with the team subsequently bringing us the popular The Kettle Black and Higher Ground.
So I went full of expectations, having heard so much about their Top Paddock poached eggs, chorizo, bacon and relish on toast ($22.00), Avocado on sourdough toast ($15.50), and Blueberry and Ricotta Hotcakes ($21.00).
You can also get some of Lune Croissanterie’s pastries here, with their croissant sandwich with Qld King Prawns with iceberg Lettuce ($24.00).
What I noticed about the interior was that there were varying spaces, yet all with the consistent natural sunlight meets greenery concept.
Alert: Great place for those instagram shots and #OOTD.
You can sit by the long bench by the coffee station, on the round marble tables at the side, choose an outdoor area for a more garden feel, or the front section to people-watch.
The advantage is, they do have quite a bit of space to play with.
The Blueberry and Ricotta Hotcake ($21.00) with berries, maple syrup, seeds and cream is a must-have for a maiden trip – just for token sake.
However, you can probably choose to focus on other all-day items if you do come subsequently.
It deserves its fame, based on the presentation. People do get happy just looking at the hotcake, added with the dozens of photos.
Perhaps due to the over-drenching of maple syrup, some parts of the sponge got rather sweet, and might be hard to go beyond a quarter. No problems if you come with a group of friends to share this.
My Chilli Scrambled Eggs with Otway Shittake Mushrooms and Goat’s Curd on Toast ($19.50, add bacon $4.00) wasn’t particularly impressive though.
The addition of chilli gave that subtle punch, the goat’s curd gave a varying texture, though the egg itself could have been creamier and fluffier. Slightly disappointing.
Since its opening, Top Paddock has sealed its fate to be one of Melbourne’s to-visit hipster café. Perhaps I came with higher and high expectations, and also expected more.
However, the cool vibes, chill-out environment and personable service continue to make this tick.
Top Paddock
658 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia
Tel: +61 03 9429 4332
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 4pm (Sat – Sun)
Google Maps – Top Paddock
Other Related Entries
Higher Ground (Melbourne)
Brother Baba Budan
The Kettle Black (Melbourne)
Lune Croissanterie (Melbourne)
The Hardware Société (Melbourne)
Click HERE for other MELBOURNE Food Entries
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