A quick search of Melbourne’s best cafés & brunch spots will certainly lead to Hardware Société. It sits squarely in the ranks of other names like Humble Rays and ST. ALi Coffee Roasters.
I was quite surprised to learn that this café also has a branch in Paris. I do think it is a (good) sign that this establishment serves highly decent brunch fare.
We visited the Hardware Street branch, which I believe is the OG store. The menu primarily featured eggs in every dish, which is something you would want to take note of!
I ordered the Baked Eggs with Baguette (AUD 28) while my travel partner (husband) got the Benedict (AUD 30). His Benedict comprised of seared scallops, asparagus, braised leeks, preserved lemon hollandaise, and bun noir.
On the other hand, I got the Baked eggs with baguette. The café actually offers two options for this dish, which was really cool:
- UN — roasted cauliflower, cauliflower & leek cream, gruyere, basil pistou, pinenuts
- DEUX — chorizo, potato, piquillo peppers, queso manchego, almonds, aioli
I went with the second option (DEUX) and was quite surprised that the baked eggs came in this little pot, adorned by small slices of baguette bread. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was obviously not it.
Nonetheless, I dug into it and the taste was actually very delightful! The peppers and chorizo adds a nice spice to kickstart your appetite, the potatoes satisfy your carb cravings, and then you get your protein needs sufficiently met with the almonds and eggs.
I also ordered the Yuzu cold drip. I thought this was a rather unique coffee option, as most places usually offer Orange espressos or lattes. Unfortunately, the yuzu flavour was rather sour and added on to the sour taste profile of the coffee, which didn’t make for quite a refreshing drink as I expected.
Is it worth eating at Hardware Société?
I probably had quite high expectations of this café, considering that they’ve been successful enough to open various branches.
However, I didn’t think the food was particularly good considering its reputation. Both the food and the coffee at other Melbourne brunch spots were considerably better, and this is considering what both my husband and I ordered.
The seating is also very cramped here – wished I had a photo to show you! Overall we didn’t feel like it was a very nice and relaxing brunch spot, and wouldn’t consider visiting again.
DIRECTIONS
Address: 10 Katherine Place / 123 Hardware Street 3000
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- Humble Rays: popular Melbourne brunch spot with creative dishes
- ST. ALi Coffee Roasters: Melbourne’s trendy brunch & specialty coffee
- The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne (That Locals Actually Love)
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