Cafe Azul

346 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC
Date: 10.9.11

This is one of those places that calls itself a café but you can tell they would really rather be a restaurant. The tables and the dressing looks restaurant like and they’ve tried hard with their menu, but it’s still a café. And not that good of one either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful, just average. There’s no table service, and while the staff were friendly, it’s a hassle getting up mid conversation to order another coffee. The food does seem nice, my friend loved her breakfast and my pumpkin muffin was divine. It was all kinds of delicious. As for the coffee, it was okay. It had a nice taste but was nothing too special. There’s nothing wrong with this place, there’s just nothing that special either.

AMBIENCE:    On a great street for cafes and eating, but doesn’t really stand out. The furniture doesn’t impress but at least the booths were comfortable. 2.5 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly, and they did serve my friend a breakfast even though their breakfast time had finished. It was just damn counter service. They had enough staff on to serve. 3.5 out of 5.

COFFEE:    A little above average. Happily drank two cups, but really wasn’t blown away by the flavour. 3 out of 5.

Combi Coffee Espresso

84 Ormond Rd, Elwood
Date: 9.10.11

People rave about this tiny little place so I was eager to try it out. It has a nice feel and the inside, though small, looks inviting. I sat outside and was ready to try the coffee. Marks were off straight away, organic, just not a huge fan. But also, both coffees I had were slightly burnt. For somewhere that prides themselves on brilliant coffee, it felt sloppy. However, I will say the treats they had on offer looked unique and tasty. I had this amazing lime cake that was outstanding. The staff seem friendly but weren’t that good at their jobs. First time I’ve seen a server drop an entire scolding hot cup of coffee as they served. It only just missed my friend, hitting a bit of her shoe. I understand why people would like this place, but there are certainly better cafes out there.

AMBIENCE:    This is probably the highlight of this place. You can sit in the funky inside area, or on the beautiful Ormond Rd. Very laidback. 4 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly but a little useless. Burnt coffee and dropped orders don’t give me much faith. 2.5 out of 5.

COFFEE:    For all the hype it certainly only seemed average to me, and wasn’t even that hot. And we know that bitch, I like it hot. 2.5 out of 5.