A friend living in Prahran was the impetus for brunching at these two places over a few months. We have actually been to three, but I didn’t take photos of the third: Hobba, on Malvern Road. I can recommend the dish based on bubble-and-squeak with slab bacon most highly.
Windsor Deli
33 Hornby Street, Windsor (oh, well, close enough to Prahran!)
http://windsordeli.blogspot.com.au/
Windsor Deli is hard to find if you are actually looking for it, but uncannily easy to find when you are lost and driving aimlessly around the back streets of Prahran/Windsor between Dandenong Road and High Street. Located in what must have been an old milk bar, it’s a small and cute little place with some tables outside and some tables inside. Sitting right smack-bang next to the cash register, we were able to help ourselves to water AND order up the front without even leaving our seats – some might think that’s a negative, but we loved it.
I had poached eggs on sundried-tomato flavoured gluten free toast with basil pesto… a sweet, relatively simple little dish. The GF toast wasn’t all that exciting to me, being a gluten lover – it was dense and a bit tasteless. I probably would have preferred two large slices of olive or sundried-tomato flavoured ciabatta or sourdough instead, but respect for offering options to coeliacs.
Perfectly poached!
TL,DR: Cute little ex-milk bar cafe.
Spoonful
543 High Street, Prahran
http://www.spoonful.net.au/
Spoonful appears to be a go-to cafe for residents living around High Street and Williams Road in Prahran – I’ve brunched there now quite a few times with friends from around the area. Since my first visit, they’ve expanded into a little providore next door but I’ve never dared to go in.
There are some interesting options on the menu at Spoonful: some have Middle Eastern influences, like the saffron poached pears with labne, or the fruit compote/salad with rosewater.
I ordered the eggs scrambled, a departure from the norm, with dukkah and Persian feta and spinach. You really can’t go wrong with Persian feta, oh my, so smooth and creamy and deliciously marinated. The dukkah was a point of interest but ultimately didn’t add all that much for me – that being said, I’d order this dish again, I’m sure I’ve had it twice already at least.
Dukkah eggs at Spoonful
I also secretly love a toasted ciabatta that cuts my mouth.
Kate ordered scrambled eggs as well with a side of mushrooms and tomato. Her toast was olive bread. Now, I can’t see this dish on Spoonful’s menu on the website, so I can only conclude it was a seasonal offering – let’s hope it comes back! Spoonful does let you construct your own breakfast with eggs any way and two sides for the price of the menu’ed items, so that’s an option if you’d like to recreate the photo below.
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spoonful
TL, DR: you are assured of a good brunch at Spoonful.
Fresh Bread 