tom dick & harry
1/242 Toorak Rd, South Yarra
03 9041 4334

Hidden in amongst bigger shops on Toorak Road, tom dick & harry is only identifiable by the distinctive french bulldog sign above and a sleek row of wooden benching out on the street, occupied by people busy consuming their morning caffeine while watching the traffic go past. However, the morning we chose to visit was a chilly 8°C, so although the morning sun was streaming across the outdoor seating and into the cafe entrance beautifully, the temperature forced us indoors. tom dick & harry is clearly architecturally designed – what could have been a very dark, narrow space has been lightened by light plywood panels and marble benching with small matching stools to maximise the area. The barista and cabinet are near the front of the shop, creating a separate area for those seeking takeaway treats and coffee in memorable frenchie take-away cups, and, most notably, the cafe’s freshly baked morning muffins. We couldn’t bypass said muffins when we walked in, and tried the daily chocolate orange muffin with nutella topping. This was outstanding – still slightly warm, moist, fluffy, and studded with dark chocolate, with just a hint of orange and the perfect crusty top – easily one of the best cafe muffins I have ever enjoyed. Do not miss out on these.

Small but efficient, the all-day breakfast menu offers a DIY option, allowing diners to customise their eggs, toast, and extras (short cut bacon, hollandaise, leg ham, danish feta, spinach, avocado and potato rosti are just a few of many additions), and just three other choices – Dick’s Roasted Pork Belly ($20.5), Tom’s Crushed White Bean (with mint, chili and lemon on toast with grilled chorizo, poached egg, vine cherry tomatoes, snow pea tendrils and dukkah – $19.5), and the classic Smashed Avocado ($17.5 + eggs $4). In a similar theme, the lunch menu has another 3 options – Harry’s Reuben (corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, special sauce and chilli salted shoe string fries – $20.5), the Brioche Sliders (with poached coconut chicken, asian slaw and shoe string fries – $17.5) and a soba noodle salad (with pan fried miso glazed salmon, water chestnuts, cucumber, pam inoki mushrooms, spring onions, fresh herbs and a sesame soy dressing – $20.5). However, additional cabinet fare of breakfast cups (chia pudding, bircher, & toasted muesli), breakfast rolls, wraps, and a daily-changing variety of healthy salads gives both greater take-away style options and variation for dining in.

I had already made my decision before arriving (eliminating the normal menu dilemma!), having seen many pictures of the gorgeous smashed avocado online. Served on a thick slice of chia seed loaf, the avocado is covered in a quinoa supergrain salad of green beans, cucumber, feta, corn, currents, smoked almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, pomegranate pearls and fresh herbs, adorned with microgreens and edible flowers, and served with two perfectly oozy poached eggs (optional). The prettiest take on the smashed avo classic I have come across, and maybe this led to overly high expectations of taste matching aesthetic. The generous feta serve left it very salty, while the myriad of other flavours, all vying for attention, were a little jarring. Jamie, who also ordered it, found the same. A few pieces of rock-hard under-ripe avocado were also encountered amongst the smash – not something a cafe can afford to do. On the other hand, the chia seed toast was excellent, and another slice would have been very welcome to balance the intensity of the amalgamation of other components.  Although still a unique and enjoyable smashed avocado adaptation, it wasn’t the ‘best ever’ that I might have anticipated.

Dan deviated from the smashed avo choice and went for Dick’s Roasted Pork Belly, with sticky chilli caramel sauce on smashed roasted rosemary pumpkin & potatoes, with a poached egg and watercress apple salad. As described, the large slices of pork belly were dark, sweet and sticky with caramel which, along with the huge portion of sweet potato mash, needed the apple salad to cut through the sugar. The classic Asian flavours in the caramel complemented the mashed pumpkin, and large pieces of perfect crackling were also served on the side. Just be warned that this is a very large dish, and some might find it a little heavy for breakfast.

The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the coffee, each served with a small piece of almond biscotti, was of the great Melbourne standard (but could be a little hotter!). All around, tom dick & harry is a vibrant cafe ideal for your morning take-away and muffin or a quick breakfast or lunch if in the area, with great coffee, service and atmosphere. I am sure I will be back to try the intriguing lunch offerings!

Rating: 6.5/10
Don’t miss: the top quality and innovative muffins, baked fresh daily
Pro tip: go on a sunny day and sit outside on the wooden benches
Features: takeaway chia and muesli pods, salads and coffee, small breakfast and lunch menu

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