Tall Timber
60 Commercial Rd, Prahran
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-430pm, Sat-Sun 730am-430pm
03 9676 9333

Tall Timber has got to be one of my all time favourite Melbourne cafes. It is one of the rare places where there are not one, not two, but at least seven or eight menu items that sound so incredible I have huge difficulty in deciding what to order. Since following Head Chef Ryan Lording’s instagram and being inundated with gorgeous pictures of new menu items and specials, I have been dying to go back, so jumped at the opportunity to visit yesterday. The cafe is in a relatively unassuming location of Chapel St, and is a small, white brick-walled space with lots of outdoor seating on the footpath in summer. We sat at the big communal table, which was divided down the middle with potted Australian native plants – ideal for both atmosphere and ensuring that you are not looking directly across at other people’s lunches!

The menu is right up my alley: unique and interesting takes on healthy options, all with huge amounts of flavour. Sweet options include house bircher muesli with vanilla and cinnamon pear, pistachio crumble, and rose syrup ($12.5), banana and pistachio bread with espresso mascarpone ($11), and an on-trend banana and coconut chia pudding with cacao, goji + nut granola, cinnamon yogurt and fresh berries ($12.5). Those who like savoury are also in luck, with beetroot cured ocean trout with broccoli and cauliflower tabouleh, poached egg, quinoa, nuts, and tahini dressing ($17.5), cured salmon gravlax with eggs, smashed peas, beetroot relish, feta, and baguette croutons ($17.5), and sauteed portabello mushrooms on toast with almonds, dukkah, and basil goats curd (16.5) all non-standard options. And for those who really can’t choose, a mixed breaky board of dukkah poached egg on pumpkin loaf with hummus and smashed avo + muesli and berry yogurt, fruit, and OJ ($16.5) has you sorted.

In the end, I went for the sauteed kale, asparagus and green beans w poached eggs, almonds and Merediths goat’s cheese on quinoa loaf and smoked salmon as a side ($17.5 + 4.5) and was absolutely in love. The greens were vibrant and full of flavour, the eggs perfectly poached, and the contrasting textures of chopped almonds and crunchy quinoa loaf with the creamy goat’s cheese was phenomenal: I need to figure out how to replicate it at home!

The spicy pumpkin bruschetta is another beauty: smears of hummus are topped with thick cut quinoa loaf and mounds of pumpkin, crowned with poached eggs, and sprinkled with feta and a pinenut + papita crumble ($17). A dish with an almost Israeli/Egyptian twist, multiple friends have loved it, commenting that it was filling without being heavy.

At this point it seems practically un-Australian for a cafe not to have a smashed avocado on the menu, and Tall Timber is happily obliging: their take, a very generous avocado serving on quinoa loaf with beetroot hummus, Meredith’s goats cheese, mint, and toasted spices ($16) was very much approved by Kate, who added an egg and mushrooms to top it off.

We all ordered from the all-day breakfast menu, but the lunch options were just as tempting. The spicy pulled pork salad, chipotle beef brisket tacos, and 16 hr slow cooked lamb shoulder on middle eastern tabouleh with chilli, lime, and pomegranate look particularly promising – I will be back!

Although I saw a few negative comments about service on Urbanspoon, I have never experienced poor service here on my three visits. In fact, I would say that on this visit that were particularly accommodating, with three of our party of four requesting small changes to our dishes on ordering (for example, eggs well done, feta swapped for Meredith’s goat’s cheese, and multiple sides), which they were very obliging with.

Overall, Tall Timber is a cafe set to impress: the perfect location to visit while shopping on Chapel St, multiple unique and healthy menu options and food full of flavour with decent portion sizes and reasonable prices make the weekend queues unsurprising.

Rating: 8.5/10
Do: go on a weekday, or be aware that you may have to wait for a table
Don’t miss: ANYTHING! You may have to revisit, however.
Don’t: make the mistake I did and park down the side-street, go for a walk after, and end up with a ticket (oops…2 hr limit).
Features: gf/vegan/paleo friendly, outdoor seating, near Chapel St

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