Top Paddock
658 Church Street
Richmond
Melbourne
Victoria 3121
Australia
https://toppaddockcafe.com/
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| Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes (AUD $23 / SGD $21.80) |
The Epitome Of Cafe Culture
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about AUD $28 / SGD $26 per person.
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Established in January 2013 by some of Melbourne, Australia, most-watched trendsetting hospitality operators, namely Nathan Toleman, Ben Clark, and Diamond Rozakeas from The Mulberry Group, Top Paddock cafe is regularly regarded as one of the most iconic, ground-breaking cafes around. Often credited as popularising the 'modern instagrammable cafe' concept, Top Paddock cafe wins for its stylish ambience, delicious food, and friendly service, to the extent that they've even influenced cafes in Southeast Asia. Expectations are high as they're usually cited as being among the best cafes. It was a must-visit for me, and in several ways, sets the gold standards for what a cafe could be.
Ambience at Top Paddock cafe has defined what a picturesque cafe should look like. Bright, spacious, and airy, the high ceiling with exposed metal pipes and warm decorative lights is complemented by ample natural sunlight, while the seating area is surrounded and embraced by greenery, with shades of green offsetting the colour scheme of white, black, grey, and brown. Seating up to 100 guests both indoors and outdoors, there's a variety of seating configurations, from booths, to communal tables, to counter stools, to intimate alcoves. The sturdy wooden and metal furnishings are wide and functionally comfortable. Perennially packed and bustling, there's a short queue for a seat even on weekdays. The space is suitable for events, such as urban weddings, corporate functions, or private parties.
Service at Top Paddock cafe is better than the average cafe, comparable to restaurant standards. In fact, that's exactly how the founders positioned it; more than just a cafe, think of this place as a gourmet breakfast restaurant. Staff are friendly, happy, and engaging, chatting with diners as they work. They display good product knowledge of the menu, able to describe dishes, offer recommendations, and note special dietary requests. They're efficient at clearing up, at times proactively offering to clear finished plates, and quickly cleaning tables when diners leave. Dishes are made to order, but even during peak periods, you'll rarely wait more than 15 minutes. I note they're quick at service recovery, replacing orders without question, and offering apologies. You feel really welcome and valued.
Food at Top Paddock cafe consists of modern American, British, and Australian breakfast cuisine. Dishes feature classic and comforting flavours, made with fresh seasonal ingredients, presented in a beautifully plated and creative manner, like a work of art on the plate. Quality is consistently good, and portion sizes are huge, too much for an individual, but perfect for sharing between 2 people. Unsuprisingly, as one of the pioneers of the 'aesthetically pleasing yet tasty' breakfast / brunch all-day dining scene, their pretty plated dishes are some of the most copied and replicated by other cafes. They set a reasonable and affordable benchmark for cafe prices, budget about AUD $28 / SGD $26 per person for a meal here. Good value for money considering the quality you'll get.
Top Paddock cafe was bought over by The Darling Group in November 2018, who've carried on the philosophy of honest delicious dishes, and conscious practice. There's also been an increase in sustainable efforts beyond locally sourced ingredients; such as removal of plastic drinking straws, using all parts of ingredients to reduce waste, and being the first both in Melbourne and in Australia to have a 'vertical aquaponic urban farm wall' - a fish tank with micro-greens grown on the surface. In many ways, Top Paddock cafe remains a trailblazer in the cafe scene, an influencer of cafe culture.
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| Top Paddock Exterior |
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| Top Paddock Interior |
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| Top Paddock Menu |
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| Counter |
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| Decorative Lights |
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| Water Glass |
The Coffee Flat White (AUD $4.20 / SGD $4) has a thin layer of milk foam / microfoam, with a thick velvety texture, and stronger roasted espresso coffee flavours supported by milky notes. Taste is balanced, and I watched them brew and pour this skillfully.
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| Coffee Flat White (AUD $4.20 / SGD $4) |
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| Coffee Flat White |
The Coffee Long Black (AUD $4.20 / SGD $4) has a thin layer of creama, with a thin watery texture, and robust roasted espresso coffee flavours supported by chocolatey nutty notes. For this cup, they used Catimor coffee beans grown by the Karadykan Estate in Sangameshwar taluka, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India. The taste profile has a hint of fruit at the start, with an earthy sweet finish. On the side is a shot of sparkling water to cleanse the palate, allowing you to savor the full flavour profile.
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| Coffee Long Black (AUD $4.20 / SGD $4) |
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| Coffee Long Black |
A signature dish here, the Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes (AUD $23 / SGD $21.80) is the gold standard for this kind of dish, spawning numerous imitators. It features large, pillowy soft buttermilk and ricotta cheese pancakes / hotcakes with a moist crumbly spongy texture, garnished with fresh seasonal berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry) with bright juicy textures, toasted seeds (sunflower seeds, pine nuts) that lend a crisp crunch, rich creamy smooth airy double whipped cream, thick luscious maple syrup, and edible flowers. Bright flavours of fruity sweet cheesy milky nutty. Looks so pretty on the plate, and tastes so wholesome. The portion size is large, and best shared. I enjoyed this. Highly recommended!
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| Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes (AUD $23 / SGD $21.80) |
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| Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes |
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| Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes |
The Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles (AUD $25 / SGD $23.70) features bamboo charcoal infused buttermilk waffles, crisp outside and fluffy inside, with a bready sweet flavour. Plated over a thick lemon curd with zesty tangy sour flavour, drizzled with rich butterscotch caramel with floral sweet flavour, and garnished with tender juicy caramelised baby pears with fruity sweet flavour, crunchy nutty almond praline, rich creamy smooth airy double whipped cream, and edible flowers. Paired with an additional side of thick and chewy maple syrup infused pork back bacon, which has a bold salty sweet savoury flavour. The contrast of sweet and salty works well here. Love how delicate and enticing it looks on the plate, and it tastes fresh yet decadent. The portion size is large, and best shared. Utterly yummy. Highly recommended!
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| Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles (AUD $25 / SGD $23.70) |
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| Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles |
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| Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles |
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| Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles |
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| Charcoal Buttermilk Waffles |
The Butterbing Cookie Sandwich (AUD $3.60 / SGD $3.40) features 2 pieces of crisp, crunchy chocolate brownie cookies, with a rich filling of creamy vanilla buttercream and crumbly chocolate cookie chunks. With an enticing, robust floral chocolatey sweet flavour, this quick snack is great any time of the day.
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| Butterbing Cookie Sandwich (AUD $3.60 / SGD $3.40) |
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CONVERSATION