I hadn't really seen this one before, despite it being located in one of my favourite parts of Melbourne. Probably because I tend not too travel too far down the side streets. However, this coffee shop certainly had quite a lot of character about it, probably because of all the greenery that was inside, and also the really friendly staff here as well. I ended up grabbing a pot of tea, and I have to admit that it was pretty good pot of tea as well. Mind you, it was pretty packed when I was here, or at least packed in a way that one would expect in the days of Covid. Yeah, I really did like this place and would love to return sometime in the future. read more

See all

4.2 Classy well run place that I've been keen to visit for ages. I wasn't quite ready for how spacious it is. It's a huge place that seems to go on forever out the back. It's beautifully fitted out throughout and is lovely and stylish in every way. A most impressive space. The menu is nicely balanced. Not too many choices which I usually like. My companion and I had one of the Bloody Marys before we chose a breakfast. While these took a while to come out they were well worth the wait and were lovely and appropriately spicy. We both chose the salmon rillette for our main after an informative conversation with the manager. This is a really lovely dish. It's beautifully presented and has a deep tasting rillette on quality bread together with lovely salmon roe, nice greens, chopped avocado and radish. We both thought it was a top quality dish. We had a beautiful coffee to finish. My long black was silky and gorgeous with superb length. We had a variety of servers today. They were all lovely and efficient with the small exception of the delayed Bloody Mary at the start. This is a very good cafe. It deserves its lofty rating. read more

See all

Bright and airy, I was greeted with a smile at the door, given options about where to sit and before I knew it was settled with a carafe of water. White painted brick walls, black beams, high ceilings and polished concrete floors the large, surprisingly long room has a sophisticated modern feel. The indoor plants soften the space which coupled with sky lights, large windows and modern lighting give the room a warm golden glow - even on an overcast Melbourne winter's day. Staff are friendly and informative. With so many interesting dishes I was finding it hard to decide, eventually I went with one of the specials - ordering the Potato croquettes. With food ordered I relaxed with a short macchiato. Coffee was just the right temperature, but a tad bitter, beans seemed over roasted. A good half an hour after finishing my cup, I was getting nervous, anxious .. had they forgotten about me? My order lost? The waiter must of read it on my face and assured me that my meal was on it's way. When it did arrive the dish looked and tasted fantastic. Green peas were fresh, rocket peppery and the single oversized croquette crunchy, with a silky smooth heart. The high lipped bowl, combined with my low bench seat made it tricky to cut the eggs, however the yoke was in no hurry as it slowly oozed out and melded with the finely grated parmesan .. Very enjoyable. Overall this place has a lot of potential, plus I imagine there are a plenty of other tasty dishes on the menu. However with disappointing coffee and a sizeable wait for my food AU 79 - the periodic symbol for gold, needs a polish. Music - ambient beats, perfect volume to fill in the space but also allow conversation. Note. They must of spent some money on the sound system as the sound was crisp with plenty of bass. Newspapers - yes, but only The Australian and the Herald Sun. Rupert would be proud read more

Au79 - Potato croquette special - Cafes Near Me - Abbotsford, VIC

See all

Au79 is a really nice, open and spacious cafe! There was a small line at the door when we arrived, but we got seated pretty quickly. We ordered Au79 burger and the market fish for lunch. Both tasted really good, fresh and the burger was a such a generous portion! The only let down for me was my cappuccino. It was a bit cold and weak. Other than that, the service was great and I am keen to try other things on the menu! read more

See all

Gold. The oldest precious metal and commonly associated with top, premium quality wares. Melbourne's newest cafe applies this premise to coffee and food under the banner of "good as gold". Meet Au79. Over a year in the making, this former Abbotsford mechanics workshop has been completely transformed and is now home to not just a cafe but also a roastery, bakery and patisserie. Brought to us by the team behind Sir Charles, Addict, Prospect Espresso, Liar Liar and other solid Melbourne institutions, elements from each of these cafes trickle through and combine to form something quite extravagant. Seating over 200 patrons, the cafe is certainly not on the small scale. The cafe is divided into three dining areas separated by the kitchen and roastery, with the cafe proper at the front. The interior features clean black and white as the underlying colour scheme with light timber furnishings and splashes of marble, pink and, of course, gold trimmings. On top of all of these elements is a mass of greenery. Big leafy pot plants, hanging baskets and wall plants, there's no shortage of nature. Lighting is plentiful with large windows, skylights and individual table spotlight. Seating is a mixture of small tables, booths and some large communal tables, The food menu is just as extravagant and is mostly breakfast dishes with just five, but five strong lunch dishes. The dishes have a mixed cuisine with some creative takes on the usual breakfast suspects, such as the truffled croquette madame, the bircher muesli and the roasted cauliflower smash, plus some Japanese influenced dishes such as the okonomiyaki and the confit duck bao burger. It is quite unusual for an okonomiyaki to feature on a breakfast menu, but Au79 nails it with the addition of eggplant katsu, yuzu mayo, herbed daikon salad and sweet potato crisps. The result is a well balanced combination of savoury, creamy and sweet elements. The confit duck bao burger also hits the spot with crispy fried and juicy duck combined with a touch of spice from some ssamjang mayo. For the sweet tooths, the Belgian waffle balls with passionfruit cream, banana compote, fresh pineapple, banana crumb and pandan ice cream will definitely excite. Coffee is naturally on point with a range of espresso and filter options straight from the very visible roaster. The coffee will progressively roll out to all the sister cafes. Hot chocolate from Mork, Prana chai, turmeric almond lattes and matcha lattes are on offer along with a selection of herbal, Chinese and Nepalese teas. Also available is a range of juices, cold press fixers, milkshakes and smoothies. A return visit is needed to sample the intriguing coffee cherry cascara which also features. Au79, the chemical element and number for gold, provides liquid and edible gold and brings a new level to not just Abbotsford, but the Melbourne cafe culture. read more

See all

Like striking a gold mine! Food was exceptional and colourful, not just your standard Melbourne cafe menu. Coffee was great and creamy. Staff could use a little sprucing up. Yes it's a big venue and often busy, but service shouldn't go down because of that. The decor is amazing and brings a calming presence. Don't let the line out the door detract you, it's definitely worth it! read more

Au79 - Cafes Near Me - Abbotsford, VIC

See all

Seriously my favourite cafe in Melbourne. Loved the aesthetics of it, loved the food! I went during a weekday and they didn't have alcohol, not sure if this is just ok weekdays or on weekends too. Still a great brunch spot read more

This place is a little food gem. It took a little time to find its feet, but find now it's well worth a visit. Great food - and Melbourne standards are high. Beautiful presentation, perfect portion sizes and fantastic, knowledgeable staff. Try it. You'll thank me (and I'm not related to anyone working there). read more

Don't go here if you have allergies. Food was nice, but I ordered a meal that had an egg on it. I emphasised that I was allergic to egg and that I'd like the meal without it. They said yes, but when I received the meal, there was still an egg. I brought this to their attention and they just scraped it off and brought the meal back to me. I feel bad, because I had to ask them to take it back and remake the meal completely. That's just not how life-threatening allergies work. For people working in the food industry, that's unacceptable. I think it's actually against the law. I didn't feel safe eating there at all. Two stars are for the cool atmosphere read more