I came to The Gov on recommendation from a couple of friends who swear by the coffee and the view…read moreand I certainly wasn't disappointed. We decided to visit on a 40'C day and coffee was out of the question but the Daylesford Herpburn Sparkling Mineral Waters were just what the doctor ordered along with a beauiful view overlooking the whole of castlemaine. The menu is very simple but I enjoy only having 8-10 itmes to choose from. Big menus are often overwhelming and when you've got your choices already narrowed down for you but still quite varied it makes it pretty easy to choose. We opted for the fresh schnitzel wraps and should have got one between us. The weather was too hot to eat too much and these wraps were big! The Gov is located inside the Old Castlemaine Gaol and the barista advised us that the cafe is now fully licenced and will be holding live gigs from february 2015. There's lots of little nooks and crannies to seat yourself inside, on the verandah or in the garden with a super chilled out vibe. I'm excited to come back here!

Good cheap and cheerful cafe on a hill overlooking Castlemaine…read more A little rabbit warren of rooms is not immediately apparent when you walk in the front door. They allow groups to have private spaces or, when we were visiting, for kids to play in. The food is decent, the coffee adequate and all appropriately priced. Service was good and the place had a cheerful vibe. Nice to visit.

Yes, the food is great and there are rabbits everywhere. I…read morereally enjoyed Run Rabbit Run. It's more on the casual hip side, perfect edginess that is Castlemaine. I had the Mediterranean veggies with hummus on brioche bread. It was delish and filling. They change their menu often, always offering a fresh fare. It's the perfect café for breakfast, lunch or to pop-in for something sweet. Located a few stores down from the theatre, you can't miss it. Staff were lovely and they have local Harcourt apple juice. What's not to love?

Ok I think I have a new local favourite!! We noticed this joint pop us a few months ago but for…read moresome reason hadn't managed to get there yet. There wasn't a whole lot of options to choose from for lunch on Good Friday in Castlemaine so we found ourselves at Run Rabbit Run and we were not disappointed! There's a choice between sunny outdoor seating on the footpath or dark and moody seating inside. It smells of coffee and delicious 'bad for you' food. They have plenty to choose from on the menu without it being overwhelming. They have an all day breakfast menu and lunch menu that leans towards good ol' American food. We all chose different meals and between the 4 of us we had scrambled eggs (which looked so delicious), an epic looking hotdog, a pulled beef sloppy joe with coleslaw and housemade waffles with cinnamon poached apples. Everyone was over the moon with their meals and speaking from my point of view you NEED to try those waffles! If you've got a spare moment before your food coma sets in take a walk upstairs - it's actually a little art gallery. that used to be the local video store. Now I'm just counting down the days 'til I actually get the chance to go back.

Excellent food and they also grind their decaf on the spot so you're guaranteed real, fresh coffee…read more Their pastries are to die for, absolutely irresistible. Cheers!

Can I give them more stars? Friendly counter staff, good coffee, but hey, it's a bakery and that…read moreis what you come here for. The range of meat pies is simply awesome, the pastries likewise, as are the king size meringues. Never been disappointed in 20 or so visits over the years. My parents live in Castlemaine, and they and my family from California always find something delicious.

A very friendly cafe with quality eats and coffee. Attractive garden often with mothers and young…read morechildren. Popular with the locals.

I thought it was about time I redid my review for Saff's considering it has become my go to cafe…read moreevery weekend, whether just for coffee or a full blown meal. For me, as far as cafes go in Castlemaine, Saff's is the creme de la creme. There are plenty of patrons who think Saff's is the perfect spot for a quiet brunch for 1 and others use it for gatherings of 10+ people. However you choose to dine you are always well catered for. AND THE COFFEEE IS SOOOO GOOD!! If you're after a slightly hip (but not overdone) space with great food, even better coffee and unpretentious staff who'll remember your name and always make you feel welcome, then you absolutely cannot pass this place up.

The service here was very quick even though it was a busy Saturday morning in the holidays. Brunch…read morewas superb, highly recommend:)

Apple Annie's is a quaint little cafe just a short walk from the main street of Castlemaine. The…read moreprices are bit high but you're paying for quality and the pies are delicious and gourmet and coffees are really great! I've only ever got take-aways from here but I'll be sure to take a seat next time I'm around and review again.

Pannini is a good little cafe for small bites and on the run grub. They do some gourmet focaccias,…read morefresh juices, hot coffees and tasty sweets. You can definitely eat-in though if that's what you prefer. I even noticed on the weekend that they have a bar with a small selection of wines and spirits. It's not a wonder of Castlemaine but it's certainly not bad at all.

This place is excellent authentic Italian. The only trouble you will have is getting a place in the…read morevery cozy cafe restaurant

Okay but menu choices not well thought out. Bring back your delicious pasties would be a good…read morestart. Coffee nice. Service friendly but waited ages for food. Nice decor and atmosphere but food flavour and quality let them down badly. Pork sliders spicy hot but bland in flavour and coleslaw dry lacking dressing. Falafels very grainy and dry with a spicy sweet sour sauce that came with no rice??? Curry beef rangdan nothing special. Disappointed compared to previously enjoyed visits.

If I could give a zero, I would. I was here yesterday with my partner (we're both female) and a…read morefriend, and the staff were extremely rude. We ordered some coffees, specifically requesting soy milk. No worries, happy to pay extra for it, whatever. When the coffees arrived, the person serving them was extremely short with us. They then returned to the kitchen (which can be seen from the table we were sitting at), and proceeded to physically POINT at us while in conversation with another staff member. The other staff member then visibly rolled her eyes. I'm not sure whether it was because we specifically checked to make sure soy milk was used (sorry for being lactose intolerant, I guess?), but I would definitely prefer to think it was that over the alternative, which is that the staff were discriminating against us based on our relationship. If it was the fact we're lesbians, frankly I am disgusted. It's 2017. Do better.