The food was beautifully presented and the space was warm. The service was great and friendly. I ordered the cookies n creme smash Oreos sliders and I just couldn't love it. There was really just one note, just sweet. It's creme in a donut style bun and on a plate of bananas, figs, honey comb, caramel, honey, pistachio, edible flowers. But there was no balance just sweet on sweet on sweet. Fearing this I ordered smoked salmon just to have a bit of salt. The dish was visually amazing but it was hard to eat and I couldn't finish it. I love the idea but just needed something. Even if the pistachios were salted that would have helped. I get what these guys are trying to do but it just want for me. read more

Left Field - Cafes Near Me - Carnegie, VIC

A new cafe opens in Melbourne nearly every month but are usually concentrated around the city and surrounding suburbs. The newest opening comes from the team behind powerhouse cafes Short Straw, Touchwood and Tall Timber and resides in dreamy Carnegie. Located on an street corner in a mostly residential area, Left Field brings it to life with good quality food and coffee and accompanying crowds. It actually took two attempts in the weekend after opening to get a table. Left Field takes on one of the signature design trends of white walls, light timber and exposed light bulbs which offers a clean, open and modern atmosphere. A dark-toned tile mosaic behind the counter area and a scattering of potted plants throughout the cafe add a touch of colour. Seating is a mixture of small tables and booths inside and the same outside along the length of the white painted brick exterior. The food menu, as the name might suggest, is a little left field with Middle Eastern influences. Highlights include the Smashed peas bruschetta, Beetroot cured ocean trout and the Supergreen tacos. The braised Moroccan lamb shoulder with pistachio, cranberry and quinoa tabouleh, feta, green chermoulah dressing and garlic yoghurt. Presentation was a little surprisingly with fine dining-like styling. The lamb shoulder was tender and juicy with an exciting flavour combination provided by the rubbed spices and the fruity tabouleh. Gluten free, dairy free and nut-containing dishes are highlighted for those with dietary requirements. Coffee is from Niccolo with a blend and single origin espresso and filter options. Soy and almond milk is available. There is also a range of teas, soft drinks and cold pressed juices. Service is like clockwork, especially during the busy opening period. Left Field brings a touch of the city cafe culture to the outer south eastern suburbs and is sure to be a local favourite. read more

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Left Field has taken Carnegie by storm. Opening it's doors in early May 2016, Left Field is booming on a daily basis with waiting times up to 45 minutes for a table. The owners of Left Field also have other hit cafe's such as Tall Timber, Touchwood, Rustica Canteen, Marquis of Lorne, Homeslice Pizza and Short Straw. Having a burger on the menu for lunch and another dessert style burger for breakfast, I thought I would order both as they both sounded ridiculously good on the menu. This pulled pork burger is 'as the name suggests' completely left field. The top layer was cold and saucy, while the bottom layer was hot and juicy, not something you will find anywhere else. The pulled pork was mouthwatering and was the star of this burger. A little too much lime in the slaw on this occasion and maybe a bit too much mayo. Overall the elements were there for very tasty burger. Coriander isn't for everyone, but I think with the other ingredients - it goes well. Dessert - Cookies and Cream donut sliders with smashed oroes, salted caramel, banana, honeycomb, figs and pistachios. Sounds good, tastes good! This comes as a whole dish which is a meal in itself, but if you are lucky and your friend orders this dish, you can share the burger, then share this after. It was awesome! read more

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Super disappointed with our meals today. Hasn't eaten there before but was keen to give it a try as it always looks busy. All three of us found our meals to be bland, completely lacking in flavour. We won't be back read more

I totally get why Left Field is on the Top Places to go for brunch in Timeout, Broadsheet and food blogs. I also understand why my school classmate was willing to cat catch an uber there (40 bucks) and even a train that was very delayed here. There is ample free parking on the street on the weekend. The cafe itself has lots of tables both indoors and outdoors. There were a couple of people who had brought their dogs along. The staff are very friendly. I arrived at around 12.18pm and was told a 20-25 minutes wait but on this chilly windy Jan afternoon, I was promptly seated within 6 minutes at a large table in the back. My friend arrived with 10 minutes. We ordered our drinks - I got the cacao drink which they happily altered to add in an espresso shot (so total $6 instead of $5) and made it with normal milk instead of soy milk as it would curdle due to me asking for my drink to be extra hot. The drink tasted like a dirty spiced chai with hints of cacao. Delicious and very satisfying. My friend got an english breakfast and the other one got an espresso. For our meals, everything looked good on the menu so we decided to share. I got the sauteed asparagus with broccolini, lots of almonds, big chunks of feta, two poached eggs, a thick quinoa toast, pesto, and some sweet potato hommus. My friend got the morrocan lamb with fried eggs, cauliflower, peas, tahini, yoghurt and cumin. The serving sizes are massive for the price you pay (ranging from 18-20 dollars - very very affordable and value for money). As we were sharing our meals, we split our meals into half, and transferred meals onto each other's plates. I'm not sure what I was tasting by the end as my plate looked like a big mess but it was all delicious. The quinoa toast is crunchy, soft, seedy and flavoursome. The morrocan lamb was tender. I am in love with sauteed greens now. The feta was soft but still held its shape and really large sizes. Ooh yes we got such a massive helping of avocado. My other friend ordered the donut sliders which were two small brioche burgers (or sliders) with cookies and cream whip inside. Again very very delicious and despite being uber-ly full we happily slid them into our mouths. We spent 2.5 hours there and were not rushed out by the staff that gave us enough time to eat our meals and were very attentive. Would definitely go back despite the trek! :) read more

As poor a level of service as I have experienced in Melbourne. On each visit, whether it be for a take away coffee, or to sit in the common thread has been that staff are rude and unfriendly, with very little concern for customers. Menu is extensive, with options to cater many different tastes, although sometimes it feels like they are trying too hard to be different. Prices higher than most other cafes. read more

Delicious and great size brekky! Went there with a girlfriend a few weeks ago. Decent size given the price. The place is almost perfect, great service and food. The only negative is we were politely prompted to the counter for payment by the waiter after we declined more coffee after our meals which made us feel like we were being ushered out politely. They were busy but we had spent a decent amount on food and drink so it didn't sit right. I'll still be back! read more

Fantastic food and service for a decent price. Also dog friendly. Sometimes there's a wait to get in, but I think it's worth it.

Left Field recently open their doors in early May this year and has been popular ever since. The locals are pretty enthusiast with the new cafe offering breakfast and lunch from the famous owner (Tall Timber, Touchwood, Rustica Canteen, Marquis of Lorne, Short Straw and Homeslice Pizza). the hype is real and it's good read more

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Loved the food, more than ample portions with amazing flavour and variety. Staff not the friendliest, but alas food made up for it. Open bright and airy. Would definitely visit again read more

This location used to house a small Indian restaurant that was old fashioned with fantastic food. Fast forward to Left Field, updated inside and out. The reviews were good however mentioned long waiting periods to be seated and today was no different. A sunny, cold public holiday Monday in June and we were told the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour for an inside table. We were not dressed for outdoor eating and there were no heaters outside but were advised the wait for an outdoor able would be far less. 15 minutes later we were seated outside, out of the wind thankfully. We were able to get some blankets from patrons leaving a table nearby so were a little warmer. Coffee was supplied very quickly and our meal orders taken when the rest of the table arrived. What can I say? Well the food for me was extraordinary. The flavours they put together were amazing. Having seen the menu before I dined I thought there wasn't much I would enjoy - some of the ingredients in the dishes did not make sense to me. I was wrong. The presentation was amazing and the price better than some other cafes with food no where near the quality! I had the Sautéed Portabello mushrooms on quinoa toast with pesto, goats cheese, hummus, crispy kale dukkah and poached egg! Yum!! Staff, well what can I say - you were all wonderful. Friendly, warm and with good humour. Thanks! We will be back - maybe during the week! Well done Left Field! read more

Came here midweek with my little baby in the pram. Still busy and hasn't settled down too much. Still had to wait abit 15mins for a table inside but happy to wait. We were greeted with a smile from everyone we dealt with and service was great. Food came out in good time. The menu was amazing and so hard to choose. Although I'm sure all the dishes are very different there were about 3 or 4 that sounded very similar. I went with the smashed peas and soooo glad I did. It was amazing I wasn't sure where to start with it. They were very accommodating with the pram. I can't wait to return with the hubby on a weekend. read more

It is 12.15 pm on a wintery Thursday in Carnegie. Great opportunity to visit the new cafe, Left Field in Koornang Road.It is heaving and told very politely that there will be a 30 minute wait for a table.l spend the next half hour sipping on a great coffee admiring all the delicious plates coming out. It all looks fantastic. Finally get a table and order the pulled lamb salad. It was so good and have to rate as one of the best ever cafe meals. Well done to all involved. read more

Waited 20min for a table. They ran out of what my wife wanted (which is fine), so she chose something else but asked for a scrambled egg instead of poached as advertised. They refused to do it! I ordered lamb shank, which was char grilled. More like charcoal! I sent it back. Waitress didn't seem to give a shit. When paying for my coffee, I was asked by another waitress "how was everything?" I replied "not great, we didn't end up eating anything". I'm guessing she didn't hear me, or wasn't interested cause all I got was "ok, have a nice day!" Really disappointing. read more

Delighted with food choices & speedy, friendly service. Can see this cafe becoming a regular haunt.

Excellent coffee and delicious food - especially the pastries. The staff are super friendly and efficient. Always busy and often there are queues, so we prefer to take away. read more

Love this place, but for the life of me, a HOT coffee for once!!? I ask everyday for a second hot one, and I get it, but the next day the first is warm at best again? read more

I don't want to seem harsh, after all it was our choice to wait in the cold..for nearly an hour! Finally after we uttered some WTH words softly to the waitress we were allowed inside! She had been calling into the street for five minutes to get whoever to answer and come inside! Then she vanished. Seriously if you are taking on the door person job, sort out the patient freezing patrons and if they are present, let them in!!!! My next beef is , there was a table for 2 being used for cutlery, etc for staff!! Really!!and all we kept looking at was that table...if only the owners could have sorted out a different means of acquiring needed things, like cutlery, serviettes etc whatever ?? The food...delicious porridge, delicious smashed av etc. Coffee was good too....if only that was offered during our outdoorsie wait! Hospitality is sometimes missing even from our most experienced owners....I will be back for another try. read more