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    Monarch Cake Shop

    3.9 (21 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Monarch Cake Shop Photos

    MONARCH CAKE SHOP ATMOSPHERE

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    I've been going to Monarch Cakes since I was a boy. It produced wonderment and joy in me then, and still does to this day. It is a family-owned business and that makes all the difference. These people REALLY care about the quality and reputation of their work. One taste will confirm that it has been made with love. So much has, sadly, been changed about St. Kilda and much of its unique spirit killed to enrich developers. But, Monarch Cakes still stands as the last bastion of St. Kilda's little Europe. Nikki and her dad Gideon are superb hosts and make everyone feel welcome. You can see their pride, joy and love for their product on their faces. I have travelled all over the world, but never, even in L.A and New York tasted a cheesecake more delicious than theirs, which is based on a Polish recipe over 100 years old. Another delight is their lemon tart, but be warned it can be addictive. I was only there, again, days ago and sat at a small table looking out at the people walking by. I felt lost in time to another era, when it was a simpler, slower world where people did the right thing. I sipped my hot chocolate and slowly ate my cheesecake and felt time was somehow suspended. In that cozy memory-filled interior I somehow felt safe. Welcomed. And home.

    Tim C.

    Easily the most authentic feeling cake shop on the strip. The interior is original and gives a taste of what it was in the 30's. Cheesecake and kugelhoupf the top picks

    Apple crumble
    Sandy L.

    It's one of those bakery cafes that doesn't stand out, but serves sincere and great pastry and cakes with nice coffees. Enjoyed their traditional best cheesecake (light and cakey texture with a hint of fresh lemon), apple crumbles, cherry crumbles and poppy seed cake.

    Stephanie W.

    One of the famous cake shops on Acland st in St Kilda, Monarch cake shop offers some of the finest coffee, pastries and desserts you will find. In comparison to the other cake shops on the street, the window dispay is not quite as awe inspiring, but the offerings are great and are definitely worth a go. Monarch cakes is most specifically known for their chocolate kuglehopf, which is a melt in your mouth piece of heaven. How to describe it? Well, its a dense cake that to me is right between a cake and a pastry, with flaky pieces that ooze a rich chocolate at every fold. It is a european dessert, that the French claim as their own, though legend has it that Marie Antoinette brought the recipe with her. In addition to this, there are many, MANY ,more selections, most notably the large array of gluten free offerings, which I know can be hard to find for our intolerant friends. Wash it all down with a latte and I think theres no better way to treat yourself!

    Tried chocolate kugelhoupf. It tasted bland like cocoa powder with flour and slightly sweetened. Was not that good and I have a pretty low bar. But service was good. They charge by weight which was convenient.

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    2 years ago

    The cheesecake and lemon tart were delicious, but the woman at the counter wasn't particularly friendly. Maybe she's tired of tourists?

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    14 years ago

    Best coffee on the strip at st Kilda. Good looking cakes too, all served by authentic hipsters (with caps and moustaches and everything)

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    Review Highlights - Monarch Cake Shop

    Just before we left we got the classic Carmel Slice, Cherry Crumble and Sacher Torte (Slice) to go.

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    Market Lane Coffee - Latte

    Market Lane Coffee

    4.0(45 reviews)
    2.8 kmSouth Yarra
    $

    Market Land Coffee, we all know their coffee is impeccable..though I could without the sass from…read moreCustomer Service Rep at the counter and a less confusing bin situation. Unless there is a crisis of some sort I always order and have for some time ordered a 'double ristretto soy latte' yes this this sounds obnoxious and like I'm an absolute yuppie, but ristretto tastes better- seriously try it. Anyway, I asked for this at the busy counter, people behind me, it was hectic and everyone seemed to be in a hurry. The gentleman questions my order, not what it is as is usually the case, rather he recommended I not have the extra shot nor ristretto as their mix is strong. I advised him I was aware and it was fine and he questioned this, we then entered into a very passive aggressive conversation about whether I could handle the strength. Feeling uncomfortable holding up the line I just asked him to give me what he thought was best, I was very frustrated- I hadn't had my morning coffee. Seeking a boost of sugar which I never put into my ristretto but this bland weak latte needed, I made my way over to the table of lids, spoons, sugar etc. very confusing indeed was the storage of the dirty and clean spoons! The clean spoons (stirring stick) are in a bin shaped ceramic thing and the dirty spoons are in a matching ceramic cup, with the dirty ends down- you know I picked the wrong container. Gross. I don't know. It was actually a very upsetting time. Okay, arguably they have the best beans but does this mean they can skimp on service?

    There's a smell that accompanies a good coffee shop. I'm sure it has something to do with the…read morein-house roasting, but I'd rather think it's due to the scent of pride the barristas emanate knowing that their coffee is about to rock your world. Either way, Market Lane is rich with just that smell. And wouldn't you know it, it's amazing. They source it, they roast it, and they go to painstakingly coffee-nerdish lengths to serve you a fantastic cup of coffee. They'll even teach you how to do it yourself if you're around on a Thursday morning at 10am, which I happened to be. Grab a seat at the communal table and enjoy. Then be upset that you don't wake up next door to the Prahran Market every morning.

    Photos
    Market Lane Coffee - Latte

    Latte

    Market Lane Coffee - Boutique Coffee

    Boutique Coffee

    Market Lane Coffee

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    Miss Jackson

    Miss Jackson

    4.3(70 reviews)
    0.9 kmSt Kilda
    $$

    Brunch is always better with a side of banter, and you can be guaranteed plenty when you visit Miss…read moreJackson. Steve and Matt (the faces you will see on most visits) are hilarious and encapsulate good service - they're friendly, accommodating, and take an interest in their regular customers. This alone is worth visiting Miss Jackson for, but throw in their great menu and you'd be crazy not to put this place on your list of regular brunch haunts. Breakfast covers a lot of the usual suspects - but the winner is the corn cakes with bacon, avo and chilli jam, accompanied by a strong Allpress coffee to wash it down. The corned beef sandwich with pickles makes for a sturdy lunch and the home made slices and muffins are a great afternoon pick me up. A rotating specials menu offers seasonal variety - recently; a panfried garfish with a panzanella salad got two out of two thumbs up. Sit outside if you fancy some sun, at the large communal tables if you want to read the papers, or in the back room if you're after discretion. Either way, you won't be sorry.

    Being lactose intolerant and hating Soy milk is a bit of a pain but Bon Soy teamed with delicious…read morecoffee makes Miss Jackson a delicious go-to breakfast place! We ordered 4 meals and 6 coffees =$95. 2 Spanish eggs which had changed from the last time we came here, a serving of the pot set avocado and goat chèvre, pumpkin bread with cured salmon, and I had the lamb and quinoa salad + extra poached egg (the egg makes the meal a breakfast right?) which was a bit skimp with the lamb but still tasty. Definitely one of my fave places for a fab coffee in St Kilda!

    Photos
    Miss Jackson
    Miss Jackson
    Miss Jackson

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    The Final Step - The Final Step Coffee Shop - Coffee with a Conscious

    The Final Step

    4.4(10 reviews)
    3.4 kmSouth Yarra
    $$

    Great tasting coffee! Space is not big, but there's enough seating to hide in the shade - in fact,…read morethey have a few little benches outside on the sidewalk, very DIY - I like it! And best of all, all you lovers of cold drip brewed coffee, make a note to visit this place! Plus, the staff is awesome - friendly, easy going (wait, could I be in the north part of town, lol) ... and they are there to give you the best coffee experience!

    The New Zealand style flat white at the Final Step was my first introduction to Australian coffee…read more When my husband was offered a job in Oz three years ago we were living in Paris (where contrary to popular belief, the coffee is dreadful, undrinkable swill), and whenever we asked any of our expat Aussie friends about the pros and cons of Oz they kept talking about one thing: It wasn't kangaroos, and beaches, and bikinis, and Ugg boots, and beer. No, it was coffee. "The coffee is amazing!", they'd crow. "Out of this world". "WE ARE KINGS OF COFFEE"! I was dubious. I'd lived in Portland Oregon, land of Stumptown beans and tatted baristas and pour overs so I was like, "whatevs people. It can't be that good". I was wrong. I discovered The Final Step a few weeks after we arrived here. The coffee was a revelation: Rich and complex and marvelous. Ben, the owner was awesome and welcoming and really made us feel at home in our new city. We don't live in South Yarra anymore but I still pop in at least once a month for an NZ and one of Angie's yummy cakes. A warm, friendly place with great bevvies and tasty sweet stuff. Yes please.

    Photos
    The Final Step - The Baked Goodies

    The Baked Goodies

    The Final Step - Project wall... 100% of TFS profits are going towards the Social Opportunity Group and their project "food for thought".

    Project wall... 100% of TFS profits are going towards the Social Opportunity Group and their project "food for thought".

    The Final Step - Cappuccino & Takeaway Goodies

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    Cappuccino & Takeaway Goodies

    Fourth Chapter - Strawberry Oreo's - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan. Photo from website

    Fourth Chapter

    4.2(14 reviews)
    2.6 kmPrahran
    $$

    Summary: Clearly one of the best breakfast and brunch places in Melbourne. Super classy. Lovely…read morespace with terrific inside and outside areas. Good menu here with excellent healthy and not so healthy dishes available depending on your inclination. Superior coffee served here as well. Great place. Highly recommended. Review The class starts here at the front door. Wait til you see it. It's amazing. It leads to a stunning space inside. The space has high ceilings and stark white walls. There's beautiful greenery throughout the cafe with a number of oversized hanging baskets with cascading philodendrons. It's a lovely look and it doesn't stop there. There's a wonderful courtyard out the back as well. It was a stunning spot on a sunny day like today. There's several nice areas out there. The one I'd go for would be on the side bench with a view through to the adjacent park. It looked amazing. I started today with a silky long black. They serve mighty coffee here. Superior beans are used and the brew is expertly made. We started our meal with cauliflower fries which were simply amazing. They were piping hot with a lovely peppery flavour that we both really enjoyed. I love cauliflower but would never have believed it could taste this good. The fries were incredible. We shared two main dishes. Both were excellent and both were large. The first was a pumpkin salad with kale. It's a great dish for sharing. The pumpkin is creamy and superbly cooked. The dish includes finely chopped kale, chopped almonds, avocado and sesame seeds among other things. We loved it. It's very tasty with great textures. Similarly, the southern fried chicken bao is a cracking dish. The chicken is gorgeous. It's so tender and clearly good quality meat. Add lovely pickled cabbage, sriracha aoli and chilli and lime cashews wrapped in a thrillingly soft bao and you've got a real winning dish. It was fantastic. My partner finished with a flat white which had some very cute coffee art. Like me, she declared the coffee to be superb. We were so impressed with Fourth Chapter. As I said in the summary above, this is clearly up there with the very best breakfast and brunch places in Melbourne. Our sincere thanks to Costa for the kind invitation to dine here today. Our thanks too to his excellent staff.

    The ornate white front door can tell a story of its own, having remained through at least the last…read morethree tenancies, however the star of this story is owner Sarah Jane Whitfield and her fourth cafe. In partnership with her chef sister Jessica, Fourth Chapter has begun. Upon passing through the door there is an immediate feeling of home, but not your home, someone else's grand home that you wish you had. The high ceiling, white painted walls, light timber furnishings and an array of hanging basket plants provide a bright, clean atmosphere with a light touch of modernism. There is also an element of colour theming with yellow and white cups and plates. Seating is limited, which adds to the cosy vibe, with a handful of small tables, front window bar seating and a large group table in the middle. A small courtyard out the back provides some more small tables and a bench overlooking the neighbouring Victoria Gardens. The food menu is extensive with all day breakfast and lunch after 11am. There is a balanced mix of both healthy and slightly less healthy, treaty choices with a number of vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free options. Highlights include the acai bowl with optional whey protein, smashed avocado with pesto and saganaki, beetroot and cheddar waffles, sweet potato nachos, southern fried chicken baos and pulled beef brisket cheeseburger. The southern fried chicken baos with pickled cabbage and sriracha aioli are simple perfection with a well balanced mix of crunch, tang and spice. Coffee is by Niccolo with a blend and single origin available with soy, almond or coconut milk. Golden, matcha and Prana Chai lattes are also on offer. Tea is a selection from Mayde along with a range of smoothies and kombucha. For something different and artistic, there is the Sisko hot chocolate - a sphere of chocolate that melts as you pour hot chocolate over it to reveal a marshmallow inside. Fourth Chapter is off to a strong start and is one to watch as the story continues to be written.

    Photos
    Fourth Chapter - Cheerful yellow dishes at Fourth Chapter. Photo from website

    Cheerful yellow dishes at Fourth Chapter. Photo from website

    Fourth Chapter - The Bowl with Pumpkin, Poached Egg, Pickled Cabbage, Mushrooms, Brown Rice, Avocado, Tomatoes, Kale, & Hummus. Photo from website

    The Bowl with Pumpkin, Poached Egg, Pickled Cabbage, Mushrooms, Brown Rice, Avocado, Tomatoes, Kale, & Hummus. Photo from website

    Fourth Chapter - All day breakfast menu. Photo from website

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    All day breakfast menu. Photo from website

    Monarch Cake Shop - bakeries - Updated May 2026

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