i always think its risky combining a store with a cafe – sometimes the array of gift and homeware don’t quite hit the mark… and sometimes the food is less than ordinary.

not the case for the cafe (pod) @ pid (post industrial design) on barkly st in footscray. their display of homewares, gifts, artwork + accessories are delightful! especially at the moment, with their gorgeous christmas ornaments and christmas gift ideas. i will happily admit to picking up a few for my christmas gift list (for which i’m now proudly about 80% there – yay go me, and no last minute panic shopping for me this year!)

the cafe (pod), which adjoins the store is a lovely laid back space. there are also a few seats kerb-side, and you may have a short wait on a weekend. the wait staff are really friendly and accommodating + service was pretty efficient despite the cafe being full when we arrived.

my favourite thing about the cafe is the coffee they serve, and regularly stop in just for a takeaway latte. niccolo coffee. originating from italy, the beans are now locally roasted here in melbourne and are seriously delicious! it is a really smooth blend, very creamy + pleasant on the palate.

and this is what my husband orders whenever there is no apple juice available. (note to cafes, not everyone 1. drinks coffee 2. drinks oj). anyway, he was happy with milk.

the menu changes pretty regularly between seasons, with heartier warm dishes having been replaced with lighter colder options for the summer.

once again, my husband ordered:

poached eggs + bacon (he wasn’t in the adventurous mood)… i keep telling him to start a blog just comparing poached eggs + bacon from around the world – he’d be considered an expert by now! 😉

unfortunately this one won’t be making it into his top 10 list. whilst the eggs were perfectly poached, he’s not a fan of the bacon steak (we had a similar experience at auction rooms). this piece was at least a much more generous serving size, but again its a much fattier cut + i guess sometimes the traditional bacon is more what you’d expect for an aussie bacon + egg breaky. still, if you happen to like bacon steak – then this is a great breakfast option for you!

vanilla rice pudding with poached fruits + pistachio nuts
this was a delicious, creamy cold pudding – perfect for summer. i was in sweet-breakfast heaven! topped with poached rhubarb + the crunch of the pistachios, it was perfectly balanced, light + refreshing.

hard to believe that this lovely place has only been open coming up on one year (on 19 december)… efficient service, great coffee + certainly seems to have attracted the locals. and i definitely recommend a wander around pid – it is a gorgeous store + i bet you will find it hard to leave without picking up a thing or two!

verdict: a great combination: beautiful gifts + homewares + great coffee
find: http://postindustrialdesign.com.au/