1. mr hendricks café, balwyn

brioche french toast with vanilla poached pears, caramel sauce + double cream. this is one seriously thick piece of brioche which has been toasted to perfection – the perfect balance of egginess but with crispiness on the outside. the caramel sauce is sweet and delicious, without being too gluggy or over-reduced. and those pears… OMG – delicious! perfectly poached, sweet and slightly golden. presentation was simple + it may not look like much; but put it all together and the taste was unbelievable. if you’re a french toast fan, then you are missing out until you’ve tried this one.

2. chez dre, south melbourne

brioche french toast with spiced apples, pain d’épices crumb, blueberry gel, caramelized pecans + vanilla mascarpone. pretty as a picture and beautiful complimenting flavours. this dish is not overly sweet like some french toasts + the crunch of the walnuts are divine.

3. hannah, st kilda

brioche french toast with fresh figs + strawberries, cinnamon sauce + pistachios. this weekend special hit the mark in every way! beautiful presentation! the little cup of cinnamon cream in the middle was so cute, and the figs looked so beautiful on the plate! the taste was not overly sweet, but the combination of the beautiful fresh brioche perfectly toasted + the fresh figs and strawberries was outstanding. the crunch of the pistachios was beautiful + the mint (a stroke of genius!) really lifted the dish. and then, for me, the thing to tie it all together: the cinnamon sauce! it was the consistency of a slightly thickened pouring cream, beautifully smooth and creamy, and the taste of the cinnamon was really evident. totally satisfying + enjoyable!

4. hardware societe, melbourne cbd

fried brioche with raspberry cheesecake, pistachio meringue + fresh berries. pink + flirty this brioche with raspberry cheesecake was light + playful. not overly sweet, the cream cheese of the cheesecake added a lovely balance to the meringue. brioche was golden + fluffy and the fresh berries were lovely. a seriously huge serve – attempt this one with a big appetite!

5. chez dre ii, south melbourne i admit to coming back for more than one of these bad babies! 

brioche french toast house made brioche, seasonal fruit + vanilla mascarpone. well balanced – this french toast isn’t drowned in maple syrup and the rhubarb creates an excellent contrast to the crunchy candied nuts and sweet pear.

6. stagger lee’s, fitzroy

coco pop + salted caramel french toast with coco pop cream pat, vanilla ice-cream, salted caramel, honeycomb + raspberry crunch. this was like combining my favourite childhood cereal with my favourite adult breakfast! the toast was crispy and crunchy around the corners, but soft and fluffy on the inside. my favourite part was the crunch of the coco pops and honeycomb. and the dehydrated raspberries added a really intense flavour. the ice-cream wasn’t really necessary, but the coco pop cream pat had a light chocolate undertone to it. 7. gas eatery and supplies, south melbourne

french toast with salted caramel and grilled banana. whilst not the best presentation, this french toast is packed full of sweet goodness. the bread was egged and grilled just perfectly – soft and buttery on the inside – dusted with cinnamon sugar and topped with salted caramel and grilled banana.

needless to say, melbourne is flush with french toast options to suit any sweet tooth out there! enjoy!

p.s. some other notable mentions: Auction Rooms, North Melbourne – brulee french toast Industry Beans, Fitzroy – coconut crusted brioche french toast Loading Dock, Docklands – french toast with caramelized banana