from what i understand this particular spot on the ground floor of number 2 darling street in south yarra has had a few cafes come and go in recent years. but i have a feeling that the latest iteration won’t be going anywhere in a hurry!

opened just last month by the owners of dundas + faussett in albert park, darling café not only has an eye-catching interior – marble front counter with herringbone wall tiles and brass fittings softened by vibrant fresh flowers – but also an enticing menu of classic and contemporary dishes with a focus on quality ingredients. the café is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch from 7am to 4pm.

and this particular morning i was lucky to be joined by a few fellow foodies (foodie melbourne, happiness.is.food, the baroness of melbourne + melbourne popups) for a girls catch-up.

the coffee blend served at darling is well-known five senses – an excellent choice of australian coffee roasters that have been operating since 1999 with a desire to produce quality roasts in partnership with their clients. barista, leo, who has also come across from dundas + faussett, pours an expert latte and flat white.

organic acai bowl with banana, apple, chia seeds, activated caramelised buckinis, coconut flakes + fresh berries

i would more than likely bet on this being australia’s prettiest acai bowl at present! and what a beautiful way to start a Sunday – plenty of health, nutrition + goodness packed into the textured acai blended with mango and covered in an artistic array of ingredients.

veggie breakfast: poached eggs with sautéed kale, avocado, roasted tomato, seasonal mushrooms + kipfler potato

funnily enough we all seemed to have gone with vegetarian options this particular morning (no bacon in sight on this table!). so only fitting to start with a fairly traditional veggie breakfast. the sautéed kale was delicious and the poached eggs were perfectly cooked.

breakfast bruschetta with avocado, mushroom, truss tomato, baby rocket + goats cheese with a poached egg

a variant on the traditional veggie breakfast, this breakfast bruschetta was built up upon some lovely toast to a bed of rocket, and then piled high with creamy mushrooms, juicy roast tomato + a generous serving of avocado and goats cheese. again, the added side of poached egg was gooey and runny.

smashed avocado with bocconcini cheese, truss tomatoes + lemon with a poached egg

in comparison to an avo/feta combo, this avo smash featured a beautifully smooth bocconcini and thick slices of fresh tomato. This was vibrant dish, really clean on the pallet + thankfully gave me no guilt trip about the upcoming donut!

all together it made for a very picturesque table!

throughout our morning we were looked after exceptionally well by waitstaff riley + alex. the service is casual but friendly + professional, however the guys will gladly stop to have a chat if you’re up for it.

i also dare you to try + resist the pastry cabinet on your way to the register – stocking butter bing, doughboys, oregano scrolls + a beautiful array of raw slices… i’ll admit that i left with a few of these in my handbag for later. after all, i did skip the french toast and bacon for breakfast (so restrained of me!)

verdict: just darling!
find: http://www.darlingcafe.com.au/