Cafe Lua

Update 27/1/2019: Cafe Lua has permanently closed.

Somehow, without us really noticing, the cafe on the corner of Elgin and Drummond Streets in Carlton has transformed itself from one of Carlton's many uninspiring eateries to a friendly cafe with a brilliant menu and excellent coffee. Welcome Cafe Lua! I think they've been going for a while but it was only recently that I bothered to read the menu on my way past. Cindy and I stopped in on a Thursday morning to find them doing a brisk trade in both takeaway coffees and late-starting breakfasters like us.

The menu is brilliant - lots of interesting ideas like pumpkin and chia seed pancakes with yoghurt, lentil and spinach salad ($13.50), quinoa, broccolini and asparagus salad ($13.50) and house-baked olive bread with baba ganoush, tomato, basil and goat's cheese ($13.50). Plenty of things for us to come back to try.

I was feeling like a healthy brekkie, so I took advantage of the vegan, gluten-free quinoa porridge (organic quinoa and soymilk porridge with chia seeds, fresh strawberries, granny smith apples with hazelnuts: $12.50).

This was an excellent meal, generous amounts of fruit, a little side-bowl of hazelnuts (not pictured) and a great porridgey mix of quinoa and seeds. Delicious.

Cindy went savoury, with the grilled haloumi and cherry tomato on cashew-pesto toast served with dressed rocket ($11).

Another success - thick and perfectly fried haloumi chunks on toast smeared with excellent pesto. If anything the toast was a bit too chewy, but that's a minor issue when everything else worked so well.

Throw in friendly service, good coffee and a location mere blocks from our house, and Cafe Lua has moved right onto our list of local favourites. We'll be back!

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Cafe Lua
Cnr Elgin and Drummond Streets, Carlton
9348 1118
veg dishes $6 - $15
http://www.cafelua.com

Accessibility: There's no step as you come in and the cafe is spacious and well-lit. Ordering takes place at the table, with payment at a lowish counter. We didn't check out the toilets.