Galleon Cafe IV

June 27, 2026 

 

   

Well, the Galleon Cafe has endured in a way this blog can still only aspire to. Established in 1984, it's gone two decades longer, changed hands several times, escaped at least one impending closure, and most recently recovered from a neighbourhood fire... all the while being celebrated for its consistency.

I was immediately utterly charmed by it one our first visit, returned a good few times in those early Melbourne years, but trailed off as my inner-north inertia took hold. Now firmly in our middle age and with a Saturday morning free, we were up early enough to cross town for breakfast and still beat the queue! Once again, I was immediately awash with affection for the place - the laminex tables, the community pinboard, and the very vegetarian-friendly menu. (There are no dietary markings and it looks like markedly less for vegans: I spied mushrooms and avocado on pide, and scrambled tofu with mushrooms and spinach on toast.) Almost everything I noted in those early posts remained on the menu: no more bagels but, yes, three kinds of porridge, savoury scones, bubble'n'squeak ($10 in 2007, $17 in 2026), pikelets/pancakes with strawberries and lemon curd ($8.50 in 2008, $18.50 in 2026) and, of course, the dishes we returned to this day.

   

 

For Michael, it was the sweet potato, basil and feta hash ($11.50 in 2007, $18 in 2026), served with a poached egg, wilted spinach, and house made chutney. What once looked enormous on the plate was now arranged upon one side, but it still tasted good and was filling enough.

 

   

 

After umming and ahhing a good while, I went back to the rice pudding ($5.75 in 2008, $9.50 in 2026). It looked even tinier than Michael's meal (have we both grown since 2006?!) but proved to be exactly the right quantity and exactly what I'd wished for: creamy (almost custardy!), topped with plentiful toasted almonds, and concealing a sweet poached-rhubarb base. Just gorgeous.

 

   

 

While the staff remain youthful and energetic (and dressed in the Y2K retro fashions that could have me believing it really was 2006), the clientele seem to have aged along with us. Perhaps the Galleon Cafe is a nostalgia pick but this is still precisely the kind of breakfast and atmosphere I like best now in 2026.

 

   

 

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You can read about one, two, three of our previous visits to the Galleon Cafe. Here's a classic review on the breakfast blog from the same era. (Just barely) more recently, there are positive posts on Eat & Be Merry, The Chommery, KayB's Cakes, The Lazy Afternoon, Millie's Food Symposium and Tales of a Confectionist. 

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Galleon Cafe

9 Carlisle St, St Kilda  

9534 8934 

food, drinks 

instagram

 

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry. The interior is densely packed with regular-height tables and backed chairs. There is a high bench along the window with fixed backless stools. Outdoor seating is also densely arranged, of regular height with backed chairs and benches. There is one narrow unisex toilet. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter.