To look at, Workshop Brothers’ light-filled Southbank venue occupies that sweet spot between a sharp cafe and a casual, upmarket restaurant. As you enter, you’ll spot art deco flourishes throughout, from elegant pendant lighting to chequered floorboards. And whether you sit at one of the sleek tables or the bench overlooking the courtyard outside, a series of artworks depicting a woman’s face (drawn in the continuous line style) gazes upon you from the enormous feature wall.
On the menu, it’s familiar brunch fare alongside showier options with an Asian influence. Signatures include the slow-cooked beef cheeks topped with sriracha-spiked hollandaise, served with poached eggs, Asian herbs, pickled red cabbage and pear inside a toasted croissant. A rotating selection of grab-and-go options such as bagels, sangas and pastries line the takeaway cabinet.
Workshop Brothers has long been a fixture in the city’s specialty coffee scene, and much like their CBD outpost and Collins Street espresso bar, the offering (and latte art) here is on-point. House-roasted blends and single-origin coffees pull through the sleek espresso machine, and you can also expect the full gamut of soft-brew options such as cold-drip and pour-over. There’s also matcha by Melbourne-based tea brand Konomi, plus chai and turmeric-heavy golden lattes.
