The Bell Jar

I’m a little disappointed by this café. I walk past the Bell Jar regularly and often plan to stop in, however I’ve always been turned away. From 3pm onwards the staff here don’t seem to want business, I’m frequently forced to wander down Smith Street to find somewhere else for coffee.
Hopefully when I do finally get to go to the Bell Jar I can rewrite this review.
My advice is to get there before 3pm
** I’ve now successfully visited The Bell Jar and enjoyed a coffee. What I enjoyed most about this little café was it’s location to watch all the well-​dressed and interesting people from Clifton Hill and North Fitzroy walk by.

I really shouldn’t have gone out to breakfast on the day we went to the Bell Jar. I was sick as a dog and feeling really rough to boot. But it was to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in a long time and I didn’t wanna miss it.
Feeling a little bit needy, I was quite a demanding customer and made a point of being really ill. They suggested I went for a lemon and ginger tea and gave me extra honey. They also said I should go for the pumpkin soup. Pretty obvious I guess but as I say, I was pretty pathetic.
The food was really good. The service was beyond friendly. And the big wooden communal table where we sat provided some real comfort to catch up with friends.
A bit off the beaten track, The Bell Jar is really popular (as it should be).

In line with Melbourne cool, this street café doesn’t have any signage and has to be entered to find out where you are. The singing waitress had me in smiles as I entered this hip little paradise. The window seats and front room are bustling so I try my luck through the doorway into the second room. I’m met by a huge wooden communal table that as its centrepiece has an amazing springtime floral feature that takes me back to Japan. The artwork on the walls is tastefully simple and the intellectual choice of magazines sit artistically in the corner.
The menu offers Nuevo Fitz-​royalty fare and I chance at the corn cakes with salmon — which absolutely melts in the mouth. The atmosphere is friendly and conversations are struck up easily. The staff all seem to be best friends and it makes you want to be involved in the fun. I finish the meal with one of the better espressos I’ve had in a while and when walking out the door I’m saddened by the thought of leaving. This place is one that will get me back again, and again, and again.

Unlike the Sylvia Plath novel I assume this café is named after, this little eatery is not about depression or madness.
In fact it is my favourite café and brings me happiness and joy every time I frequent the place. Not because it is the ultimate café. It doesn’t do the best poached eggs, the best coffee or any such. But it does do all of these things very very well.
No. The reasons I like this place are much more subtle than this. I like the laid back and simple but well thought out seating, décor and vibe of the place. I like the fact that it is founded and run by a young guy who is clearly passionate about what he does. I also get the feeling that this place is cool — not trying to be cool like so many cafes — it just is.
But most importantly for me is the menu. I really like the fact that not only is everything really tasty, it is also slightly original. You will not find any baked eggs with chorizo or avocado, poached eggs with dukka on sourdough here. Everything on the menu is well thought out and subtly different.
My favourite is the green eggs and ham — with pesto scrambled eggs, free range ham on an english muffin with tomato relish. Yum! In light of such, I believe this place should have been named after a far more happy and joyous novelist — Dr. Seuss.

Considering its location at the quiet end of Smith Street, the Bell Jar is surprisingly, but not so surprisingly, popular.
On a Sunday morning expecting the Belly Jar to be busy, I was happy that it wasn’t. Perhaps of the rain or the time I arrived (11am), but we were able to secure the communal table out the back for the five of us. I’m always weary about getting a table when it comes to brunch and groups of four or more.
There is a trend of small, hip cafes hiring pretentious staff or at least a lot of people complaining about it. Perhaps it’s not actually the staff that’s pretentious but our own insecurity when see these ‘cool kids’ that leads us to believe they’re pretentious. Or perhaps they are just pretentious. The Bell Jar looked like one of those cafes, but they were far from it.
When we sat down, the server brought us a menu, water, and took our coffee order — it was simple and prompt service. She was also attentive when it came to keeping our glasses filled with water — that is something I can appreciate.
When I try a new place, I’m not very adventurous — I ordered the sourdough with avocado, lemon, and Meredith feta with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. The dish was simple, but done right and tasted great. The coffee was the best part, using 5 Senses coffee blend, it was clear that the barista knew how to make great coffee. Definitely coming back.