Slowpoke Espresso

I went to Slowpoke Espresso twice while I stayed in Fitzroy on my Melbourne trip.
The coffee is top notch!
My first trip, I got a coffee and croissant to go; I devoured the croissant so fast I had pastry flakes all over my clothes!
The second trip I ‘dined in’ before my flight out– I wanted another croissant :) but they had not been delivered yet, so I opted for a muffin with peanut butter in it and it was pretty delicious and hearty! So much so I couldn’t eat it all! But it was tasty!
If you want great coffee, good service, and a nice bite to eat, go to Slowpoke!

Checked out this place for the first time on the weekend — wish I had gone sooner!
What a lovely little place — the vibe is super cosy, there was an open fire going in the fireplace which definitely helped to warm up my cold weary bones on a wintery day.
Staff was attentive but not hovering, coffee orders taken promptly, and a mobile blackboard with the specials were brought around for our perusal.
Our party of 4 were indecisive and asked for a recommendation — one of us ordered the ham hock soup special and two of the salad specials. We also ordered the smashed avocado with a poached egg, and some crumpets to share.
The soup was by far the best call — very complex in flavour, but hearty and wholesome, the lovely Baker D Chirico bread was the perfect accompaniment.
Salads were amazing and honored the ingredients, not drowned in dressing, and really just relied on the freshness of the vegetables and toasted nuts.
The smash avo is something that we get often when out for brekky — one of the better ones I’ve had!
Finished up with the lovely crumpets — there’s something amazing about the butter, and I had to fight the urge to pick up the little honey saucer and lick it clean.
I enjoyed the coffee, the blend was a little milky as a latte for me, might try it as a ¾ latte next time.
Will definitely be coming back soon!

It’s a small place but feels like home~ Coffees and desserts are great, food are organic, if you are a organic lover, don’t hesitate and come here~!

Local fare, friendly and easy vibe, free wifi, what’s not to love!
The coffee is great & I’ve never eaten anything disappointing. Everything is sourced locally and is fresh and well made. Try the chicken sandwich or a savoury muffin!

Great vibe at Slowpoke!
Whilst visiting friends in Melbourne, this is usually the place we eat breakfast (or brunch). They have a great vegan /​vego friendly menu and are happy to accommodate for any special requests you have (in my case, gluten).
Our waitress was super-​friendly and had a nice chat with us. The place doesn’t get too busy either (compared to the likes of Veggie bar etc.) but still has a great atmosphere.
They also have a great selection of muffins and sweets on hand (which I admit I didn’t try, but was very tempted).
All in all — a great little spot on the other side of Brunswick St!

Great coffee and great breakfast. I split the baked beans with chorizo and the savory muffin with my girlfriend and that was the perfect amount of food for breakfast for two. The savory muffin was my favorite. I really enjoyed this place and I would recommend it. The interior also is really well designed.

I love Slowpoke, but am always confused about their opening hours. I recommend it to all my friends, but then they text me and say «it’s closed».
I think it’s because they were open in the evening for a while, but aren’t anymore. Maybe too tricky to have a day menu and an evening menu.
That said, they make a good breakfast/​brunch, and their coffee (using a CoffeeSupreme blend), is pretty great. My daughter tells me that the Chai Latte is pretty good too.
Catch up on «The world this week» with Slowpoke’s range of The Economist magazines.

Love this café. Exceptionally friendly staff, a thoughtful and considered menu, and a charm that has me returning quite regularly. Love that it’s nestled down of the «quiet end» of B-​Street nearish Gertrude. For myself, it’s location lends itself well to a long drawn our lunch in the window or out back in their cozy courtyard feeling a bit removed from the bustle of the inner north. Curtis, Nick and the rest of the staff always make sure you feel welcome and leave satisfied.

You’d be hard pressed to find a café at the quiet end of Brunswick St. that is open by 7am. Luckily Slowpoke caters for early risers.
This cute little place offers a simple but mouthwatering menu which is neatly displayed on a chalkboard next to counter. Even with fewer than usual options I still had difficulty making a decision. After settling on the Egg Smash with Jamon and Chili Jam on Turkish Bread I continued to debate a switch to the Rhubarb and Pear Porridge. It didn’t matter — my breakfast was delicious and accompanied with a pot of Chai (which I also highly recommend) I felt more than satisfied. As I totted off to work, I made a mental note to put Slowpoke on the favourites list.
Slowpoke; Friendly, helpful staff and great breakfast options.
— Mas Amor Por Favor

I think I’m in love? Slowpoke Espresso has been open for a year now from what I read and still no one has posted about it. Fine by me. I will have this place all to myself. Visually it is incredible. It is what my future house will look like when I have my millions. The open fire is an exceptional touch to an otherwise freezing cold Melbourne.
Should you go here? Shutupofcourseyoushould.

Nice music/​food options/​attitude

Having been away from Melbourne for the best part of a month I was pleased to see yet another breakfast joint open up down the road and decided to check it out. Although I am quite evangelical about the virtues of breakfast out, I am starting to get pissed off with places simply competing to see who can do the wackiest things with poached eggs. Slowpoke made a refreshing change in that it doesn’t do poached eggs. Instead it specializes in smashed eggs and boiled eggs. You can even get eggy soldiers (that’s a boiled egg with a runny yolk which you dip your toast strips into for those that missed out on a childhood). How cool is that?
The menu is small but inviting. The staff were extremely smiley and the service was great. The coffee was as good as you should expect in Melbourne. My jamon, smashed eggs and chilli jam served in a Turkish roll was delicious and the homemade ginger beer pretty tasty too.
As for the place itself, we sat in the front section that was really cosy and intimate and light and airy at the same time. Apparently there was more seating and a garden area out the back too which you’d imagine to be a big hit once summer arrives.
A word of warning though… this is not a place to go for a colossal cooked breakfast to remedy a hangover.

Slowpoke is new to the Fitzroy scene. Located on the quiet end of Brunswick Street, its bringing a relaxed vibe and focus on small, simple dishes to Fitzroy.
One of the stand out thing for me was the customer service. When we entered, someone greeted us straight away. I know that’s quite a simple thing and perhaps I’m easy to please, but I think employees should make it a point to address their customers once they enter a place of business. Too many times, this has not happened and has left me feeling slightly lost as what to do next — do I seat myself, do I wait for them to seat me, do I order at the counter, or do I wait for someone to take my order? Too many questions go through my head. The good service remained a trend throughout our visit.
The décor is quite simple — wooden tables with matching chairs with white walls. I loved the wall lined with recycled wood. The menu, which is written on a large blackboard, is quite limited. However, a limited menu isn’t bad, but rather it is a focus on creating good, simple dishes, which Slowpoke has done well. I ordered the avocado and feta smash with a soldier on the side. It was simply delicious and the soldier was perfect with yoke oozing out of it.
I had a pot of chai ($ 4), which was great as well. What I really enjoyed was their housemade ginger beer. I need to get their recipe.
Slowpoke has become another great addition to Brunswick Street.

This cute, little café is the new kid on the Brunswick St block, and it is making quite an impression.
My first trip to Slow Poke included a delicious creamy latte and boiled eggs with toast soldiers — an absolute classic that brought me back to my childhood days (plus far more delicious than what I made as an 8 year old.)
Slow Poke is now my designated Power Breakfast destination (for those mornings I need a bit of a boost) plus has a fireplace so is the perfect brunch destination for the cooler months!