Grasshopper’s Feast

This is another of a number of cafes that line the alleyway called The Causeway, and one that I haven’t been to all that often (if ever). As such, when I was wandering through Melbourne early one morning looking for a place where I could grab a bite to eat for breakfast I decided that I would pay this place a little visit. Honestly, there wasn’t anything about this place that really stood out for me, though their eggs benedict was quite nice, and arrived on my table fairly promptly. However I have to admit that this place didn’t stand out all that much to me, and considering the countless other options available in Melbourne it is one that I would unlikely visit all that often. I do like the laneway feel about the place, but then again this isn’t the only café hidden away on The Causeway.

Great big breakfast! Give you heaps of vegan options and are happy to cook everything in oil instead of butter!

For $ 15 I got one piece of dry, bland French toast and an unripened, over-​grilled quarter of a banana. Cute place, but food was terrible.

Civilised oasis just off the hussle of Bourke St Mall. Nice coffee and friendly service. I didn’t try the food, but based on others’ reviews, I will next time.

Hmmm Lane way experience, great food all around. Didn’t try the coffee because there’s a well known coffee place around the corner that we wanted to try. There’s a great variety on the menu and no complaints on any of the dishes.
There is all day brekky! Always appealing to me. Would definitely recommend this café

I have travelled the world, and ive eaten alot of meals, but can i just say, the gnocci here is second to none. Amazing!

After a long and far too early shift at work, finding a quiet café in the CBD to grab a quick bite on the way home is almost impossible. Grasshopper’s Feast has somehow always been quiet whenever I’ve stopped in here. The Causeway is a pretty busy little laneway, with lots of places to eat, but I must time it just right to get here.
There are a few seating options here, with tables outside in the laneway that make use of a large cushioned bench on one side, smaller tables inside as well as a large communal table. Most cafes along the Causeway seem far too pushy, with staff hanging around the menus trying to usher you inside. I have never had this happen at Grasshopper’s Feast, which was part of the reason I first went in. When you come inside, take a look behind the counter and you’ll see a nice little veggie garden, where they grow some of their own produce.
The first couple of times I came here I grabbed something from the all day breakfast menu. Eggs and coffee always sounds like a great way to finish up after an early shift, and they’ve been just fine. Everything looks great on the plate here and is nice and fresh. When I stopped by this weekend after work, lunch time had already passed and I hadn’t eaten a thing since 4am so I opted for a bit of a more heartier meal this time. I grabbed the beef burger and fries, which looked great when it was placed in front of me, but after a few bites I began to regret my choice. A crusty bun (yuck!) with some nice toppings inside, but the burger itself tasted like it had far too much added into it and barely tasted of meat at all.
Disappointing burger aside, I’ll probably return here again if the timing is right and it’s nice and quiet. I’ll stick to the breakfast menu next time though.

My friends and I were on the hunt for a decent CBD breakfast that could accommodate us out-​of-​towners when we stumbled across Grasshopper’s Feast. We’d actually headed down the alley with our sights on another place, but they seemed ambivalent and the guy outside here was so enthusiastic we had to reward his efforts.
And boy were we glad that we did! Delicious meals made for happy tummies, and with enough order envy we had a fair bit of swapping forkfuls of food over the table, too.
Charming place for breakfast, brunch or lunch in the heart of the CBD.

Finally, the City of Melbourne is catching up with the rest of Australia and starting to make sidewalk dining free of cigarette smoke and this place is in the laneway where they are starting. Please come visit the cafes in this street so that businesses get the idea that their turnover will actually improve with a ban on smoking at the outdoor cafes.
I don’t do well on eggs for breakfast which you can imagine provides challenges when going out for breakfast. Its usually muesli or porridge but I did manage to find a ham and cheese croissant which filled the hole nicely. I also like a place that serves a generous pot of tea.
The laneway table fill up fast but if you don’t mind sharing there’s a large table inside with plenty of room to spread out a newspaper.
Lastly, free wi-​fi on offer.

I’m surprised that I’ve never come across the Grasshopper’s Feast before (or anything in this little lane way).
I was really impressed with the food selection that they had; and the zucchini and corn fritters that I had for a lunch meeting were also great. They do breakfast all day but have a wider more «cosmopolitan» variety than most.
The stuff were a little bit lame; and what sucked was the indoor /​outdoor greenhouse like feeling that meant you couldn’t escape people who choose to smoke instead of eat. Bit of a downer.

My wife and I are HUGE fans of Gordon’s, which sits just opposite The Grasshopper’s Feast, and our loyalty to the food and friendly staff at Gordon’s won’t be compromised, but, Gordon’s is closed on Sundays and usually not open on public holidays, which is how we wound up at the Grasshopper’s Feast for brunch today.
Contrary to what the name may imply, this is not some worthless hippy-​vegan spot (Thankfully. We’d never patronise such a place if it could be avoided.) — the physical location has had a number of cafes over the years, and this is the latest iteration; after a significant multi-​month refit, the café re-​opened the first week of March and by the looks of things, is doing quite well.
From their menu and business card: «.we grow our own produce» — and it shows. I went with the terracotta pot, which was three eggs, tomato chutney, chorizo (WOW, great!) goat’s cheese and a bit of wilted spinach. Fantastic!
My wife went with the something and avocado fritters, which was also delicious; I can’t remember what the something was, and she’s on the phone to her mother right now, so interrupting that conversation isn’t worth ending my Unilocal-​life over.
Other plus points: The large coffees are large, and quite well made. The breakfasts are all-​day. Staff was friendly, and not OVERLY aggressive as you walk down The Causeway (if you haven’t been down this particular alleyway in Melbourne, it’s a bit like a mini-​Hardware-​Lane; menus in front of the 5 or 6 cafes, and eager staff try to rope you in before you make it to the next café); we were looking at the menu and one of their staff asked if my wife and I needed «any help» with it. My reply: «I can read, thanks, we’re fine.»
Anyway, the food was very good, prices were a little higher than Gordon’s, but they had quite a variety of options to suit many budgets. Worth trying!