Operator25

I thoroughly enjoyed my brunch here. I ordered the kingfish and a freshly squeezed glass of orange and carrot juice. While the kingfish is listed under the breakfast section, I’m not sure it should be; it seemed more like something I’d eat at lunch or dinner. Nevertheless, I won’t complain because it was absolutely delicious and looked like a piece of art. It was sort of like a large deconstructed sushi roll. Flavors meshed together really nicely. Would definitely recommend!

I heard so many good things about Operator 25 and saw so many delicious pics on Instagram of Operator 25 that I begged my friends to visit.
A little bit out of the way in the city, it still attracts a crowd but the wait wasn’t too long.
The food though, was a bit disappointing. We ordered a tapioca and potato fritters, broken eggs and satay. The flavours simply didn’t match. We tried simply eating the fritters and it was quite bland and gingery.
The matcha friand was quite nice, it wasn’t very sweet. The menu said its served with grilled pears but it was more like poached pears. It wasn’t cooked very well though, it was hard and once again didn’t really go well with the matcha friand.
My friend’s kingfish on sushi rice with avocado and wasabi mousse was delicious though, and we even used her wasabi mousse for our potato fritter which made it taste sooooo much better.
I quite like how they have creative drinks menu too, my friends were impressed with the white choc Thai milk tea and te matcha pandan latte, though less impressed with the peanutella melt, it was kinda like hot peanut butter milk but then because there was an icecream in the cup it kinda made it weirdly lukewarm.
Overall it was a bit of a hit and miss, depending on what you ordered but I do give it points for its creativity.

I’ve heard many good things about this place and decided to try out their matcha latte — their version is yuzu matcha latte. I have a personal favorite but wanted to continue to try other cafes to open up my options. It was a little steep on price at $ 5… Putting price aside we tried the hot version and the iced version. The hot one tasted nice but the matcha wasn’t strong enough. The iced one was refreshing but the matcha flavour wasn’t so prominent either. It was both enjoyable and if I was nearby I would still stop by for a matcha latte.
I hope to try their brunch menu next visit too

This place is my local, its clean, casual and bright. This time around I went with a friend who had the hearty curried beans with chorizo and she lapped up every drop of it. I had the match crumpets, everything on this plate looks too pretty to eat, its great as its not too sweet, but I found the crumpets a bit too dry, the kaya sauce helps but I would have like the crumpets to be a little more fluffier. Coffee is always great here, doesn’t hurt when the barista is cute too.
The yuzu matcha latte is interesting, a bit to sweet for my liking tho.
Quite disappointed that the sweet potato frites are not on the menu.

Stunning breakfast here. One of the few places who recognised the shortage of cbd breakfast/​brunch places open on the weekend. Coffee was certainly up to standard too.

This place Is a well presented brunch spot near Victoria Market near flagstaff.
I ordered the crumpets — I was expecting something overly sweet but it wasn’t at all which was great!
Also try the breakfast Cous Cous it looked amazing.
The coffee was solid and so were the selection of juices — definitely would recommend!

Lovely place and ambience, with cool staff to keep you warm and cool. Coffee is great with good food to match. One of the few coffee joints in the CBD to remain open on a Saturday. This is tight next to Flagstaff Garden and the QVMarket

I am always a fan of the simple things done well — so from the outset, this place may have been a poor choice for me. Attended based on a local food blogger recommendation (she herself had not yet attended). The coffee was of high quality, smooth, strong and well extracted — kudos on the brew. My disappointment came from a menu which over promised and under delivered. The menu was a complicated one with several complex and well worded brunch options. I chose the breakfast Reuben which promised all things offered by the classic deli sandwich as well as poached eggs. The eggs were poached well enough and the serving was ample. However, the key element of a Reuben sandwich is a punchy and tangy Russian dressing, something that this Reuben was clearly lacking. Quite bland overall. By all means, give it a go but be warned, price does not equal satisfaction in this case. Happy brunching.

Best of many breakfasts we have had in Melbourne. Very attractive space-​on point design with bright natural light.
10 minute wait at 10am on a Saturday morning. Most of the tables are communal, so you’ll likely share a table.
Chickpea fritter with hummus, cottage cheese and one other sauce was great. (Think falafel but with super high quality ingredients and delicately cooked). Partners egg on toast was simple but really tasty.
Coffee was very good as you would expect.
Staff was busy but professional and friendly. As busy as they were, we did not have a sense we were being hurried along.

If I worked in the city I would take all sorts of my imaginary clients to this place for ‘breakfast meetings’.
Coffee: great. Breakfast menu: mmmmm. Décor: non fussy, well lit, lots of big share tables that you can easily spread out on or slip on to as a two or a one. Service: easy, friendly, perfectly timed. Cost: a little on the pricey side (probably to cover rent).
Menu reads really well and taste pretty darn good too. I got the tortilla with a side of avocado. It needed the av and maybe a dash of extra lime but all in all super tasty. And a nice generous serving size too. The corn fritter dish, although I am not a fan of breakfast deep-​fry, had a seriously tasty tomatoes/​labne/​herb thing going. And the benny eggs lasted not even 5 minutes on my mate’s plate (that plate was down and we didn’t hear from her until the plate was semi licked clean). I take that as a good sign.
Think parking is ok to find around that place too. Or take advantage of the free city trams!

House Benedict with Ham.
Well presented and plated.
Tasted great.
Fast service
Slightly noisy when the venue is full.
Overall great place with good food.

Operator 25 is a revelation café set in a former telephone exchange located in the legal district in the Melbourne CBD. The place is pumping with interesting dining spaces full of patrons, featuring an intergenerational crowd. The World Loves Melbourne decided to visit this café in a heritage building having heard rave reviews. We were not disappointed.
Operator 25 has made an effort with its fit out with exposed brick walls, quality furniture, funky blackboard and top class artwork throughout…
The World Loves Melbourne enjoys a café with a decent drinks list, including a local favourite pale ale… In summer heat they delivered with their own spiritzer — Operator’s Spritzer — cold drip coffee, maple syrup, lemon, poached pear, mint, tonic water and sweet micro herbs.
The menu was compelling from ex Bacash chef Valerie Fong, with extra class in options that are not the usual Melbourne brunch fare. On recommendation we chose what proved to be one of the dishes of the year — Sweet corn fritters, fried duck egg, tomato salad, goats curd, and herb oil. Spectacular presentation and spectacular taste. Ticking all the boxes, this dish provided generous portion of fritters and the fritters themselves were fresh and moist and full of flavour. Complementing was the oozy duck egg — together with the fritters so rewarding! The salad wasn’t a token but fresh and crisp. A welcome addition to the equation is the goats curd, creamy and delectable. The balance of this dish is superb and a cacophony of culinary delight! Kudos to Head Chef Felipe Guedes.
Yes we are raving but this dish was a highlight in terms of brunch for the year. The menu also offers compelling dishes such as Breakfast Tortilla filled with Scrambled Egg Mixed Mushrooms, Aged Cheddar and Green Harissa, or the House Benedict — Potato Rosti, Grandmother Lamb Ham, Poached Eggs, Mustard and Tarragon Hollandaise.
For lunch try the Beer Battered Soft Shell Crab, Thai Style Salad, Toasted Peanuts, Tamarind Dressing and Sesame Rice Crackers or the Balinese Pulled Pork Burger — Pulled Pork, Fried Egg, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Chilli Mayo, Coriander on Brioche Bun with Sweet Potato Wedges.
Says the website —
«Set in a heritage listed Melbourne building, with a modern rustic ambience, Operator25 café serves breakfast, lunch and everything in between, daily.
Conveniently located on the Melbourne CBD fringe within minutes of the leafy Flagstaff Gardens, there is something for everyone
at Operator25.
We also cater for vegetarians, gluten-​free, have a kid friendly menu, and serve specialty coffee using the finest beans from Melbourne’s own Code Black Coffee Roasters.»
Operator 25 is an exceptional café in the Melbourne CBD, with strong points across the board and prices affordable. Fun and finesse. Highly recommended.

Great service, artisan gorgeous food and a wonderful setting. As the coffee shop at the foot of my building I am extremely fortunate. A must visit

Great brunch spot. A well thought out menu with all the breakfast classics you’d expect, but with a twist. It also has very good coffee, so be prepared to sit there for cup after cup. It’s set out with big shared tables, but they’re big enough that you don’t feel like you’re at breakfast with randoms. Definitely worth a try!

Made a special trip out here at the recommendation of a colleague.
Well worth it! The décor is well presented and a lot of money has been spent. It is open without feeling cavernous and the shared tables are big enough that you don’t feel elbow to elbow with the family next to you.
The food is very good. The menu changes seasonally and we just got onto the beginning of the spring version. I had the Dutch choc hotcakes and they’re delicious. Nice texture — and not overwhelmed by the maple syrup — which had just enough sweetness to balance the choc.
The French Omellette was also beautifully presented and I am told equally delicious. The first coffee u had was typical Melbourne — so I ordered another one with a little extra strength and it was perfect. Robust flavour and perfect temperature.
The staff are all very pleasant and accommodating without being in your face — which is exactly how they should be.
Excellent café, open all week, and worth a visit. Highly recommended.

It’s no secret that I am easily pleased when it comes to brunch. HOWEVER, I was quite at a loss when we had some friends stay in Melbourne near Flagstaff and they wanted to go out for breakkie. On the weekend. In walking distance from their hotel. Sheesus. Did I know any place, any place at all that would fit that bill? Of course, I wanted to impress them with Melbourne coffee and some breakfast flair. Enter Operator 25.
Two big, round, 7-​seater tables in little nooks with some great low lighting. More long tables also suitable for groups. Lovely little tucked-​down-​a-​laneway feel (so Melbourne). Amazing Code Black coffee. Lovely light and inventive brunch options. Seriously, we wandered into heaven.
So good that I’ve come back during the week for a coffee fix before work.
As Tresna mentioned, a little light on the décor, but altogether delivers. Definitely worth seeking out

Good solid breakfast joint. Doesn’t get as busy as the usual trendy cafes around Melbourne but just as good. So its highly recommend if you just want a good coffee and breakfast with out having to wait around with all the other hipster foodies from Melbourne.
Great coffee with out a doubt.

I have often lamented about the lack of great brunch options open in the CBD on the weekend. Certainly makes it challenging for visitors who expect it to still be hustle and bustle out of office hours, who all end up queuing outside the handful of options or missing out on the Melbourne brunch experience.
Thankfully Operator25 has come to the rescue to those in the West End of the CBD, offering up delicious breakfast and lunch options 7 days a week.
The menu options are much lighter than I expected. I had a salad for lunch and as someone desperately trying to cut down my portion sizes, was delighted at the delicate plate up of roast vegies and grains. Some might find this pretty disappointing however, so if you’re expected a big plate or are satisfying an XXL hunger, maybe check with the waitstaff if it’s going to satisfy you.
The coffee is up to scratch (hooray!) with a selection of singles and filter options.
A top pick for a quiet weekday lunch or CBD breaky.

A bunch place in the city. An eggs brunch place in the city. An eggs brunch place in the city, that is *also* open weekends.
That is an overdue addition to the CBD, where the great places are often closed on the weekend. Or lack a kitchen. Or both.
This end of the city is burgeoning with new apartments. Lucky the place is deceptively large, because I’m sure it’s going to fill up quick.
One to check out, citykids.

Discovering Operator25 is like hitting the jackpot. There are few places in the CBD that a) have great coffee b) have innovative and varied brunch items c) have enough space for you to spread out, read the papers and relax a little and (now here’s the real qualifying factor) d) are open weekends.
The coffee, from Code Black, is really quite good. There’s a single origin to try if you’re going black and the blend works well with milk based coffee.
The food is beautiful. A smoked salmon, crème fraîche, piccalilli and rye toast was a light way to start the day. It was beautiful on the plate and some may argue there was far too much of the home-​made piccalilli but I’m a pickle freak so really enjoyed it. The rye toasts were thin wafers of bread — great if you’re trying to avoid carbs — and perfect for scooping up bits of the dish, cracker style.
A special of zucchini fritters with smoked salmon, smashed avo and hollandaise was great. I thought the hollandaise sounded like over kill on the menu but when it came, presented in a tiny beaker on the edge of the plate, it was really well made and added a great contrast to the rest of the dish. Win.
Smashed peas with ricotta, poached eggs, dukkah and trufle oil? Sounds like too many things going on if you ask me, but WOW someone has really worked hard to make this dish so perfectly balanced.
Yup, I’m a fan of the food and can’t wait to keep working my way through the menu.
The only thing I don’t LOVE about this place is the décor. If you score a spot on the round table then it’s really quite lovely — the ceiling is lower above the table, the bricks surrounding create a nice «nook» and the feel of the space is a little softer. The remaining tables are long (great for big groups) but feel a little stark and cold. Some fabric sound proofing panels on the walls above might make this section feel a little more comfortable.