Santi’s

It’s ok but I think some of the comments exaggerated it a bit and please stop playing Kenny G

I wish I came here more often! Such a lovely little space to have some quiet time before uni. Loved the pancakes here. Atmosphere is great and whoever chooses the music, man you have got such good taste! Parking is a bit tricky. I hate having to find parking but I feel like this place is worth the effort. Love how consistent they are with food. Will always be a favourite!

It’s a great location and we found parking very easily on a Saturday for brunch.
The staff are very friendly and quick so serve, the food came quickly and was well presented.
The coffee is not as good personally as said by others and the food is average at best.
The mushroom bruschetta was the best for me.
Pro
Setting/​ambience
Friendly staff and quick service
Con
Average coffee
Average food

We’ve been coming to this little gem for breakfast as a family (note: we have 2 small kids) for a couple of years now. The parking is tricky — there are a few spots out front, but beyond that, you’ll be in for a brief walk. Now, on to the more important parts (I will only be reviewing breakfast, as I’ve never eaten here for lunch).
Food — on average, the food here is pretty good and I absolutely wouldn’t complain about it at all. There is a usual menu (though see note below) that has standard breakfast offerings as well as a couple of unique items. And there are always a couple of specials on the chalkboard as well. They offer fresh fruit juices, smoothies, muffins, and cookies as well. I find their coffee to be above average and service is pretty good (and quick, though there are times when large groups affect this — no fault of the business though). I’d recommend this restaurant to anyone in the area.
I only have one concern. We started coming here in about mid-​2013. Then, it seemed to be a mother-​daughter-​run business. They were both incredibly sweet, and greeted us cheerfully each time we ate. They would look after us and say hi to the kids as well. It seems in the last several months (I’d guess around Spring/​Summer 2014), there has been a gentleman who is the primary manager, and the suspected mom/​daughter are nowhere to be seen. In addition to the personnel, there are a couple of other notable changes: the menu isn’t as complex and varied as it used to be, there is a large drink cooler now where there used to be an extra table, and there is a hot food buffet-​type container on the main service counter near the coffee machine. I’m not saying the service or food has suffered at all as a result of the changes, but I am saying that it has changed notably. Oh well — change happens. Give this place a try — it’s worth it!

There are many eateries along Hampden Road but they say that Santi’s is one of the finest eateries there whether it is for breakfast, brunch, lunch or coffee. Not long after we ordered our food and were seated, the café suddenly became quite busy. This shows how popular Santi’s is.
The cakes at the front counter and the cookies and paninis looked very tempting indeed. After going through the menu and having a look at the Specials, I eventually came to a decision and ordered the Penne Arrabiatta with Cacciatore, roasted eggplant and capsicum with Napolitana sauce ($ 18). The portion was very decent and I thought that the pasta was delicious. It was fresh and full of flavour. The Napolitana sauce blended well with the pasta too. Overall, the pasta was cooked perfectly and the dish was executed well.
C ordered the Eggs Benedict ($ 18). Here is her review: What better way to indulge than to have lunch at Santi’s. The Eggs Benedict were finger licking good albeit a little too saucy in my opinion. Nevertheless delicious food with generous portions! I’ll be back for more!
T had the Santi’s Club Sandwich ($ 19.50). Here is T’s review of her club sandwich: The club sandwich was delicious and very filling. The bacon was crispy and the salad was on point but what made the dish was the perfectly poached eggs and the homemade chips. Only qualm was that there was not enough aioli for those delicious chips! Loved the rustic feel to the place and the incredibly attentive staff. Hope to enjoy many more lunches here in the future.
Overall, we had a very satisfying lunch and it was great to catch up with my uni friends. The service at Santi’s was very friendly and efficient. Santi’s is a great place to catch up with friends over coffee or have breakfast or brunch. I think I will be making a trip back to Santi’s very soon just to try other dishes on their menu and their cakes. Oh, and I also heard coffee is excellent too!

I work in the area and this is my go to place for coffee. In my opinion, these guys have consistently the best coffee on the Hampden Road strip.
Service is super friendly and efficient. The good is excellent and tasty. We have even used them for catering an office function.