Let Me Be Frank

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Very laid back, relaxed, garden-​like area for dining and quietly having a catch up with family and friends. Exceptionally friendly staff and prompt service. Play area for kids. Kitchy, positive and ‘I want to help’ energy and atmosphere. Clearly a ‘word of mouth’ dining experience b/​c it was so not crowded and no long queues for amazing brekkie. It’s on the excellent list!

Great food and service from the crew behind Zappa in South Melbourne. The coffee and food is first rate and the location of this place in The South Melbourne Commons development is relaxed. The quirky décor and old Victorian redbrick is like Brick Lane in London.

Ever walked into a place and felt like it belonged somewhere else? That’s how I felt when I walked into Let Me Be Frank. In a good way.
Heading away from the bustle and queues of the South Melbourne market café zone and into a more suburban street, this café is hidden behind the huge walls of a large community building. The marker is a suitcase out the front with «COFFEE» printed on it.
Stepping inside, there is a spacious courtyard that makes this café feel like you’re actually somewhere in the country. Or at the very least, much further from the city. Inside, offers the same feel with the café and pantry items for sale.
The service is very relaxed too. When I say relaxed, I mean friendly but also the kind of relaxed where they will set their coffee machine to go and then walk away from it while they do something else.
The coffee menu is the kind of menu designed for people that aren’t purists. If you’re a coffee nerd, you’ll probably recoil in horror. Yep, sorry I fit that category. If the idea of someone putting Nutella in your brew or making you an «extra frothy cappuccino» doesn’t turn you off, this could be for you. The cold drip is served in little pre-​packaged bottles but way too strong and not served over ice.
Very family friendly. Plenty of space for prams and the yard is filled with toys to keep the tots amused. It’s right by a school so you can also hear lots of children carrying on nearby regardless of whether there are any kids there.
The menu is good. I wasn’t particularly blown away by the food, but some solid sambo and salad choices, plus breakfast served until 2.30pm.
If you’re looking for somewhere in South Melbourne that is super kid-​friendly, doesn’t have a 45min wait or just feel like pretending you’re not next door to the CBD for a spell, you’ll find it here.

Frankly, I love it.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m a little sick of the typical Melbourne café aesthetic. Exposed brick. White tiles. Industrial lights. Polished timber. I’m also a little sick of same menu.
So you can imagine my enormous relief when — after months of good intentions — I finally visited LMBF. Impeccable and friendly service, charming community feel, housed in an incredible and unique building, offering a really interesting menu. They elevated the over-​done avo smash with a quinoa and corn salsa, accompanied with a spicy salsa for an extra kick.
If you’re tired of the same old, I would definitely give LMBF a try — will not disappoint!

Chilled out space in South Melbourne — a big beautiful room with an assortment of recycled furniture.
Standard issue breakfast items, good coffee, friendly staff. There are tables outside as well and it is definitely a family-​friendly venue.
It’s great to see a place like this in South Melbourne.