Tusk

A good place where you can eat delicious food anytime of the day. I love their staff, they’re always energetic and nice and welcoming. Price is reasonable, good to have a seat either inside or outside.

I really love this place. I been here several times for outdoor daytime drinks + food, I don’t know why I haven’t written about it until now.
They serve basic alcohol, great reasonably price cocktails and good food like burgers and big salads which are all really good too. My favourite bit though is that the staff are generally super friendly here which always lifts my mood after leaving :
Will return as have done in the past.

Walked up and down chapel street. Settled on this place … Well actually there was no need to settle as the experience and food were great!!!

A pleasant way to spend a warm Melb evening, dining alfresco at Tusk. Make sure you have sunnies as that sun can be blinding as I found out. There are many restaurants & cafes to choose from nearby but I can understand the popularity of Tusk with their large alfresco area. I don’t think any other places nearby have such a large outdoor area. You’re likely to snag one of these tables if you get here early enough. The service was friendly, staff were attentive and our selection of small share plates were all very tasty, and the prices are reasonable. Will definitely return to Tusk.

Tusk has a primo corner lot on Chapel Street, with a great alfresco dining area for taking in the Melburnian sunshine, along with the added enjoyment of people-​watching (as this is Windsor, which has a load of characters and hipsters). We were there at the right time, as a table opened up in the middle of the scene. We quickly settled in. There were two waitresses manning the outside, so it took a bit of a wait before a gal showed-​up with menus.
I started with a cold Asahi ($ 8.50), which hit the spot on this warm evening. For a starter, we shared the Fried Whitebait (with chili, garlic, lemon, parsley and baby capers) on a bed of «rocket» (arugula) ($ 12). (I’m told this is a popular started in Australia and New Zealand.) Personally, it wasn’t my thing. «Whitebait» is essentially fish that’s used for bait fishing: like small sardines, you eat ‘em whole. It was very fishy. Even eaten with the rocket and capers, and dipped in the accompanying aioli, the fish flavor was pretty strong for my palate. (My bud liked it; our friend thought it was fishy, as well.)
For dinner, I went with the Tandoori Chicken Burger (served on a crunchy bun, with avocado, lettuce and tomato, and a side of shoestring fries) ($ 18.50). The chicken breast was moist and had a nice tandoori spice; fries were salty and tasty. (My partner-​in-​crime ordered the Tusk Burger (also served on crunchy bun, topped with caramelized onion, cheese, fried egg, aioli and tomato relish, and a side of fries) ($ 18.50), which looked fantastic. He said it was great. Our friend with the prawn pizza ($ 17), which she said was decent; unfortunately, the prawns still had their tails on ‘em, which made for difficult eating. It looked pretty, though.)
Overall, it was a fine meal, and you couldn’t beat the outdoor atmosphere. Our original waitress was a bit pokey and went MIA on us; however, the second gal turned out to be super friendly and fun to chat with. We’ll definitely pop back into Tusk again… :)

My girlfriend and I moved here in February and have tried many different places, but have become regulars at Tusk, despite all the options available nearby. The staff have always been incredibly friendly, I haven’t yet had a bad food experience, and the atmosphere in the outdoor patio area is outstanding. The scandinavian stack is a personal favorite, although I’ve enjoyed everything on the breakfast menu. Now that the weather is warming, I plan to foray into the dinner menu. Definitely check out Tusk!

Lot of interesting folk walk by while you eat at Tusk. My wife’s menu management scheme here was to order two share plates, lamb skewers and corn fritters, and a paella daily special mains to share. All the food was excellent and the service was decent.

My mum made a polite complaint about her coffee to a staff member at tusk; he then yelled at her and refused to make another coffee. I was shocked and disgusted. Considering my poor mum just asked if she could have another coffee due to a mistake. It was my local and I enjoyed it… However, never going back again.
This did happen in June 2012. But I still wouldn’t go back.

Now this place had great atmos and I’m talking amazing atmos. I was with a mate on Chapel street last Friday looking for a good coffee. Unfortunately, the two places we went to first closed at 4pm and we’re were 15mins late. We stumbled across Tusk and sat down by the gardenbed, shaded from the hot day by the umbrellas. I grabbed an ice coffee and just sat back, enjoying every moment. The waiter had to be one of the biggest legends I had ever come across in my life and was an obvious people person. The pricing was nice, and the coffee quite good too. I’ll be coming back here for sure.

Thumbs up for the service!
Went for breakfast, but the corn bread was a bit crumbly and felt more like polenta, and the beans were a bit bland.
My friend said her Tusk breakfast was great — and that the mushrooms were flavoursome.
Decent coffee too.

Every time I’m on Chapel St I make an effort to go to Tusk. There is such a great Vibe. It is so much fun to sit outside and watch the world go by with a cider in your hand.
Very cheap food, the staff are funny and friendly.

Every time I visit Melbourne, I always make the effort to stop by Tusk. It is one of those eateries that keep it simple, but tasty. Their breakfast menu is simply delicious, and their burgers with side chips and chili sauce are so fresh and they are cooked right. I’ll see you soon Tusk!

not prone to doing over the top reviews but this place is worth it! amazing food, great indoor and outdoor seating and staff who are the friendliest on chapel street. if you cant figure out where to go… this is the place

Weekend breakkie is the time to be here. Best seats are out by chapel st. Ideal for people watching. Love the chutney and hash browns.

Walking down Chapel Street you can pretty much guarantee that you will wander past people sitting outside enjoying a coffee or a tasty meal at the very popular Modern Australian restaurant Tusk.
I love Tusk for a tasty breaky; especially on the weekends after a bit of big night out. I highly recommend trying the «Tusk Breakfast» is a modern take on the traditional English breakfast with spicy chorizo, garlic mushrooms and scrambled eggs done to perfection served with caramelised onions on top of an English muffin. What more could you ask for? The coffee at Tusk is also a winner, the barista’s here are all very talented and definitely know how to make a strong cup of creamy coffee.
If I had to make one complaint about Tusk, it would only be the tables inside are very close together, meaning that you sometimes get pumped by people moving about or the waiters trying to get through. Your best bet is coming in early and snagging yourself a comfortable seat outside in the sunshine.

I used to go to this place all the time, and I don’t really know why I stopped. Maybe because it’s more a summer restaurant than anything, what with its hyper-​chilled outdoor sitting area, complete with shady tree.
I suppose I just got bored of the place, but if you haven’t been then I do recommend it. The food is really decent. It won’t send your taste buds on the ride of their lives, but it will satisfy them — particularly the astronomical serving sizes. My favourite would be the special pasta (always good), the burger and 100% the enormous parma.

I think that Tusk has the best outdoor area in the whole of Chapel St. There is nothing better than sitting here and watching the world walk past. Sometimes when the world walks past on Chapel St you don’t actually want to see it, there’s some strange stuff out there.
Given the fantastic location Tusk do a very good job at fulfilling the needs of such a corner. They provide very good service, a classic café menu and of course a great cup of coffee. I recommend going for breakfast, as it is the most important meal of the day you should go somewhere you know that they are going to do it right.

The funny thing about Chapel Street is that it is separated into two distinct areas — namely the clean and chic versus the grungy free-​spirit. And Tusk Café Bar is clearly in the latter division. Forget chi chi dining and over-​priced meals that don’t even satisfy and indulge in relaxed dining as you watch the world go by.
Tusk is located in a vibrant stretch of Chapel Street and has lots of outdoor seating so you can enjoy the rays on a hot, sunny day. In colder months, the outdoor heaters keep you toasty, with blankets on deck for extra cold days. Tusk is also one of the more dog-​friendly eateries along Chapel Street so dog-​lovers tend to flock to the outdoor area.
The menu is pretty good, although I always tend to order the specials of the day. My last experience included a delicious Chorizo Paella which ended up being shared by my other greedy mates. Other must-​haves include the juicy burgers and everything on the breakfast menu. If you can look past the occasional delayed service (it’s become habitual of recent), then you’re sure to love the ultra chilled vibe.

Tusk is one of the most recognisable cafes on Chapel Street. It’s out in the open and always full of hip Melbournians drinking their coffee and having a big breakfast. I do love the feel of being out on the street a bit because it does make you feel a part of it all. It is very urban and chilled where I’ve enjoyed going there in the summer but it must be hard for them in the winter with it only having a small inside area. I was impressed when I last went there and it was a cold day and there were rugs and blankets draped over all the chairs.
The meals there are all about big, filled and Turkish bread a plenty. It does seem to attract the mid-20’s youth of Melbourne on Saturday mornings/​afternoons for a post hangover meal.
The only problem is that it has started to get a reputation for bad service and until recently I thought different. It is relaxed and I don’t know if it’s because it’s situated right on the street and there are too many distractions but the staff seem a little disinterested with serving you. It’s probably not a good reputation to have growing larger and larger. If they tightened that area up, it would probably be even more popular. Even so, it’s a great place to stop and have coffee when you’re mid shop on Chapel.