Bendigo Street Milk Bar - A Hidden Gem in Burnley/Richmond
Bendigo Street Milk Bar is a great local cafe in the Richmond/Burnley precinct tucked just off Swan Street. It hums with excellent food, personal service and brilliant spaces - including a funky outdoor area out the back where locals can enter through a side laneway. Owners Di and Mario Stefano have brought the love to this community icon in recent times. Milk bar, food store and cafe. It's one of the areas' treasures and locals love it. I enjoyed breakfast as a guest of Bendigo Street Milk Bar.
As a child I grew up with the humble milk bar of my Adelaide Hills community. It was full of charm and simplicity. Bendigo Street Milk Bar captures that charm but adds a layer of sophistication. It has a cool ambience with a touch of retro, and a lounge room feel. Natural light steams through the large windows of this spacious cafe, with a pleasant leafy street outside. Generous cushions invite one to recline. Quirky pieces and a cool carpet add to the ambience. An upstairs area is perfect for a business meeting or catch up with a group of friends. And hey, kids can draw.
Owner and barista Mario De Stefano pours a great coffee and gives the personal touch, engaging customers. The other staff are also friendly and engaging and its a great team. I love places that believe the word "hospitality" is an ingredient of the hospitality industry. A good friend of mine loves this cafe as her local, raving about the service and the food and ambience.
Bendigo Street Milk Bar has some great options on the menu, including killer breakfasts like the Big Breakfast below. For me it was well cooked and a hearty breakfast with generous amounts of bacon, field mushrooms, tomato and spinach, as well as excellent poached eggs on quality sourdough. Other great options include the homemade Corn fritters, Eggs benedict and Warm breakfast salad.
Bendigo Street Milk Bar reflects the passion of its passionate foodie owner. There is a bevvy of home made cakes and pastries. Much of the food is made on premises, with a fine Chef in the kitchen. The home made sausage rolls are the stuff of legend...
Bendigo Street Milk Bar delivers on fresh foccacia's and other lunch options. Fancy a steak sandwich with aoli, caramelised onion, roast peppers and rocket served with fries? It won't break your wallet.
Or how about Smoked salmon on sourdough, smashed peas, mint, lemon, ricotta salata and dukkah? Or even Linguine with roasted cherry tomatoes? There are also sumptuous specials on the board.
Check out these home made Blueberry and lemon muffins...
Home made selections...
Bendigo Street Milk Bar has an alluring courtyard, almost like a hidden and forbidden garden. Attractive plants in pots and several tables provide a great atmosphere. It is easygoing, even shabby chic, and the locals love it.
For a great Richmond/Burnley experience come for a visit to Bendigo Street Milk Bar and settle in to the warm ambience, slightly quirky features, engaging service and wonderful cuisine. Come out to the courtyard and feel like a local. A hidden gem in Melbourne...