Chapel Bakery Café

9 Reviews on “Chapel Bakery Café”

• Lara.bardsley

  Walking into the Chapel Caf on Bay Street is like stepping back in time not in the trendy retro sense, nor the well-heeled antique or Country Vogue sense of the past. Rather, it is the warm and genuine attitude of the owners Vinny and Tu. Vinny is blessed with a photographic memory with which he remembers both ones name and ones coffee order after the first meeting. Tu is the the engine in the kitchen who keeps the customers well fed with delicious home cooked food. Conversations, snatched between coffees, are full of a depth of presence and interest rarely seen in the fast-paced life dictated by modern living. Vinny and Tu remember what we spoke about yesterday and last week. We have covered a myriad of topics from ecology, art, design, society and culture, their treasured customers both human and canine, their deep appreciation the Port Melbourne community, and their passion for a business that immerses them in the hubbub of coffee orders, brunches, lunches and afternoon teas, 7 days a week. I always walk out of their caf imbued with a feeling of optimism and a sense of being part of something bigger than my own little world, which is a gift when one works alone.
  Lara Bardsley

  March 21, 2017, 12:46 pm

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• Honest Opinion

  I read the review below and was surprised how one person can have a completely different view to another. I am a cafe regular, as in every day, often for both breakfast and lunch, and always a coffee or two in between. I love the Chapel Bakery Cafe. This is my cafe of choice. I have tried up and down Bay St, and i spend a lot of my days in the city too, and always i come back to the Chapel. Every single person I have recommended this cafe too have loved it and regularly go back. Even a driver i regularly use – he travels from the northern suburbs just for the coffee (I shouted him one just once as I had him stop off so i could get a coffee).
  The coffee is the best, the service is always friendly and I like the style of the food. It is not French, never has been, no idea where people got that idea. It is more traditional, no Kale, Quinoa and goats cheese here (I am so over that) . . . traditional but excellent bacon and eggs (although i prefer the chorizo and adding tomato), tuna salad, a fruity fruit toast, french toast (maybe that explains it?), and a great museli (with yoghurt and fresh fruit).

  For lunch, I do love a fresh chicken schnitzel roll with mayo – and this one is the best – real chicken and the perfect blend of other components.
  Of course there are salads and other choices for those who don’t share my tastes 🙂

  Concerning the ambience, it is nowhere near as noisy as the others on Bay St due to the wooden floor vs tiles and the wall decorations stop the echo effect. It is a small and quaint period building not a modern minimalist cafe. The seating is comfortable and spacious – a pet hate is sitting shoulder to shoulder with others and having to hear their conversations while i try and relax. Another reason why I love the Chapel Cafe – it is not full of loud boisterous people.

  Is it dirty? Not at all. Does it have some rustic and characterized fittings? Yes, by design it seems. I love it. Clearly, as per below, it is not for everyone. It is a casual and enjoyable place to frequent with great coffee and food, not a fine dining experience restaurant.

  It is a cafe with character, not one of the standard sterile, cramped, noisy, overpriced with ‘over fancified’ menus. I get that people love those, I don’t, and if you do, there are plenty of them around. No Golden Latte’s here.

  But if you want one with genuine character, you need to either live in Fitzroy or visit the Chapel.

  I love my coffee, Chapel Cafe has the best (and it is from a local roaster – Axil). I love good simple food done well, and i love a quieter, casual and friendly atmosphere. If you do too, then i suggest you try the Chapel Cafe for yourself.

  March 14, 2017, 3:54 pm

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• Tardar Sauce

  Cool period building. The guy who makes the coffee & serves is friendly. Food in the window looks like it’s been sitting there for days and there isn’t a lot to choose from. The bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in about 6 months; there’s a timber rod holding up the sink and the bin looks disgusting. I had a short mac which tasted a bit weird. The location is good being away from the busy section and would be great if it actually resembled anything to do with France (reason I came here as other reviews mentioned French cuisine). Not sure I’ll finish my coffee and probably won’t be coming back. New owners with attention to detail needed here. Score of 2 because coffee guy is friendly.

  January 10, 2016, 3:51 am

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• Coffee Snob

  Great coffee nice food and great service

  August 31, 2015, 4:54 am

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• AngusP

  You won’t find better service in Melbourne. Vinh only needs to be told your order once and it’s forever etched in his memory. Great coffee, food and a happening little buzz. One of my favourites.

  May 16, 2015, 3:26 am

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• Ptrsks

  Best Coffee in Port Melbourne!. You will not get better service anywhere else!

  Vinh and his wife hold the fort by themselves 7 days a week, with a smile each and every time.

  Vinh will learn your name, and he will remember your coffee order without fail. He’s an extremely skilled barista and makes a perfect expresso drop every single time. Although it may look like an old, regular suburban cafe, it really is so much more. They use the Axil blend on a new Synesso machine.

  February 14, 2015, 10:41 am

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• Irina Agaronyan

  LOVE this place!. Fresh food, perfect coffee and the best service. Highly recommend this place!

  February 8, 2015, 5:04 am

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