Arcadia

Caring staff and large servings of beautiful wholesome food.

If you like lovely fresh food and eclectic drink served with a Parisian attitude this is the place! :-) it’s a mixed bag. Run by a French lady and her young boy toy French lover (I’m guessing)…
The food is seriously yum. But sometimes you can wait for a while for drinks (coffee, etc.). Sitting out back is nice, eating cakes is gorgeous (if you’re not diabetic you’ll appreciate how the French can seriously make cake orgasmic). But of course service is a big deal and part of an experience and here it’s also typical France, walk in with a smile, ask the right questions, say «wow that looks good» and you’ll be the favourite customer and get your shit tootsuite baby. If you’re the snob type that annoys the waiting staff, well they’ll treat you like they do in France… lol.
Unusual place with an atmosphere that is either fantastic or drab depending on how you enter and how bubbly you are to staff. Oh don’t be too bubbly or they’ll think you’re a crazy bi$&@ and not really be attentive either. lol. Yep, your experience here depends entirely on you.
Worth a try if you’re heading over to France on holiday and curious what the experience will be like… I suggest getting use to here first to have a great time there (or perhaps rebook your trip away to somewhere like… I dunno… Bali — lol).
Who to bring? Anyone that cares about where you live (postcode). Anyone that cares what you drive. Anyone that cares more for fashion than logic.
Who not to bring? Someone who is grumpy to begin with — they’ll rub off on you and staff and you might as well eat drivethru at Maccas, seriously you’d enjoy yourself more.
Enjoy. :-)

Great little breakfast spot just 10 minutes from Parliament. The food selection is varied, any of the poached egg dishes are recommended an the coffees are worth the wait… cool area to walk off the calories after too. Pricey, hence only 4 stars.

I can’t understand, but being the 3^rd time coming here. Still received this unwelcoming attitude from the Barista & Waitress cause we asked what the items were in the cold glass deli display. Nothing was labeled so how could you know what to order. Ask her if she knew what was in the bowls. She replied with a snotty attitude, «wouldn’t have a clue, honestly couldn’t tell ya!» Awesome! Never met you before in my life or impatient. Waited 15mins to get two latte’s one forgot to make the second so i got one cold coffee while I waited for the second. No apology just a upset look on their faces like they’re being hard done by having to make a coffee they forgot. Very disappointed especially for being a local coffee/​breakfast shop.

Don’t let my star rating turn you off this venue it is great. I went on a sunday for brunch and was looking forward to a table in the sun to enjoy brunch with my family however the outdoor area in this venue just doesn’t do it for me. Not to say that it would do it for others but just wasn’t what i was looking for that day. The service was okay but not amazing (we got our food before our coffees) The food was great however and did come out very quickly. This venue is cool for a rainy indoor day away from the cold however dont rush in for a cool place to sit in the sun. Im sure i will try it again and have a different experience but just wasnt what i was looking for that day

The Good: The Muffins! Fresh, changes daily, always delicious! Their smoothies are also amazing!
The Average: Decent Coffee, Decent breakfast/​lunch food. Their prices are a little on the heavy side too.
The ugly… Numerous times I’ve ordered a simple espresso and waited in an empty Café up to 15 mins. Then there’s times when I’ve ordered their delicious muffins and smoothies and had my order delayed. Even forgotten till I asked again.

I wanna give Arcadia 5 stars for coffee (have had about 10 here in the last 2 months and every one has been great) however for service 3 stars and food is probably 3.5 stars.
Just small minor details with the service while eating in and getting take out. Wait times are too long and they’re probably a bit under the pump and stressed but a smile and good attitude go a long way in hospitality… After brekky this morning I ordered a take out coffee which took 15 minutes to make on top of the 5 minutes we waited to pay.
The Mexican poached eggs looked fantastic when it came out but the corn tortillas were cold and tasted cardboardy. The poached eggs were well cooked. Salsa (avocado, corn, tomato, cilantro) was fresh but missing something like a nut or feta maybe? I think it was about $ 16.50 and for any brekky over $ 15. It would want to all be amazing.
They do make yummy coffees here but I’d be prepared to wait!
Will I be back? For the coffee. Definitely! For the food. I’ll probably try something else and reassess soon.
#monvsmelbourne

Arcadia pleasantly surprised me. It looks like your typical local daily breakfast hang. Large floor space with plenty of tables. The food is not so typical though. In fact, I think it’s some of the freshest produce I’ve had on a breakfast. This seems to be their jam though. They have carts of fresh produce sitting on their floor and in their cabinets and noted on their walls and menu is their belief of buying fresh produce direct from the farm at a fair price. You can taste this on their plates.
I had the avocado on sourdough with fetta, lemon and poached eggs. I was pleasantly surprised when my meal was delivered to see not just half an avocado sliced on the side of my plate but a mountain of smashed avocado with huge chunks of fetta mashed through it. Not one, but two slices of sourdough toast, a massive lemon cheek and two perfect poached eggs. Not too runny, not hard boiled. Just perfect. I also ordered a side of thyme buttered mushrooms which took up half the plate. I really loathe paying $ 4 for mushrooms and only getting a few but I do every time because I love them. At Arcadia I well and truly got my money worth. And they were so well cooked!
The service was fast and attentive and this place had been packed every day I’ve walked past so I think the locals vouch for it. Coffee wasn’t too good and so that’s why I docked that fifth point. Other than that it was a wholly pleasant experience.

Bin gestern Nachmittag vom Jetlag geplagt auf der Suche nach einem amtlichen Frühstück im «Arcadia» gelandet. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Super leckeres Omlett, nette Bedienung, perfekte Flat Whites, 1A Lage mit Aussicht auf ein Spätnachmittagessen. Heißt, wenn man schon mal auf dem Weg nach Fitzroy ist, dann sollte man unbedingt einen Stop im «Arcadia» einlegen. Und irgendwie hatte ich nach dem Omlett mit Chorizo auch das Gefühl, dass der Boden unter meinen Füßen sich weniger bewegt hat…

good food, good coffee, good service. What’s not to like about this place? We were a large group and ordered an assortment of dishes, but I wouldn’t recommend getting the baked eggs. The omelettes, grilled mushroom and french toast dishes were better.

Great food and coffee. Big selection of food, couldn’t decide what to have it all looks so nice in the glass counter. Had the Italian egg and was fantastic quality. My friend was with me from Sydney and she commented that this place was one of the better breakfast place she had been to.

Good breakfast with a big portions. They serve breaky daily up til 4:00pm.
I had scrambled eggs, with salmon and mushrooms. A pineapple and orange juice. Mint tea.
The only real issue is that it’s a little exxy. We paid $ 65.00 for two standard breakfasts.

Best toasted foccacia of my life! and I wasn’t even high…
Good ingredients, interesting & satisfying favor combinations, somewhat reserved service…

As far as I’m concerned, this is the best breakfast to be found on Gertrude Street, perhaps even the whole of Fitzroy.
Serving up consistently good coffee and poached eggs with all the kind of sides you could possibly want with your eggs, and in huge portions. The freshly squeezed juices are also wonderful especially for a hangover.
The street side tables are the best when the weather is nice, but it’s just as lovely inside really. There is also a very small outdoor seating area at the back but I think this space lacks atmosphere.
I’m not the only one who things this is some of the best breakfast eating to be found in the area so expect it to be packed and try to be patient. Having said that, the staff are very accommodating and will try to seat you as soon as is humanly possible. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes even in the weekend crush.

Mexican eggs. Two poaches eggs on sourdough toast topped with loads (LOADS!) of avocado, tomato and coriander. Best. Breakfast. Ever.

Arcadia is probably the most popular café in the area. How I know this is due to the fact it took me three tries to get a table there!
Once I was finally accepted it was instantly clear why it’s so popular. The coffee is great and the ambience is relaxed where their attitude seems so positive that it’s a bit infectious and means, even though it’s busy, you thoroughly enjoy yourself.
A quality fresh feed is a guarantee where the poached eggs with spinach and smoked salmon were a perfect way to start my day (even though I ended up staying till way after lunchtime). Maybe that’s why it’s so popular… you can’t leave!
Most definitely my favourite café on the street!

Arcadia is one of many great places to eat breakfast on Gertrude Street. The menu is extremely innovative compared with those standard breakfast choices and the environment is very relaxed whether you are grazing at the table out front, eating in the main airy section with high ceilings, or taking it easy in the shady little courtyard out back.
My two favourites are the Mexican eggs described in a prior review and the Middle Eastern spiced eggs on rye w/​red pepper pesto, spinach, poached eggs & hazelnut dukkah. The dish perhaps doesn’t look too much but the tang of the red pepper pesto with the crunch of the dukkah was a party in my mouth.
This place definitely makes it into the breakfast rotation policy, a favourite!

Though there are a million brekkie options in Fitzroy, not many have the option of a stellar deli-​case. I can’t say that they excel at eggs, but the salads and sandwiches at Arcadia are simply amazing. Which is the best, you ask? I know, there quite varied, but roasted chunks of turkey, complete with stuffing, berries and rocket on fresh baguette has got to be a hand-​held feast!
Please don’t forget to look up at the top of the case! Muffins, slices, cookies, oh my!
You can park in the front window, watch the people passing by, wishing that they could snag a seat, while you just chow down and smile, slyly.

When people of think of Fitzroy they think of Brunswick Street with its bustling sidewalks and the many cafes to choose from. I thought the exact same thing until I discovered Gertrude Street. Gertrude Street, which is the more fashionable, hip, and quiet area of Fitzroy, offers some quality cafes and shops.
Located directly in the middle of Gertrude Street between Brunswick and Smith Streets, Arcadia’s relaxed vibe and great menu makes it one of my favourite brunch establishments. With moderately priced food (average $ 15) and large portions, I always leave Arcadia feeling absolutely stuffed. My favourite is the Mexican eggs on rye with tomato, avocado, and coriander salsa ($ 14.50).
Whilst they have a solid brunch menu, Arcadia’s lunch menu changes daily — smoked trout salad, chicken soup, poached chicken with cous cous, roast pumpkin and gruyère tart to name a few. You’ll always be surprised by what you’ll find at the counter.
Although Arcadia doesn’t attract the same number of followers as some of its neighbours, with great coffee, decent service (they did forget my coffee once or twice), and great food, I know I’ll be back.

Arcadia Café is a favourite of mine after a big Friday/​Saturday night (or any night really, who am I kidding?) as they have one of the most impressive breakfast menus in the suburb.
My favourite? Of course it’s the Mexican eggs. The perfect combination of belly-​settling goodness and heart-​racing, kick-​your-​hangover-​in-​the-​face zestiness.
The coolest thing at Arcadia? They have entered the 21^st century and allow people to order vIa their facebook page, to ensure you won’t have to wait around to pick up your breakfast/​brunch/​lunch.

Nestled within a small strip of cafes, Arcadia is a refreshingly funky and vibrant café located on Fitzroy’s hip-​contemporary Gertrude Street.
Arcadia has the ability to entice both new and regular customers with a menu that contains culinary wonders your taste buds will thank you for. The diverse menu will allow you to experience food out of your comfort zone, whether a craving for a big breakfast or a refreshing salad at lunch; you will not be disappointed by the offerings at Arcadia.
If meats not your thing, then you’ll be happy to know a large portion of Arcadia’s meals are vegetarian. The house favourites amongst the breakfast menu include the middle-​eastern spiced eggs and the Bircher Muesli, Lunch offerings include exceptional meals such as the Mexicanish chicken schnitzel burger with tomato, avocado and corn salsa, as well as the Caramalised onion, goats cheese, thyme and kalamata olive filo tart.
I find it hard not to walk away bloated from the charming café on my religious Sunday breakfast friend-​catch up. However i do muster up enough energy to wander the surroundings, sure to find some eccentric and interesting stores to keep me entertained.