Chez Dré

Lovely brunch at Chez Dre. Cold filter coffee for hubby, earl grey tea for me. Food was really good — pulled pork toastie and Croque Madame. Good value for money, nice service and an attentive waitress made for a lovely meal. Cool atmosphere and all breads made on site.

Disappointed in lack of flavours of macaroons & they were extremely dry although the breakfast was great.

Breakfast places are pretty common in Melbourne but I do not think they are always consistent regardless of season, with the exception of Chez Dre! This place is the business. You can go anytime and not be disappointed. The food is always fantastic and the service is always fast and friendly. This combined with one of the best iced chocolates around make this pplace worth the Saturday line up for.

Great locals spot. Breakfast was delicious and fast. True to Melbourne: terrific coffee. Should have saved room for the pastries! The patio is a really nice place to enjoy the hot weather. Be prepared for communal tables and a bit of a wait but worth it. Wait staff seems a bit stretched thin so be patient. Consider picking up a loaf of bread or sandwich for a picnic.

As chez dre (house of dre) does an all day brekkie menu, I arrived here at 12.30 for my favourite meal of the day — brunch.
Entry is through the courtyard and you have to wait to be seated. I was seated within minutes as I opted for indoor rather than outdoor seating (despite the weather in Melbourne being surprisingly pleasant after gray skies for five days). I was seated at one of those long tables for big groups and sort of felt awkward sitting next to my lunch companions rather than across her.
We ordered a cappuccino, batch brew, lamb jaffle and French toast.
The bill came up to around 42.50 for the four items. Pretty good I say for a hearty brunch as we were both full and satisfied after our meals.
The cappucino came in a large cup. Win. However I didn’t like its taste. It just had this awful strong taste sort of like had machine coffee and the milk wasn’t creamy enough to mask the burnt coffee flavour. My meal companion didn’t like her batch brew either.
Her French toast came in brioche bread with pistachios and looked yum.
My lamb jaffle was deliciously grilled buttered bread with mince lamb inside. The lamb was so flavoursome. It reminded me of indian/​moroccan curry flavours. The sumac salad was yummo. The sunny side egg was not required as the lamb jaffle was so good that I felt like I could have it every day of the week. Mouth waters. There was also some creamy condiment served with the jaffle with some black spice on top. I didn’t quite like it and it didn’t add to the flavours of the meal. I would have preferred perhaps some guacamole, salsa verde or chipotle sauce instead.
Chez dre is also a boulangerie and patisserie and the breads look delicious. I sampled some sundried tomato with fennel bread and it was delicious.
Love their menu.

If you’re in South Melbourne this is the place to be. With its entrance down a very well marked laneway, this place is a very modern café that is every coffee enthusiasts heart in mind. From batch brews to cold drips and a few in between their baristas know what they’re doing. If you’re feeling adventurous and want some food, they have a display case of pastries as well as a menu with heaps of amazing options. The staff are well trained in coffee and menu items and definitely attentive to your every need!

I love breakfast food and this is now my new favourite place in Melbourne. Everything tastes so good and it has a really nice vibe.

Best café in south Melbourne, excellent food & brilliant service. Portions are big so order with that in mind.
Highly recommend the new French toast, have changed it to its no longer sickeningly sweet!
Will be back time & time again, an all time favourite.

Cosy courtyard, and plenty Of space inside. Had their granola which was amazing! Oh, and my neighbours had the sourdough avocado thing, looked delicious as well. Looking for a brunch joint? Look no further! :)

Went there for our brunch, it’s really fresh and healthy dish but also have so many sweet lovely desert.

Perfect place for brunch with family or friends with indoor and outdoor seating. I usually order the avocado luxe which is smashed avo with nuts and toast. It’s so simple but so tasty. This place also makes awesome desserts that are too pretty to eat. Not even joking. It’s like an artwork you don’t want to touch and ruin. I’ve been here a couple of times and it’s a hit and miss with the staff. I’ve gotten some friendly ones and some that just ignore you. I do recommend checking out this place though as the dishes are just fab for this spring

It is not surprising this popular haunt located across from the South Melbourne Markets receives very mixed reviews from our Unilocalers. As a «be-​seen» destination there is a massive queue for a table weekend mornings which some people revel in, but not me.
Next, I observed and encountered some good customer service, a dash of abrupt customer service and quite honestly some pretty incompetent service.
Food-​wise, portions really varied depending on what you ordered. My french toast was the perfect size, the pork belly was delightfully huge but our male counterparts who ordered specials of the savoury type were left wanting.
Unfortunately our waiter stuffed one of the orders up and so we had a very hungry man left waiting 20 minutes for his correct order to come out. Good thing he is patient, I would probably have had a tanty as we had already waited some time. My husband’s tea never made it to the table so we scratched it from the bill.
Our dining friends are regulars here and they really love it. And the cakes they ordered for elevensies really did look spectacularly good. So a mixed review and from where I was sitting, eating and drinking — two stars and the «Meh. I’ve experienced better.» most appropriately sums up my opinion. On another day, it could probably have been a 4 star review…

Go visit Chez Dre on a weekday! You are bound to leave a happy customer as the wait is shorter and staff have more time to concentrate on service and food.
At first it is a bit difficult to find this spot but once you do, you will find an open kitchen, assorted tables and a courtyard area.
They have a wonderful selection of crossaints, fresh bread and desserts and you can also order a creative breakfast from here.
The chai they use here is not too sweet so quite yummy, however the price tag is the only thing holding me back from visiting more often.

I love this place! Have been there over dozen times for coffee, date, lunch and afternoon tea. Only few occasions I had some bad service but most of the time, their food, cakes and pastries are so good and wipe out the bad impression! Good with kids, just friends or family or mummy friends. Outside court yard has nice cozy atmosphere throughout the year. Macaron are great but love their pain au chocolat the best. My kind of pastry! No split bills.

It ain’t cheap, but when it’s good it’s very good.
I’ve tried a fair range of the patisserie here and never had a dud — some perhaps aren’t quite as good as others (and in my mind if i’m barely getting change from a tenner on a cake it better be pretty great) but those eclairs. Texture and flavor mastered, all in a little choux that disappears far too easily!

Chez Dre, is the worst café I have been to in a long time. We went in today for lunch and coffee before visiting the markets as I am sure many do. Given the area and look of the café, we were sure we were in for an exceptional dining experience. We couldn’t have been more wrong.
Chez Dre is apparently some sort of Patisserie who claim to have a Chocolatier upstairs. If they are a Patisserie they have not yet mastered the humble croissant, please refer to the photo I have added of these embarrassing pastry messes– it is next to the sign that says «minimum EFTPOS $ 20…»
I digress, so we ordered our usual double Ristretto latte– the confused looking waiter questioned what this was and it’s existence, but trotted off with the order in a friendly enough manner. He returned with two very lovely looking lattes, which unfortunately tasted like dirt after a Volcano eruption. Just in case thats vague– they burnt the beans.
For our lunch, I ordered the Chorizo & Smashed Peas, the description was fabulously mouth watering and my gorgeous compadre ordered the Braised Pork Belly, which also sounded great considering I’m not the biggest pork fan. Both cost around $ 19.
During the very reasonable wait for our food, I appreciated a very South Melbourne atmosphere in a very well fitted, contemporary space. Chez Dre ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people who probably do not care or know better.
When my smashed peas arrived, I was very hungry and very excited. I had gotten over the coffee incident and accepted that some people just do not know what a croissant should look like and was blown away by the exquisitely presented meal placed before me.
With much anticipation I took my first eager fork full and absolute repugnance! COLD peas, with hot poached eggs, hot crispy chorizo and toasted (stale) sourdough. Boyfriend and I needed to swap knives (he had a steak knife) so I could cut into my sourdough! I nearly spat it straight out, across the table on to my poor boyfriends face who was forcing down over cooked by what could have been a month pork. Mortifying.
I didn’t finish. It’s a shame it was so unappetising because the flavours were right on and very creative. The waiter very clearly noticed I did not finish and did not care to ask why. Unprofessional.
After a conversation with another staff member there who so proudly mentioned the Chocolatier upstairs who provides for their beverages, I thought it’d be fair I try this apparent magical elixir before we left as I always aim to write fair reviews.
To say the Hot Chocolate tasted like dish water, would be insulting dish water. I can forgive thin, watery hot chocolates, but this one tasted actively bad — I don’t know what went into it other than chocolate, but it shouldn’t have been in there. Hugely disappointing.
We also ordered a Piccolo to try the house blend, to ensure it was truly terrible and not just their poor choice in milk effecting the taste of the coffee. Nope, it’s definitely them. they can not make coffee.
I am actually embarrassed about how bad Chez Dre is. It is in such an iconic location, it weighs on me that people that are not from our fair city could be coming to Melbourne for a day, going to only one café like Chez Dre and being forever maimed by the experience.
Besides it’s typical, well to do fit out and attractive young staff, I can not comprehend what anyone actually enjoys about Chez Dre… We even saw the owner (told by the waitress) cringing at the hot chocolate… awkward.

Great brunch spot in South Melbourne. Arrive early to snag a table, there’s great patio seating outside. I tried the Eggs Royale which is smoked salmon with this really unique miso-​yuzu hollandaise.
Lots of coffee options and one very tasty iced tea option. The desserts are a must!

I’ve been to Chez Dré now twice, and each time was great. Friendly staff and delicious food. I must say, I prefer the lunch to breakfast, but I’d still highly recommend this gorgeous café/​restaurant.
The décor is definitely French inspired, and funky, and it’s always busy which gives it a great atmosphere.
If you want a delicious, fresh breakfast or lunch, or simply a stunning cake and coffee, this is for you. The cakes are magnificent and you can taste the quality in them, and know they’re not mass produced.
My new favourite place :-)

Bring your sweet tooth! Or teeth! Walk down a little alley and open the door onto a Parisian tastebud wonderland. You won’t be able to resist trying something from one of the most lavish, tantalising, mouth-​watering dessert cabinets in Melbourne. Cheesecakes, Tarts, Pies, Croissants, Mud Cakes, Flourless Cakes, Friands and more in an array of delicious flavours, and the perfect size for one (or to share if you’re feeling controlled) await you, all perfectly presented with intricately crafted edible decorations!
Or try one of the many flavours of macaroons. The salted caramel and the lime/​basil are hands down the best I’ve ever tasted.
The coffee and real food is great here too. All French-​inspired, and you can see right into the open kitchen from wherever you’re sitting.
Expect to wait for a table on weekends, even though there’s plenty of seating. Which proves how popular this hidden gem is!
Give your tastebuds a treat and go go go to Chez Drè.

Tucked away in one of South Melbourne’s laneway is home to patisserie and café, Chez Dre, offering French-​inspired sweets and savoury delights, pastries and a great selection of petits gateaux.
I had the Eggs Royale ($ 18.50) which consists of smoked salmon, tobiko, yuzu-​miso hollandaise and poached eggs on sourdough. The eggs were poached to perfection with orange liquid full of goodness oozing out from the eggs. Apart from the eggs, the smoked salmon was fresh and the tobiko gave a hint of crunch with every bite. What stood out from the Eggs Royale dish was the yuzu-​miso hollandaise. It was rich, creamy and had the perfect consistency complementing well with the other elements of the dish.
At Chez Dre, there was just so much variety and selection of cakes to choose from that I stood at the counter for a good five minutes — I could not decide what to order as everything looked so good that I would order one of each if I had another stomach! In the end, I chose the Mango, Coconut and Yuzu ($ 9.50). The Mango, Coconut and Yuzu cake is made out of mango jelly, coconut mousse, peanut tuile, white chocolate and yuzu cremeux and roasted coconut dacquoise. It was refreshing and had a right amount of sweetness with a lovely balance of flavours.
The atmosphere of the café was modern, relaxing, airy and comfortable with a lovely courtyard outside for beautiful summer days with blue skies. The service was also excellent — friendly, efficient and welcoming. Now I know why Chez Dre is so popular among locals in Melbourne and it has definitely become one of my favourite brunch places in Melbourne too! I highly recommend Chez Dre for their food. Oh and don’t forget to leave without trying their petits gateaux. As there’s a wide selection to choose from, you will definitely be spoilt for a choice!

This review is just about the cakes and my god they are outrageous. I’ve only started in the journey, lemon hazelnut tart (favourite so far complex, lots of surprises, swoon worthy), popcorn & apple, and hazelnut praline. every component is clearly thought about and finessed to utterly deliciousness.
Really yummy and I’m not even a desert person. love cakes though.CAAAAAKE. went back and trying passionfruit & chocolate tart tonight. mission is to make my way through the whole collection before it refreshes!

Great brunch place with a French twist and an amazing advantage of an efficient wait list!
Pretty sure there’ll be something to cater to everyone’s needs given the wide range of options available. Go at 11.30 and both the breakfast and lunch menu will be available to you. So will the range of sandwiches and sweets in the display cabinet.
I’ve heard great stuff about their breakfast menu and was tempted by the brioche French toast with seasonal (spring) fruits and caramelised pecans! On par with those from hardware societe, the French toast was a good combination of refreshing sweet fruits, rhubarb, cream and crunchy pecans.
There were some pretty mouthwatering selections on special and savoury options for breakfast too. Think croque monsieur, croque madame, baked eggs etc… Great brekkie staples one would expect to find in a South Melbourne café.
We also took away some cakes… The cake display cabinet was a work of art! Individual cakes looked as pretty as they were delicious!
Can’t wait to go back for some savoury options! And unlike other popular hole in the wall brunch locations, chez dre has a huge space, both indoors and outdoors. The queue moved surprisingly quick too given the number of people waiting at the entrance. Two thumbs up!
The kitchen probably struggled a little with the volume of orders as we had to wait a fair amount of time before our coffees and food arrived. On the plus side, food and coffee arrived at the same time which made for a good meal.
Will definitely recommend this to anyone who’s in the neighbourhood!

I keep trying to love Chez Dre but everytime I go, the food just does not flatter me. They’re trying too hard.
We ordered the ‘veggie petit déjeuner’. The only thing I found appetizing on the plate was the roasted potatoes, avocado and the poached eggs. The roast tomatoes, the wild green lettuce leaf thing, mushrooms, relish and bread (the toast didn’t know if it was toast or not — either toast it or don’t!) was just inedible. It’s SO easy to get right. For $ 20.50 it stung a little.
They did offer us a free coffee as a sorry (but this was weird as we didn’t feel like having more coffee).
Overall was a pretty awkward experience, complete with what seemed like inexperienced staff! Wont be rushing back.
x