Fifteen Pounds doesn’t refer to the weight you’ll gain by eating at this Fairfield cafe – it’s a reference to the recommended tamper pressure for extracting the perfect coffee brew.
And coffee is a real focus at this expansive cafe (Campos being the beans of choice) though the food doesn’t come off second-best. The all-day breakfast and lunch menu moves a little off the beaten track with a few interesting surprises.
From the lunch salad selection I ordered the house cured smoked duck with endives, orange, hoisin, ginger, coriander and crispy noodle salad. This turned out to be as much of a mouthful to eat as to say and was a really accomplished dish of crunchy, fatty, sweet, sour and bitter elements all marrying together to form a huge mountain of salad goodness. For $18 I thought it was a bargain, especially given the fact that I kept unearthing slices of duck in amongst my greens.
Delighted by the unexpectedly adventurous dishes to be found in suburbia I decided to try to apple fritters from the breakfast selection. While this was a feast for the eyes and again very reasonably priced at $13.50 I didn’t particularly enjoy the dish. The batter encasing the apples was thick and doughy, the compote was refrigerator cold, lending an unpleasant contrast to the deep fried apple slices and the fairy floss was more like lumps of toffee than wispy clouds of sugar. Overall it wasn’t a deal-breaker though – it’s just that on my next visit I would order something else.
I liked the décor, especially the old timber pallets turned café tables and the wooden breakfast bar for solo diners fronting onto crates of overflowing produce. Given Melbourne cafe’s predilection for industrial and recycled fittings I’m surprised I don’t see more pallet tables around the traps.
If the weather’s nice there’s a sunny courtyard at the back with a lemon tree fruiting happily. Part of the courtyard is heated so you’ll still be able to bask in the winter sun.
Parents will be happy to know that you can push a pram inside and there are numerous high chairs. Babycinos are de rigeur and the kids menu has breakfast and lunch items on it all priced $6.50 – $8.50 so instead I ordered for the two kids a plate of toast from the standard menu.
You can choose Northcote bakeshop’s stoneground sourdough white, multigrain or gluten free (+$1) with house made jam, vegemite or peanut butter ($5.50). If you need to change your baby there’s a fold-up change table in one of the toilets – it’s squashy so you’ll need to do the change with the cubicle door open but the staff seemed used to it. In fact, the staff were very sweet about both the kids, smiling and chatting to them and telling me that they’d clean up Baby 2.0’s mess as I hunched on the floor clearing up toast crusts.
Fifteen Pounds is a lovely café if you’re travelling to or from Fairfield station or live in the local area. Judging by the regular stream of takeaway coffees I suspect they do great business with the commuting crowd, but with so many kid-friendly features you should definitely make the time to sit down for a meal too.
Features:
- Pram access;
- High chairs;
- Change table;
- Standard menu suitable for kids; and
- Kids menu.
Fifteen Pounds, 21/23 Railway Pl, Fairfield (03) 9482 4481
Mon to Fri 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sat to Sun 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
