On a weekend Merchants Guild has people out the door queuing to eat and while it doesn’t take too long to be seated, the quality of food is completely worth the wait. This breakfast/lunch eatery is located in Bentleigh East and has some real winners on the menu. Whenever I leave I am already planning on when to come back. They do a great coffee, and for those chai tea lovers out there, they do a really amazing chai. The food is just yum, yummy yumness on a plate.
The décor has a modern and environmental feel about it. Open kitchen, open space, micro herbs growing in a big fridge. It has a positive, busy, vibey ambience.
The first time I visited I tried the Prana chai because I had heard great things about it. I was not disappointed. It was full of flavour, really creamy, really spicy, really balanced. Delish sums it up well. Not to mention adorable, it came out in a little metal pouring pot with a strainer.
They have a good variety of different teas. Even their English breakfast tea is really good. And again adorable! It comes out with a teapot, a glass, a little strainer, a little milk bottle and a three little hour glasses. When the last hour-glass runs out of sand it means the tea has sufficiently brewed and is ready for drinking. Too cute.
They do a really good coffee too. Delish! And they also do fresh juices. My friend got a cold pressed super juice, which had apple, beetroot, silverbeet and grape she said was nice.
They provide everyone with a bottle of plain water and sparkling water which I think is a cute idea.
The eggs panzanella was delicious. I hadn’t had panzanella before but OMFG these flavours go together like peas in a pod, like butter on bread, like burgers on brioche, like bacon and egg, like presents on christmas. It was sensational! The jamon, the basil, the dehydrated cherry tomatoes and the marinated white anchovies were incredible all together. Then there were torn pieces of bread fried up like giant rustic croutons, which were crunchy and toasty and soaked up all of the flavour and the egg yolk (eggs were poached perfectly btw). It was delicious!
The short cut bacon with an avocado and charred corn salsa on sourdough with eggs and jalapeno pesto is popular and for good reason. The bacon is yum, it’s a delicious thick piece of short cut bacon. The avo and charred corn salsa is amazing and tastes really creamy and fresh it's got a bit of zing. The jalapeno pesto is yum (not hot but tasty) and is spread over the sourdough with eggs on top. It’s a really fresh and tasty meal.
With their eggs benedict they have a changing hollandaise, which is fun. When they bring the menu out they usually tell you the hollandaise of the day along with the soup of the day. I had the seeded mustard hollaindaise and it was absolutely scrumptious. It would definitely be up there in my top hollandaise sauces of all time. It was creamy and smooth and moreish and delicious. It was grand. And then with the eggs, the smoked ham hock and a bit of spinach, it was just heaven.
The raspberry pancake looked really pretty, it had a big scoop of maple mascarpone in the middle and vibrant blue flowers, fresh berries and puffed rice scattered on top with a sprinkle of gaytime dust. The pancake was soft and fluffy and smothered with maple syrup so it was super sweet but if you eat a little bit of everything together it balances out the sweetness. The raspberry jam and fresh berries are tart and the mascarpone was creamy. The gaytime dust and the puffed rice added texture. It was yum but gosh it was filling.
Eyes on the prize. Max had his heart set on the salted caramel doughnut the moment he laid eyes on it. They also do a white chocolate cheesecake filled doughnut and a lemon curd one too. Yum!
At Merchants Guild everything is made with love and you can taste it. The quality produce and the care taken into creating the menu and presenting the dishes is nothing short of amazing. Weekends are really busy but it’s managed really well so you are seated pretty quickly. I’ve only ever waited about 10-15mins. And it is well worth the wait. Perfect place for brunch, it’s got a great atmosphere and the food is exceptional.
I heart Merchants Guild!
Olives x
Merchants Guild
Address: 680 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, VIC 3165
Website: www.themerchantsguild.com
Phone: 03 9579 0734
Trading hours: Mon-Sun: 7am-4pm
