Brunch Review | Higher Ground Melbourne

Higher Ground is one of the newer brunch hangout additions in the line of succession following Melbourne’s highly acclaimed Top Paddock and Kettle Black cafes.

Located on Little Bourke St, this glam cafe and restaurant (yes, it has a fully-fledged night menu on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights!) boasts a breathtaking interior and impressive food.

I love the decor and spacious lofty atmosphere, and admit that it was one of the first things that caught my eye in wanting to try out this place. The cafe’s mortar and concrete high ceilings and expansive layout give it a highly industrial vibe, but there are softer, more homely touches and the cafe is fitted quite tastefully with modern furniture and a high sharing table area to over look the kitchen.

The cafe is highly platformed and also has an upstairs seating area. It does have a rather romantic feel to it, considering how luxurious the place is, and the placement of arched windows and  the gabled rooftop, which gives it a cathedral-like vibe. I’ve always been a fan of the modern-industrial interior look, and the way they transformed this old heritage-listed 19th century power station into a modern and classy hangout area hit right on the spot.

I’ve been here twice so far, and the latest occasion was to celebrate a friend’s 20th birthday. It’s a perfect place for a meet up, and the seating is comfortable and the surroundings sumptuous and aesthetic. I had accidentally left my phone at home that day, so my lovely friend Karina, from Immersed in Imagination, helped me photograph for the day and was kind enough to lend me her pictures. The rest are taken from the Higher Ground Instagram page.

Although the cafe is spacious and can seat many, it’s such a popular location for foodies that it fills up quickly. HG has a strict booking policy and doesn’t take bookings after 10am and subject to the size of the booking, so most likely, you’ll have to line up for a seat. The wait actually took up to 45 minutes, which is considerably longer than most places I’ve been to, and it was a weekday too! This is something you want to be wary of while dining here, and you may want to make your own arrangements in lieu of this fact.

Food is very pleasant and makes for amazing photography. I wouldn’t say that the food is anything particularly different to what you would expect from the Melbourne breakfast scene, but it is definitely of a high calibre and deeply fulfilling.

Portion sizes are pretty good, although might not fill the reader with a big appetite. The hotcakes, however, I must say are another matter – these will fill you up good. No one on our table could finish their servings  of the hotcake since it was so generous.

Pricing is reasonable and around the same as you would expect at any brunch place in Melbourne.

Ricotta Hot Cake and Mince Lamb Fry Up

Spiced cauliflower scrambled eggs, curry leaf, roasted chilli, housemate flat bread $19.50

I loved trying out this one – the cauliflower is so aromatic and fragrant, and texture is perfect

Ricotta Hotcake with maple syrup, seeds and grains, cream, seasonal fruit and flowers $21.00

If you’ve ever been to Top Paddock and tried the hotcakes, then I’d say that they taste more or less the same at Higher Ground and are around the same size.

Minced Lamb Fry Up with eggplant, fried eggs, pomegranate, smoked yoghurt and dukka $20.00

I had a very enjoyable experience dining here and would definitely recommend a try out of Higher Ground if you are from Melbourne or ever dropping by!

Tell me,

• Did I make you hungry? (wink)
• What are your favourite brunch places?

xx Eny