CAFE > Hardware Société

Hardware Société redefined the concept of breakfast in Melbourne in 2009, ditching the eggs and smashed avocado on toast that was de rigour for most cafe’s and instead constructing layers of flavour more akin to gourmet fine dining than usually expected at breakfast.

Where once there was just a 35 seat restaurant in Hardware Street, the success of Hardware Société has seen the founders Di & Will Kesser opening Hardware Société Paris (in 2016) and Hardware Société Barcelona (in 2022) but in Melbourne you have the option of visiting the original venue still at 123 Hardware Street or the flagship venue at 10 Katherine Place on the South (river) side of the city.

The change making breakfast (or brunch) into a really special meal (rather than more of the same which they were for a long time) can be attributed to Will Kesser and his innovation in the kitchen. Many of the excellent recipes can be found in the Hardware cook book titled “No Eggs on Toast” which is reflective of their strategy to doing things differently.

You might find duck confit on the menu with marinated pear, baby onion, frisée, crispy pancetta & roasted hazelnut salad with a poached egg and blood orange glaze ($28) or a twice baked soufflé with roquefort cheese, chive, saffron pickled apple, herb roasted walnuts, red mizuna, walnut bread and poached eggs ($27). For the sweet tooth how about fried brioche carrot cake which is a spiced carrot cake bavarois, caramelised orange, whipped maple cream cheese, macerated golden raisins, brown sugar sable and candied carrot ($27)

The food is slightly decadent but you know that you deserve it don’t you. The coffee beans comes from premium roaster Market Lane (milk supplied by Gippsland Jersey) and espresso comes from the uber cool Slayer coffee machines. If you are in the right mood you might even have a breakfast cocktail to go with your day mmmm I can feel a bloody mary calling right now.

It’s walk ins only, so get along and go on do yourself a favour…