Mother
It's a real family affair at Mother: family-run, family-oriented, and family-friendly.
Overview
While one of life's great joys for any Melburnian is exploring the city's seemingly endless cafes, an equally, if not more joyful experience is when you find your perfect local coffee shop. There's nothing quite like the feeling of familiarity that accompanies being a true regular at a friendly and comfortable cafe, where the staff know you by name, the barista knows your coffee order by heart, and you feel comfortable settling in for some time. And Caulfield North's Mother cafe is exactly that place for many lucky locals.
Its name hints at its vibe before you even step through the doors. It's a real family affair at Mother: family-run, family-oriented, and family-friendly. Co-owners Jansen and Kate set up shop in a historic milk bar — part of the community since the 1900s — in 2024, once again opening the space as a local communal hub of activity.
The cafe keeps its cosy, familiar feel because almost all employees are friends, friends of friends, or family members of the owners. In fact, both co-owners have kids who take shifts at the friendly venue. The convivial atmosphere attracts everyone from students on their laptops to mums catching up for mother's group, local workers dropping in for a hot midday meal, and families looking for an easy-going spot to hang out on the weekends.
The menu plays into the mother theme, too, with every dish named after a mother in some form. The cleverly named Mother Bear is a creamy porridge with chia jam, poached pears, and walnuts. The Mother Nature combines pesto scrambled eggs with feta, green beans, spinach, avo and truffle oil. The Mother Focca is the cafe's take on a chicken focaccia sandwich, whereas the Mother Load is a baked potato loaded with chicken, bacon, sour cream and relish. The commitment to the theme is playful, fun and refreshingly unserious.
Even the cafe's logo is an ode to the legacy of mothers, with the backwards 'E' paying respects to Jansen's mother, Esperanza. So bring your mum, mother figure, grandmother, aunt, friend, pup, or just treat yourself, with a visit to Mother when you're next looking for a fuss-free, laidback, generous meal and a great coffee.
Images: Supplied.
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