Au79

Overview

Au79 is the symbol (and atomic number) for gold on the periodic table, and it's the name of Abbotsford's much-loved cafe. When you name your cafe after such a covetable metal, you're making quite the statement — and the team behind this ambitious eatery have certainly gone for gold in every aspect of its production.

It makes sense; owners Maggie Li and Julia Hou have a trail of café experience between them, with a pedigree that includes Addict Food and Coffee, Sir Charles, Liar Liar and Prospect Espresso.

Au79 is bigger than Ben Hur. You walk in the door and it just goes back and back, and then it goes back some more. Previously an auto mechanic's garage, the 200-seat space has been radically transformed by Mim Design and now feels more like a large-scale conservatory or botanical garden fern house — it's loft and bright and filled with greenery.

Despite its size, it isn't overly loud, and conversation doesn't compete with the excellent playlist coming from the well-placed Sonos sound system.

The menu reflects an imaginative approach to food. Au79's take on the classic eggs royale strays from tradition, swapping out smoked salmon for butter poached prawns. You still get the classic poached eggs and a rich and creamy hollandaise, but the classic muffins are replaced with a charcoal brioche bun and a side of kipfler potato chips.

Other standout dishes include the mango waffle with lime jelly, mango mousse, passionfruit curd, fresh blueberries and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and the super rich seafood linguine with seafood bisque, scallops, clams, mussel, prawns, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and basil.

In addition to the kitchen there's also a bakery and patisserie run by ex-Rustica head baker Isaac Kane, and a roastery that looks after all their Au79 coffee. So, you know that the cakes, tarts and breads are made in-house, as is the 24K house blend of beans from Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala.

The team behind AU79 has clearly planned every detail of this mini village cafe. Neighbourhood cafes — and, more pertinently, good neighbourhood cafes — require an essential gold ingredient to survive, and that is damn good hospitality (with all that that the term encompasses). From a true welcome as you walk in, through to the setting, the produce and the food, Au79 has that substance in spades.

Appears in:
The Best Cafes in Melbourne
Where to Find the Best Coffee in Melbourne