The Beatt - CLOSED

Overview

Quietly opening its doors earlier this year, The Beatt (on Beatty Avenue) is the first of a new breed of Melbourne eateries that aims to deliver more than just delicious food: they deliver a lifestyle.

As you walk in, you're greeted by a splendid shock of colour from a poster of French comedian Jacques Tati's Jour de Fête splashed across the far-right wall; a worn yet welcoming sight for hungry, coffee-deprived eyes.

The Beatt dispels any underlying notion that healthy food can't be tasty — at least, when chef Amy Coles is in the kitchen. Where possible, meals are wholly organic and showcase local produce. Breakfast is an assortment of staples and signatures, from the uniquely Melbourne 'make-your-own-avo' on toast to the local favourite Ben and Breakfast Salad (kale, organic quinoa, organic peas, mint, chilli, broccoli, avocado, mixed organic nuts and topped with two biodynamic poached eggs from Bullfrog Gully).

Lunch walks to a similar beat, with a choice of protein (Cherry Tree organic chicken, beef or zucchini and pumpkin frittata) plus any of the rotating salads on offer. Coffee (Rosso Roasting Co.) can be had three ways, with a selection of almond milk, Bonsoy or Demeter Biodynamic Milk, and is best accompanied by one of the beautiful raw truffles, handmade (out the back) by chocolatier Georgie Castle of Citizen Cacao.

Founder Ben Rozenes' philosophy for a balanced life shines through in every corner of the space, from the Lucy Lucy mural hanging over the communal tables in the back room to the stone fire-lit courtyard out back. He has big plans for the quaint street adjacent to Toorak Station, the cafe being just one in a series of developments in which he hopes to provide the community with greater access to healthier and more sustainable ways of living. Plans are already underway for two in-house yoga studios, meditation and massage spaces and accompanying steam rooms.

Stop by, grab a plate, smile and move on to the next 'new Melbourne cafe'. But The Beatt will be here, growing and evolving, and will draw you back, not only through your empty stomach but through a desire to excite purposeful change and awareness in yourself and others.

Images: Dean Schmideg.