Australia

[Travelogue] Melbourne: Day 2 (1/3) | Auction Rooms - Best Brunch Cafe in North Melbourne? | sillyandordinarygirl

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - March 10, 2019

Hello, are you ready for our day 2 in Melbourne? I'm guessing you're saying 'yes'! Haha
Well, we started off the day by having a brunch at one of Melbourne's most hip cafe for the past few years, Auction Rooms in North Melbourne. We set off from the Larwill Studio hotel, walked for around 4 minutes to Abbotsford St Interchange tram stop, rode Tram no 57 (West Maribyrnong to Flinders Street Station) for 7 stops, got down at North Melbourne Town Hall tram stop, and walked 60 m to reach the cafe. (you can check other routes from 'googlemap' or https://ptv.vic.gov.au) 
photo taken from @auction_rooms
Honestly, at first, after we got down the tram and walked a bit, (I didn't how far it is from the stop, I literally followed Diana on her every step haha) I was pretty surprised when she suddenly stopped in front of a very old building, which looked like it has been abandoned for a while and gonna be torn down pretty soon (sorry, but this was what I really thought of the cafe before getting in). I was just about to ask her whether it's the right place or not, when I saw some people coming out of the door and got a glimpse of the inside. "Wow, this must be it." I remembered saying to myself. 
Stepping in, it was like entering a whole different place. Far gone was the adjective "abandoned", "old" or "almost-torn-down", and replaced by the words "warm", "cozy" and "homely". I was amazed at the way they maintain the old auction house and beautifully incorporate a fully wooden-furnished cafe into it, which probably was what brought out the "comfy" ambiance. I think, if I were local, I would love to stay here for hours! I don't know what it was, but there's something about the place, perhaps it's the wooden interior that somehow relaxed me.  
It was around 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, but although it's on a weekday and it's passed breakfast time, not yet lunch time, it was still pretty much crowded. There were only 2-3 empty tables left when we got there, but while we're waiting for our food to be served, I remembered seeing all the tables soon occupied, so I can really deduce that this cafe must be very popular. 
The Auction Rooms itself is not only a cafe but also a coffee roastery, featuring a selection of daily blends available for purchase. These coffee beans are supplied by its ex-owner, Andrew Kelly, (The Auction Rooms became part of St Ali's family in 2016), who is also the founder of Small Batch Roasting Co. 
"We take great pride in sourcing seasonal produce, supporting sustainable farming practices and composting our food waste."
Ever since the beginning, the Auction Rooms has been committed to the sustainability philosophies, so its menu has been changing over time, depending on the seasonal availability of (local) ingredients, but don't worry, some of the classic all-day menus get to stay. Oh, and they have vegan and gluten-free dishes to opt for too! 
Breakfast board : grilled chorizo, smoked salmon, cauliflower fritter, soft-boiled egg, rye soldiers, granola, turmeric & ginger smoothie - AUD 20.5

Arepa e’huevo : Colombian corn pancakes, fried egg, creamed mushrooms, crispy sage, vino cotto, gremolata & parmesan (gf) (v) - AUD 19.5 + bacon AUD 4.5 
The food tasted pretty good, not over-seasoned, healthily-balanced meals I would say, which were what we needed to charge us up to get ready for the day. 
To sum it all up, the ambiance itself is enough to make me like this place, but added with the delicious food, served with fresh natural ingredients, great service and also their commitment to sustain the environment, there's definitely no wonder why this cafe, even after 10 years since it was opened in 2008, is still irreplaceable as one of the most recommended cafe in North Melbourne.  
And you know what, Diana and I are not heavy coffee drinker, in fact I don't usually drink coffee, so we didn't try the Auction Rooms' specialty blend, which is why I can't give you any comment about that, BUT from the information that I read in the internet, their coffee is to die for. So if you're a coffee lover, I think you should really try their coffee. I saw a lot of other customers coming in specially to indulge themselves with the freshly blended coffee, so the claim must be true!

The Auction Rooms
103-107 Errol Street
North Melbourne, 3051 VIC
Ph: 03 9326 7749 
Opening Hours: 
Mon-Fri 7 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 7:30 am - 5 pm

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

1 comments