Berkelouw Cafe

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  3     

Food has definitely gone downhill here. Decided to give them another try last weekend. Ordered Salmon Eggs Benedict but when it arrived no salmon, contained ham instead. Overcharged as well (as salmon is more expensive). Had to query with staff to receive the difference back. Unfortunately, the eggs were overcooked to point of being inedible. In the end no one asked how the meal was, as the feedback would not have been good.

May 13, 2012 

3 Below Average

Food  1      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  4     

I've been going to Berkelouw Cafe Leichhardt for over 5 years but haven't really been in the last 12 months because of a significant decline in the food and coffee. I am amazed to constantly see the place so busy after my experiences.

I thought I would try them again over the Easter break and was sadly disappointed and don't feel that anything has improved.

We ordered 2 flat white coffee's that certainly didn't taste anything like a Campos original, they were burnt tasting and bitter, very disappointing.

We also tried a toasted chicken panini and a chicken burger. The panini was so dry I think it was made a week before and had sat in the cabinet all that time, it was actually inedible. The chicken burger was somewhat fresher but unfortunately the bun was burnt top and bottom so you guessed it that's all I could taste.

This actually was one of the reasons I stopped going in the past because either the burger buns were burnt or the turkish bread was always burnt on the breakfast special. It's quite astounding really it appears that this is the only consistent thing they can do.

I had a brilliant peri-peri sandwich and flat white coffee today at the nearby Charlie Lovett Cafe and it runs rings around Berkelouw, take my tip walk down the road as I certainly won't be back to Berkelouw.

Apr 19, 2012 

4 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  4     

We went to Berkelouw Cafe for breakfast yesterday. We ordered two Egg Benedict, Tea and Orange juice. The service is okay but there were so much sand in the spinach and I could not swallow every bit. When I told the waitress and the counter person that they should wash their vegetables, they just looked at me plain - "no sorry" and "no apology".

I'm not sure if other restaurant ever wash their vegetables as a normal practise, but it was just too much sand or dust in the food.

Apr 15, 2012 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  6      Service  1      Value  2     

First & last time we will eat here. Terribly disappointed. Our coffee came within 5mins & tasted nice. 40mins later our breakfast arrived! (Just as we were about to get up & ask whether they had missed our meals). I ordered two Poached eggs on toast, the egg was completely overcooked & cold - which I didn't eat. I would have sent it back but couldn't bare another wait on food, it was almost lunchtime. The toast was difficult to eat, it had gone cold. My friend's scrambled eggs on toast was a completely different portion to everyone else's. They had 40mins to cook four eggs on toast & it was terrible. Staff weren't helpful & when our table was cleared, the waitress looked at the overcooked uneaten poached egg & said nothing. This was a terrible breakfast & I would certainly not recommend this place. It's just not worth it.

Jan 22, 2012 

5.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  5     

Came here for another afternoon coffee. The coffee itself was pretty good, which, unfortunately, was not complemented by the service. Just like the review before me, coffee is great, service is not. Ordered french toast, a Mocha, a Long Black, and portuguese tart. They brought us white coffee. Then they forgotten about the tart, would I come back? yes, only for the coffee.

Sep 04, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

I've only eaten here once or twice but get take away coffee here quite a lot. My experience suggests that the prior reviews here are a bit unfair on service, I've always found them friendly but probably a bit on the "rude but charming" side. Coffee is great and they recently switched to Campos beans, so even better now.

Mar 02, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  5     

Good food, served promptly in a cafe that oozes ambience in the middle of the Norton Street precinct. Bellissimo.

Jul 28, 2010 

3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  4     

Whilst I frequent Berkelouw on regular occasions and the food and service is always adequete, I feel recently the quality has gone down hill. Recently visiting on a saturday the cafe was fairly busy and when placing our order of 1 vegie burger and a chicken burger there was the usual rushed order taking, however, when our food arrived it was not what we had ordered and came on whatever bread was left over (Turkish) I wasn't impressed as Turkish wasn't what I wanted (too high in calories) and the burger was dry with scabby lettuce.

When I complained I was simply shrugged off and told nothing else was available. I didn't eat my meal and will not be returning.

May 16, 2010 

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Fairly reliable food, decent coffee and sitting outside in a well run cafe. Feels like a bit of a cattle call with the queue to order but food/drinks come quickly. The big breakfast special with coffee and juice is good. Everything was well cooked and ample serving.

Mar 25, 2010 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

I can't believe how rude the staff are! I was so disgusted with the service from the waitress and one of the guys making coffee. They are not friendly and were so rude I will never go back here. Its run like a franchise (line up to right of counter which I didn't do and was told in a rude fashion to do so by the waitress) and when I had made my order and was putting my coins away, the guy who I paid used a hand gesture to tell me to move aside!

The waiter who brought me my food didn't even look at me. I would get better service from starbucks or macdonalds! The waiters are so unprofessional and should get over themselves and offer some decent customer service for the price that customers are paying, so disappointed that my morning was made unpleasant due to waiters!!

But the guy who made my coffee with glasses did a fantastic job! Waiters with attitude get another job! Berkelouw Cafe you should be disappointed with yourself! That coffee a day shouldn't be a negative experience!

Oct 23, 2009