Auction Rooms, North Melbourne

What do you get when you mix retired warehouse style auction rooms, an old fashioned coffee roaster, and tasty morsels of black pudding all 3 kms from the CBD? What you get, my friends, is a delightful weekend breakfast spot: Auction Rooms 103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne.

This weekend's adventure took us to the historically working class suburb of North Melbourne where large factories and warehouses mingle with old Victorian style terrace houses and the gentrification of the main shopping strips is nearly complete. On our way to meet our breakfast companions, Kylie* and Azza* we drove past French patisseries, funky Korean Barbecues and plenty of groovy retail shops. North Melbourne isn't a suburb we visit regularly, but judging by all that's on offer there--it probably should be.

As we drove up Errol street looking for a car park, we spotted our destination. My first observation as we drove by the front of Auction Rooms was how large and open it is. The cafe itself takes up two shop fronts so it has a very wide street frontage. There were diners sitting at tables on the footpath out the front who looked very content to be soaking up yet another beautiful Melbourne morning.

Once we found a car park, we made our way inside the bright and airy cafe. The place was busy, but because it's so large with such high ceilings, it didn't seem crowded or particularly noisy. All the windows and doors along the front of the cafe were folded open creating a flowing effect where the line between indoors and outdoors became blurred. We found Kylie and Azza sitting in a large booth like table in the back corner. We joined them in what became our own little nook for the next several hours. Kylie had gotten a head start on the rest of us and was already enjoying one of her favourite dishes--fresh mango drizzled with honey, sprinkled with fresh mint, and cashews and served with fresh yogurt. Kylie raves about the simple goodness of this dish and tells me it's the mint that makes it so special.

Not wanting to fall too far behind in the weekend breakfast stakes, we quickly grabbed a menu and began to peruse our options. The Auction Rooms cafe serves freshly roasted coffee ground to order and even have an old fashioned roaster on display.


So needless to say, there were plenty of coffee options on the menu as well as a specials board listing a "coffee of the day". Coffee seemed like a good place to start so the Handsome Australian and I both ordered a latte. Then we got down to the serious business of deciding what we'd be having for breakfast. The Auction themed menu, in keeping with the building's heritage, had wide and varied options to choose from. Most of the dishes were inspired combinations of what you might think of as normal breakfast fare with that little bit of something special. I settled upon a dish called, "Opening Bid" which came with two poached eggs, baby spinach, baked bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes, and black pudding all served atop sourdough toast. The Handsome Australian was drawn to a Spanish inspired dish called Catalan Eggs which consisted of two poached eggs on a sourdough toast topped with a tomato salsa and anchovy served on a plate with fresh salad. Our friend Azza was in the mood for eggs and anchovy (seems like quite a strong way to start your morning, but as I said the dishes on this menu were that little bit different...in a good way)and went for the Catalan Eggs too. Kylie had her eyes set on a dish called, "Counter Bid" which consisted of sliced avocado topped with fetta cheese atop a slice of sourdough toast served with poached eggs and fresh chili.

With all the adults sorted, we had to decide what to order for the kids. Princess Pancake was keen to know if they had...you guessed it...pancakes. The "pancakes" on offer were actually pikelets served with an orange syrup and creme fraiche. Not your run of the mill pancakes--pancakes with a difference. We decided that we'd try these on Princess Pancake who can be notoriously picky and that the serve was probably large enough to be shared with Prince Gobble Guts. Time would tell...

When we were ready, a friendly staff member came and took our order. Not long after, our coffees arrived. Kylie and Azza commented on the fact that their initial coffees had taken awhile to arrive, but ours came quite quickly. These lattes were a sight to behold--perfectly poured with a lovely design on the top. They were very hot and very smooth. It was obvious from the first sip that the people at Auction Rooms take their coffee seriously. I personally like a bit of sugar in my latte and when I looked around the table, I found the sugar in a retro Heinz Pea Soup tin. Eye catching and fun and apparently quite popular as Kylie related a story she'd been told by the staff that these little tins are so groovy that people often nick them. (Please my dear readers, leave them be. They are so gorgeous everyone should have a chance to appreciate them).While we sipped our lattes, I noticed a small courtyard out the back that provided yet another seating area. There didn't seem to be a bad table in the place, well not on such a beautiful day anyway. It wasn't long after that the festival of flavours arrived at our table:

My meal-The Opening Bid

The Handsome Australian and Azza's choice: Catalan Eggs

Kylie's pick: The Counter Bid

Princess Pancake's pikelets

The conversation came to a virtual standstill as everyone got stuck into their meals. My poached eggs were a beautiful consistency, almost cooked to perfection. The roasted cherry tomatoes were sweet and melted in your mouth. They proved to be a hit with Prince Gobble Guts who managed to beg a few off my plate (Is there anything this kid doesn't eat?). I have to admit that I asked the server to substitute chorizo sausage for the black pudding that was meant to come with my meal. I'm not a huge fan of black pudding and I absolutely adore a bit of chorizo, so this was a sensible move. It paid off too as the chorizo was probably some of the best I've had in Melbourne to date. Yes, I think I might have struck gold with my selection.

I wasn't the only one who was pleased with my meal. The Handsome Australian had his plate cleaned before I could even admire his courage for eating anchovy that early in the morning. He assured me the anchovy wasn't overpowering and the salsa had a bit of a kick--just the way he likes it. Yes, he was a happy chappy.

Kylie and Azza were sharing their meals and there was a bit of a tussle at the table when Azza indicated it was time to switch. I can't blame Kylie for her protestations, I wouldn't have given my plate away to anyone no matter the prior arrangement. After a bit of gentle persuasion Kylie relented and within no time, there were two more empty plates at the table.

Princess Pancake and Prince Gobble Guts made a bit of an inroads on the pikelets, but didn't finish them off with their usual gusto. I think they were probably a bit put off by the orange syrup--perhaps a bit too highbrow for their inexperienced taste buds. Although, Princess Pancake pointed to the creme fraiche as the reason she wasn't so keen.

Once the breakfast plates were out of the way, it was time for a few glasses of water and a breather before the next round of coffees arrived. I don't often order a second coffee, but these coffees were so good, it wasn't a case of if I'd have another, it was a case of when. Kylie changed the pace a bit with a freshly brewed soy Chai that is served with honey on the side. It looked heavenly. Princess Pancake and Prince Gobble Guts also enjoyed scraping the last bits of honey out of the little glass it's served in. That kept them busy for quite awhile.

The conversations continued and the atmosphere was relaxed-nothing beats good food with good friends. Princess Pancake and Prince Gobble Guts became a bit fidgety at one stage and Kylie set off to find them some crayons and drawing paper. Luckily the cafe had some on hand and this entertained the little ones for awhile longer.

At one point, Prince Gobble Guts decided he wanted to practice his best bar tending moves and began to pour one glass of water into another and then another. Being only two, his fine motor skills aren't superb and there were a few minor spills. One of the staff members came over to clear a few plates and glasses from the table and noticed Prince Gobble Guts' antics. He went back to the bar and brought us a wet towel to keep at the table to mop up the mess so PGG could keep playing. It was a helpful gesture that was greatly appreciated.

Two and a half hours after our adventure had begun, it was finally time to make a move. Although truth be told, I could have sat there sipping lattes all day.

Final Verdict on Auction Rooms: The menu is very diverse with unique combinations that make their meals interesting. The food came out quickly, was well presented and cooked to near perfection. While there weren't specific offerings for kids on the menu, you could order eggs any way with different sides. If I ordered the pikelets again for the kids, I'd ask for all the toppings to be served on the side. The staff were friendly, helpful and attentive. The coffee was hot, smooth and really really good. This is a place I'd come back to again and again. I loved the airy openness and the relaxed feel. If you are in the neighbourhood, you must check it out. If you live nowhere near the neighbourhood then make a point of visiting one morning--you won't regret it. We'll certainly be back. A special thanks to Kylie and Azza for introducing us to the little oasis just North of the city. You guys know all the great places!
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.