amystown

A plus side of working in South Melbourne is having Dead Man Espresso as a local. Whenever it’s someone’s birthday or we need a new location for a meeting, you will find us there.

They do everything well here. The coffee, Seven Seeds and Market Lane is spot on, the venue is cosy on the inside and sleek and modern on the outside and then of course there is the food.

With six of us, there were a lot of dishes ordered on this particular morning.

First up we had the herb and potato rosti, avocado and a poached egg with a side of bacon (or smoked salmon, which ever you prefer) ($18.5).

Herb and potato rosti, avocado and a poached egg with a side of bacon ($18.5)

Then we had the avocado on Zeally Bay organic toast with chevre, grapefruit, toasted almonds and radish salad ($14.5 – $19.5 with bacon and a poached egg).

Avocado on Zeally Bay organic toast with chevre, grapefruit, toasted almonds and radish salad ($19.5 with bacon and a poached egg)

One of the prettiest dishes I’ve seen in a while was the buttermilk banana pancakes with Rooftop honey comb and white chocolate crumb ($14).

Buttermilk banana pancakes with Rooftop honey comb and white chocolate crumb ($14).

I did sneak a taste of the white chocolate crumb, which managed to be sweet and slightly salty and I can imagine a great texture contrast to the soft pancakes.

For me, I went with the special of the day, which was the leek, bacon, and Gruyere omelette served with Zeally Bay sourdough.

Leek, bacon, and Gruyere omelette served with Zeally Bay sourdough

This was beautiful. The omelette was cooked perfectly, keeping it moist and soft and the leek and cheese added beautiful flavour. It was simple and done just right.

For me, Dead Man is a fail-safe option, with great coffee and beautiful food. They also do burgers and beers on a Friday night. How we haven’t managed to get down there on a Friday night is beyond me, but I’m sure they do this well too.

NOTE: This particular brunch was a little while ago, so the menu has changed, but it gives you nice indication of what they have on offer.