In a culinary sense, Seddon seems to get less exposure than neighbouring Yarraville, however, Seddon boasts an array of quality cafés. The character of strip shopping along Charles and Victoria Streets in Seddon is slowly becoming more upmarket ('gentrified', as my partner termed it), encouraging new cafés to open in what is becoming quite a competitive market.
The Little Man Café opened about six weeks ago. We visited this morning, hitting the Sunday brunch peak (around 11.00am), which is a good test for any café. The café was about two-thirds full when we arrived, and completely full by the time we left.
Inside The Little Man Café
On entering the café, I immediately liked the look and feel of the place. Although not a big space (seating perhaps 45-50 people maximum), it is light and airy. The décor is modern and a bit funky. It's a rectangular room, with the counter (incorporating the espresso machine) on the left as you enter, and the kitchen is at the back. There is a large communal table at the front of the café. We were seated at the back of the café, next to the kitchen.
I found the service to be friendly and efficient from the time we were seated. We were promptly given menus and offered coffees. The coffees arrived quickly and were well made.
The menu features a fairly standard range of breakfast dishes (available all day), with a small number of additional dishes available for lunch. Prices seemed quite moderate.
I ordered Chilli and Herb Scrambled Eggs on Toast ($12), my partner the Eggs Florentine ($16). The food arrived within a quite acceptable timeframe and food presentation was acceptable, though a little rustic.
My scrambled eggs were tasty, smooth and creamy. For my palate, I'd have preferred a slightly stronger kick of chilli, as it was barely discernible. What let the dish down was that the 'toast' on which the eggs were served was not toast at all, it was barely warmed multigrain bread.
Chilli and Herb Scrambled Eggs on 'Toast'
My partner enjoyed the Eggs Florentine, and was particularly complimentary about the Hollandaise sauce.
Eggs Florentine
What had us leaving the café in a hurry though was the noise. When the café was full, it became impossible for my partner and I to hear each other (in fact the noise became a bit overwhelming). I guess some diners are fine with yelling over a noisy environment to communicate, but it's not what I prefer to do. I hope the owners will consider some noise reducing modifications.
There are certainly some positives to The Little Man, but overall I feel it will need to improve in some areas to compete with other cafés in the area.
The Little Man is open every day except Tuesday for breakfast and lunch. See
The Little Man website for opening hours.
