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MELBOURNE | Rustica Rialto has opened at the foot of the newly refurbished Rialto Towers atrium, and joins its Fitzroy and Hawthorn siblings in dishing up some of the best cafe breakfasts, lunches, and pastries in Melbourne. Given its location, this one’s aimed more at the nearby office crowd and when we visited the covered seating in the outdoor atrium was full of office workers catching up for coffee and meetings in a space more relaxing than the office. The bright and light filled interior is equally relaxing, featuring the clean lines and modern fit out that Rustica is known for.
Head chef Tori Bicknell has come across from the Fitzroy store, and along with founder Brenton Lang has developed a menu full of favourites from that location, along with ‘grab and go’ options like deli sandwiches, salads, and pastries, perfect for the rushed office crowd. We were invited to check out the new venue, and being big fans of the other Rustica locations were keen to see how the new one stood up. In two words, the answer is very well.
Pastries and bread are as good as ever, with the popular doughnuts and cronuts featuring in the pastry cabinet. A simple custard filled doughnut with fresh strawberries hit the spot – light and fluffy without being too sweet, while the apricot creme and blueberry glaze cronut was another winner. For drinks, a great range is on offer – coffee any way you want it brewed along with matcha, chai, and golden lattes. For those not in a coffee/latte mood, there’s also juices and sodas.
Moving on to the main menu, and there’s a lot that looks appealing. We went for the avocado on soudough, which puts a twist on the ubiquitous dish by topping the toast and avocado with burrata, pickled heirloom tomatoes, salsa verde and dukkah. For those wanting a bit more, there’s the option to add smoked beef brisket, dill cured ocean trout or bacon. For us, the dish is perfect as it is – well balanced with just the right touch of sweet and tang.
The other item we couldn’t go past was the spiced lobster eggs benedict with lobster, greens, poached eggs and Sriracha hollandaise inside an open charcoal brioche bun. This thing of indulgence really hit the spot with a beautifully soft texture, perfectly poached eggs, just the right amount of lobster, and a little kick from the Sriracha.
It’s a busy venue, but it’s adequately staffed so nobody that we saw was waiting too long to be served or for their food to arrive. If you’ve been to one of the other Rustica cafes you’ll be pleased with the offering at Rustica Rialto and you’ve not been before, the new spot is a good example of whey they’re so popular.
Rustica Rialto
Rialto Towers
525 Collins Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9614 2122
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 5:00pm