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MELBOURNE | Housed in the original location of famed Melbourne cafe The Hardware Societe, Ten Square Cafe is a cafe that aim to continue the tradition of quality all day breakfast and lunch options. The Hardware Societe is one of my favourite Melbourne breakfast spots, so when I was invited by the Ten Square team to see what their take on the space was, I accepted.
The menu is a simple affair, featuring beautifully presented dishes made using locally sourced, seasonal produce. When we visited the menu had just been updated for the spring, and featured new dishes, and existing dishes tweaked for the new season, to take advantage of the season’s bounty. There’s also a pastry counter featuring a selection of Cobb Lane Bakery baked goods and Söt by Mörk sweet treats.
We visited for breakfast, and opted for three dishes which give what we consider to be a broad reputation of the sort of food that Ten Square serve up. The recently updated for the Spring black sesame panna cotta with kiwi sorbet, ginger crumb, strawberry, and dragonfruit is a wonderfully light way to start things off. It has just the right level of sweetness balanced with fruit tartness. It’s the kind of dish that works if you eat each part individually, or with a bit of everything in each mouthful.
For a savoury option, we opted for the cured salmon and avocado with farro, broadbeans, feta, kale crisp, a poached egg, onion ash, and salsa verde on toast. The toast is nice and thick, and there’s lots of toppings. Combined with the silky, thick sliced salmon, you have a dish where the sum of all the parts work well. That black onion ash dusted across the plate isn’t just there for decoration. A bit of it with each bite is what really elevates each mouthful.
Finally, there’s the Brioche French toast which, similarly to the panna cotta, balances sweet and tart elements really well. It’s served with mandarin puree, toasted coconut, and fresh strawberry and lime creme fraiche. Very tasty.
The menu’s an all day offering, with some of the more popular lunch items including things like fried chicken and cornbread waffles, glazed beef cheek, and pork belly.
On the drink side of things it’s coffee with beans from Dukes Coffee, Impala + Peacock teas, Mörk hot chocolates, and and assortment of “on trend” lattes and other drinks. There’s also a small selection of local wines, beer, and cocktails. The flat white and cappuccino are fantastic, as is the 85% Mörk Dark Hot Chocolate with a shot of coffee for good measure.
Ten Square might not be as bold in its offering as Hardware Societe, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The food is tasty, the flavours and textures are well considered, and the ingredients top notch. Paied with fantastic coffee and a calm, relaxed environment, it all adds up for a great breakfast experience.
Ten Square Cafe
120 Hardware Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9670 6522
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 7:30am to 3:30pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 3:00pm