Tuesday 2 August 2011

Love love love the Duchess of Spotswood

Duchess of Spotswood
87 Hudsons Road, Spotswood (map)
9391 6016
Breakfast and lunch, open seven days


Idle Tongues

I don't often write about the same place twice, but I felt compelled to share my most recent visit to the Duchess of Spotswood (a cafe I wrote about last year). In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Duchess of Spotswood is my FAVOURITE breakfast cafe in Melbourne. Here, in no particular order, are some of the reasons why:

- The location, in downtown Spotswood (it's a fun excursion over the West Gate for us, plus there's a great vintage collectibles shop just down the road);
- The fitout of the cafe, including the huge front window, the chandelier and the eau-de-Nil painted ceiling;
- The red La Marzocco FB/70, which looks like the shiny lovechild of an espresso machine and a Vespa;
- The Small Batch (Auction Rooms) coffee expertly used with the aforementioned La Marzocco;
- The friendly staff, who will on busy mornings offer to take down your phone number and call you when a table becomes free (and then try to tweet you to alert you to your table when your phone has an OptusFail);
- The menu, right down to the puntastic names for each dish and the use of Oxford commas; and of course
- The FOOD, especially the virtuosic use of British ingredients, the sensible portion sizes (which are often on the smaller side, to take into account the richness of the food) and the always perfectly poached eggs.

Below are photos and menu descriptions of the dishes we enjoyed when T and I visited with some close friends of ours one Saturday a few weeks ago. Every dish rocked.

Duchess of Spotswood

'The Breakfast of Champignons' ($17.50): potato and barley hash with field mushrooms, English Stilton, and poached eggs.

'Idle Tongues' ($16.50): seared ox tongue with smoked semolina, crispy pork neck, and fried duck egg.

Breakfast of ChampignonsIdle Tongues

'Prince of Wales' ($15.50): house smoked salmon fillet with potato pancake, poached egg, and sourdough toast.

'Royal Fanfare' ($18.50): salt cured trumpeter with spicy lamb sausage, home made chutney, and crumbed poached egg.

Prince of WalesRoyal Fanfare

'Simple Pleasures' ($15.50): globe artichoke with sauteed potato, goats curd, and warm chestnuts - pictured with poached eggs ($2 extra) and gluten free bread.

Simple Pleasures

13 comments:

Daniel said...

You know you're a coffee nerd when you can look at one of the photos and recognise Talor ex-Seven Seeds and Brother Buba Budan behind the coffee machine.

Matt C said...

You're killing me, Claire. KILLING ME. Damn my laziness and my car-lessness, they are all that is keeping me from Spotswood.

Temasek said...

We love the Duchess. I remember our first lunch there we had this amazing bacon soup!! Wish they opened for dinner though.

gen said...

So glad it rocks your world Claire, I love love love them too. (Glad my original recommendation got you to the other side) I often find myself craving a taste of their offering, they care about quality and it shows.

I hear a rumor that they will be opening for dinner soon...

Ashley said...

Sigh, I swoon and sigh over that Idle tongue dish! Delish! Am hating this place is so far from me...!

Talor said...

I am so stoked that you had a super time and that your patience for a table was rewarded.

The scoop with opening for dinner is that we are patiently waiting for out liquor license approval with the council. We had quite a number of locals opposing the move, fearing we may start some kind of late night alcohol fueled brawls.

Any submissions of a positive nature would be quite welcome.

Can't wait to have you back!

Cookie said...

Damn my carless-ness also. This place looks yum, maybe I'll have to dust off the pushy!

Veronica Weatherby said...

Wow! If I lived there, Duchess of Spotswood would definitely be my favorite restaurant too! The food looks heavenly especially the Simple Pleasures! Royal Fanfare also seems like a treat! I also think that it's an interesting strategy they've got there with tweeting and calling their customers.

Laura said...

Oh dinner would be awesome! The west needs more options for night time eats. Fingers crossed.

www.naturesfleamarket.blogspot.com said...

Might just be heading there now, thanks to YOU!! xo

stalker zine said...

oh my actual jesus.
yum.

Unknown said...

Wow- thanks for the tip! This is one cafe we are yet to visit inner westside!

Wink,
Gypsy x
Please follow my Melbourne blog too!
http://gypsyju.blogspot.com/

EMG said...

Never mind you car - you don't need the Westgate bridge. Take a trip on the Williamstown line and get off at Spotwood. You'll find the Duchess a few hundred metres down the road towards Melbourne road. Worth the trip. My favourite cafe full stop east or west!