Overlook the surly service and sewerage waters for a unique breakfast experience.

Our experience

With one at every street corner, down every cobbled laneway, on every office building lobby floor, Melbourne CBD is not wanting for cafes. It has been wanting though, for cafes that offer interesting takes on the routine breakfast/brunch/lunch options, and/or a different cafe experience. Not entirely hidden, but rather most unexpected, it must only be in Melbourne that one can find a cafe/bar/tourist spot sneakily constructed under a bridge, surrounded by the murky brown waters of the Yarra. Opening at an ungodly hour in the morning and remaining open until the late night party hour, Ponyfish Island is the all-round spot for coffee, light meals, and drinkies.

For MoMo & Coco, Ponyfish Island presented the perfect breakfast spot for enjoying the sunshine of a warm autumnal weekend morning with a touch of something different. The breakfast menu sketches a spartan outline of basic toasts and spreads, waffles, muesli. There are no egg-based nor meat-based breakfasts here. Later in the day, there are offerings of half-baguettes, quiches, small pastas. Coffee is good too…when it comes…from the exceedingly surly staff. Of the two sweet and irresistible options available, two of our dining party selected both. Below, a basic but nonetheless sweet bowl of muesli with generous servings of tangy yogurt to cut through the pineapple, mango and passionfruit syrup, and round knobs of banana ($9).

And also…two large wedges of waffles, served perfectly golden brown, again with knobs of banana, a scattering of luscious strawberries, lacings of maple syrup and a dollop of mascarpone cream ($10.50). Good morning!

Our verdict

In accordance with our blog’s philosophy of sweeter appreciation, we say only that the food and drinks are basic, simple, with no expectations nor aspirations to be spell-binding. That’s perfectly fine, but the service lacks inspiration, exuding the vibe that they don’t want to be there, and neither do they want you there. Rather, ignore the surly and slow staff, because one would be visiting Ponyfish Island for a unique place to catch-up with friends, for the irresistibly different views and the quintessentially hidden Melbourne experience instead.

Dessert adventure checklist

1. ☑ Dessert destination: Ponyfish Island, Southgate Pedestrian Bridge, spanning between Flinders Street Station and Southgate/Southbank.
2. ☑ Budget: $.
3. ☑ Sweet irresistibles: Breakfast dessert.
4. ☑ Must-eat: The waffles
5. ☑ The short and sweet story: Overlook the surly service and sewerage waters for a unique breakfast experience.