Two Bob, Clifton Hill by Big Fil

We don’t often meet up with other bloggers, but when we do we try to check out the places they recommend.  That’s how we came across Two Bob, a Clifton Hill cafe located inside an old bank. 

First of all, it’s a really nice place to eat.  Lots of light, an open uncrowded feel, with just a few little knick knacks  scattered around the place to catch the eye.  Combine that with extremely friendly staff and you’re already off to a good start.

But in the end it means nothing if the food isn’t up to scratch.  And while I didn’t think Two Bob was up there amongst the very top shelf of Melbourne cafes, it was certainly a class above your typical neighbourhood joint.

Polite gentleman I am, I offered Snooze first choice on which breakfast to try and she went for the corn and coriander fritters, with avocado and sourdough, tomato. coriander salad, sweet harissa and the optional bacon.  Damn, that was what I was going to order and in the end I think it was more suited to my tastes than hers anyway.  I liked the ‘corniness’ of the fritter, as I sometimes find these a bit under flavoured, and the bacon was nicely crisped although I would have liked just a touch of fat around the edges.

My breakfast choice was the crumbed poached eggs, which came with grilled asparagus, smoked salmon, toasted pinenuts and sourdough.  Best thing about the dish was the texture, with the crumbed eggs and toasted pinenuts giving the dish a pleasant slight crunchiness.  When you're offering things very similar to other cafes around town, it’s these little touches which can help you stand out.  I was also pleased with the smoked salmon, which seemed to be a better quality than you often get as well.

Overall

Nice bright interior, very friendly staff and pretty decent food makes for a nice way to start your weekend.  It lacks that funky edge many of the cafes in that part of town have, but a really nice spot to just sit back and read the paper.  Very polished performer and hard to pick any faults with our visit.

Verdict

Food – 8

Ambience – 8

Service – 8.5

Price – 7

Address

270 Queens Parade

Clifton Hill VIC 3068

Tel: (03) 9482 5444