Melbourne’s Unique Beach Cafe Culture

The city of Melbourne sits comfortably on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, a shallow saucer-shaped bay of beautiful coral reefs and seagrasses that provides a home to a huge number of rare and interesting nautical creatures, including fish, penguins, its own special pod of dolphins and the very unusual weedy seadragon.

Even though most Melbournians have no idea of the wonders beneath the surface of the water and are oblivious to how the seagrasses and plankton keep the bay clean, they do have an affection and appreciation for this water playground, resulting in some interesting cafés appearing around the edge of the bay. Some of these cafés are close to the water’s edge and some are right on the sand. These appeal mainly to the local beach goers and regular walkers and to a few hardy souls who are perhaps more adventurous.

The SeaBreeze Café is one such café, and it certainly lives up to its name. If you like to feel the breeze on your face and smell the salty air as you sip your short macchiato or herbal tea, then SeaBreeze Café is for you. This tiny café is right on the beach underneath Edithvale Life Saving Club.

Here you can have an „any sort of eggs“, breakfast or a light lunch just a few metres from the water of beautiful Port Phillip Bay.

If you are willing to face the elements, you will be pleasantly surprised at tables out in the sun under beach umbrellas. Those who have a love of the sea and can adjust to the changeable weather conditions will enjoy the challenge of eating here, be it fair weather or foul  although the bottom of the menu does say „closed in extreme weather conditions“.

The owner tells me that this café was the first café in the city of Kingston to have outside tables (it was the city of Chelsea back then, in 1990). He proudly showed me his permit hanging on the wall that says „permit one“. He also has a second permit, „Permit 2“, issued by Kingston Council when the councils changed and were amalgamated a few years later.

The menu at SeaBreeze is simple – breakfast, lunch and snacks. Desserts include Everest Indulgent Dessert and Everest Gelato, which certainly sound interesting. According to the owner, the beach at Edithvale is the most popular beach around the bay. I asked him if that was because of his little café and he laughed and said, „That too, but mostly because migrants drive down to the end of Springvale Road ‚til they come to the sea and they do not know whether to turn left or right, so they just stop here at Edithvale beach.“

The beach is also easily accessible by train, so you don’t have to worry about parking.

If you’re not into jogging, taking an early morning swim or walking the dog, you can still enjoy sitting outside even when the wind is bitter, cosy in your ski jacket and eating a hearty breakfast or sipping a hot coffee.

As you watch the waves crashing on the shore you may be reminded of a café on the ski fields on a mountain top where you can sit out in the elements with the snow all around, while you watch the marshmallows floating in your hot chocolate. Somehow it has the same appeal.

If you are a fresh air freak and like the sea, these seaside café breakfasts are for you. Just remember that you are in Melbourne, so make sure you bring a windcheater or ski jacket as well as your hat and sunglasses!

(The Epoch Times)