What happens when you combine a café and a grocer? In the case of Mavis The Grocer, in Abbotsford, you get a beautiful space where coffee is poured and fresh produce lines the walls creating a bright, natural, and welcoming café.
Maurice Manno and Dan Zeidan (Lazerpig and The Grace Darling Hotel) are the two men behind this new space. They created the new look and feel themselves, going for an old school milk bar vibe to go with the name. The result is a simple space with yellow weatherboard walls, wooden tables and chairs, white and black tiled floors, and a bar that’s been created from an old ticket booth from Her Majesty’s Theatre.
The menu offers up a perfect balance of tasty café dishes and healthy ingredients. You can start the day with coconut chia with poached rhubarb and seed and nut crumble, or maybe the omelette with crushed potatoes, leek, Gruyere, chickpea shoots, and chilli oil. Lunch is made up of sandwiches like the roasted pumpkin with goats cheese and spinach, and salads like the poached coconut chicken with wombok, cucumber, bean sprouts, and peanuts.
Smoothies and cold pressed juices sit next to Seven Seeds coffee and Organic Tielka tea on the drinks list. You can also go for a glass of Dal Zotto Sparkling or Mountain Goat Organic Steam Ale if that’s more what the day is calling for.
We recommend going for the café fare and leaving with a few bits and pieces for the cupboard. Perhaps a bag of almonds, a handful of oranges, and some olive oil.
Mavis The Grocer
197 Vere Street, Abbotsford
(03) 9419 3900
official website
