Located on Little Lonsdale Street, just a stones throw from Melbourne Central Station, 1000 £ Bend has quickly become a beacon of inner city goodness for me.
I’ll admit, I’d walked passed it a number of times before actually going in, because it looks like a grungy warehouse from the outside. I made assumptions and cast aspersions about what the menu might offer. Much to my eventual dismay, as I’d been spending all that time at substandard known quantities, rather than venturing in.
Now the Pound is where I take my visiting friends for a hearty inner-Melbourne breakfast, good coffee, great service and awesome tunes.
Entering from Little Lonsdale, you walk into the cafe area, which features a mishmash of furniture and decor, which would not be unexpected from Melbourne’s ‘burbs.
Behind the coffee bar is a vast event space, including a bar, available for rent. Upstairs is another event space, with another bar, and potential for movie screenings, presentations, and live gigs. I’ve been in all three for various reasons, and can confirm the Pound is a great place for relaxed goings on. But today I’m here for the breakfast…
On the menu is a number of hearty options, through to a simple toast and Vegemite.
I choose to break my fast with the Breakfast Bagel, which comes in at a very reasonable $12.50.
On my bagel is a fried free-range egg, bacon, tasty cheese, cream cheese, avocado and relish. All this crammed into a toasted dill bagel. It is yum. Honestly, the intermingling of the cream cheese, avocado, relish and bacon juices is a taste sensation! It is a little difficult to eat stacked though, unless you’ve a detachable jaw. Just break it down, trust me, you’ll love it!
As per usual, I backed this up with a skinny mocha, which was smooth and not overpowering in the chocolate department.
Kudos to the chef when I took some out-of-towners here for brunch. One complained that even though she always asks for crispy bacon, she very rarely gets it. She did at the 1000 £ Bend. And she was most pleased.
Check out the 1000 £ Bend website or head on in for information about upcoming events, gigs and laughs as they’re open into the evenings.
Or, if you’re in town for a breakfast meeting, consider the Pound. It’s spacious yet cosy, and a whole lot less stiff than other cafes in its immediate surrounds.
1000 £ Bend
361 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne
