old green bean

i love this place (and i'm not alone!) and feel the need to defend them against the last nasty and bitter review- having previously been and left a nice ish review the user (victorian dinners something...) claimed not to know what to do when they got there and that their coffee wasn't 'hot'. oh and then god forbid 'burnt'. i hate when people complain about queues, it means the place is busy and good and worth the wait, and i happen to judge a coffee on whether it comes out at a nice drinkable temperature, and is damn good. what did you expect when you no doubt waved down their poor old waitress? just ask for it extra hot in the first place (apparently it was your previous complaint anyway)and stop your negative whingeing. this is a gem in regional bendigo and i will be going back again and again!


-----28 may, 2013-----

best coffee not just in town but in general! food was awesome, staff are all lovely and bustling atmosphere testament to an awesome spot. new favourite!

the old green bean gets everything right; food , service , coffee, atmosphere .. i moved up here from melbourne and went on the hunt for a top notch cafe > found it.

wonderful！！！！

went here because of the lovely reviews. lovely sunny north-faced terrace. service was friendly. food wasn't great though. we had the nachos wich were dry and too salty. not enough sauce, salsa, avocado, too many nachos relatively. beans were dry. shakshuka was okay, but also too salty (maybe it was the feta that was just too salty?). aloha juice was really nice.

i completely forgot about this cafe, i hadn’t visited for a few years until recently. i was not disappointed one bit.
my coffee was great and soy milk was of good quality. i ordered the middle eastern roti this was beautiful also the nachos which are healthy and yummy and i love the simple changes to the classic nachos like the feta and black beans.
i will be back !

great little hipster vibe cafe. delicious food we ordered the salmon smash avo and the breakfast burrito. both dishes were on point. the chai is a winner as well. friendly staff and nice table setting out the front.

really nice little cafe! the food diversity was amazing and i struggled to chose just one meal, so definitely will be back here again to try something new next time.
was bustling for lunch but we got a table pretty fast and it wasn’t too loud despite how many people were around. scottish breakfast tea was very good.

bendigo is one of my favourite country towns for a day trip, especially as it has so many amazing eateries. old green bean is one of those places that specialises in country hospitality without being too cliche. this is a pretty arty/funky venue in a great corner location. with three distinct areas to sit, this place is always bustling and there is a happy hum in the air as people mingle over coffee and delicious food.

i can never pass up the pastries cabinet as there is always an abundance of home made treats, and a piece of cake or yummy tart never go astray on a day trip. we also had the delicious hotcake, which was a big, fat hotcake served with poached pear, nuts, cream and a warm butter sauce. it was so good, and the texture of the hotcake was great for soaking up the delicious sauce.

the staff are just so lovely and welcoming and make that trek out of the city well worth the drive. the coffee, fab ambience and yummy food are a lovely bonus.

this cafe is always busy which is a good sign.although 80% full, a table for two was quickly found. we ordered a strong coffee and a juice and the okonomiyaki and the cypriot grain salad. the menu offers a wide choice of traditional and international dishes. our drinks arrived quickly and the coffee was outstanding ( they roast their own coffee).

after a very long wait, the staff explained that something had gone wrong( these things happen occasionally) with the order. an apology and a free cake or coffee was quickly offered.

the cypriot grain salad had ancient grains, pepitas, pinenuts, almonds, currants, herbs , pomegranate, yoghurt and honey; a refreshing and authentic lighter style middle eastern dish.

the japanese okonomyaki was a generous serve with red cabbage, mayo, bacon and vermicelli noodles. different from the normal japanese style, served with vermicelli.

highly recommend for coffee, breakfast and lunch but it can get crowded.

the food was okay. the big breakfast is literally so big. just like how its named. the turkish cheese bread in the big breakfast menu was delicious. the coffee was good. but it was a bit too bitter for my liking.

rating: 3.5
family friendly, quirky country cafe. decor is lovely. sit out the front if you can - the cushions are fun. staff are nice, food is generous, and home-style. a nice stop when in bendigo.

great coffee, and i have soy milk which can be hit or miss. delicious meal, very filling and heaps of flavour. will definitely come back. i’m from melbourne and a cafe owner myself, so great to come out and love everything!

fantastic food and service. love their scramble egg and apple toffee smoothie. environment is open and homely, not crowded. will visit again next time when i’m in the town :)

amazing food and atmosphere! ordered the chicken focaccia and the chicken sandwich, both were a delight. both meals came out fresh and piping hot. everything was made and cooked to perfection. home made iced tea and the cacao and almond milkshake are highly recommended as well! all items on the menu are reasonably priced. will definitely come back if i’m ever in bendigo again!

once upon a time this place was the place to be in bendigo. sadly times have changed and with the new management this place has lost the great vibe it used to have. staff seem too worried about getting food/drinks out with little focus on customer service. food is not what it used to be. coffee is still fine but the experience of not feeling like a valued customer sours everything. i'd love to see this place get back to basics with friendly service where customer satisfaction is the priority.