pelikan societe

it was a little further out than the other cafes we had looked up on zomato but we were not disappointed! i ordered the usual classic breakfast. eggs were poached to perfection, mushrooms so fragrantly sautéed (a lot of mushrooms too) and bacon was very tasty. coffee was also delicious! the one thing i really really appreciate is the quality and that is why pelikan deserves a high rating. they use fresh, good quality produce and it really does make a huge difference.

pelikan société is an awesome cafe located at hastings, mornington peninsula. we initially set out to visit a winery in the mornington peninsula, but a quick google search and we were drawn to pelikan société instead. i initially had two concerns about this place, the spelling of the name and the fact i had no idea where hastings was! after visiting twice, i still can’t figure out these two things. we were drawn to the menu, and the pictures of this cafe looked great online. we punched the address into google maps and off we went.

we parked in the car park and the scenery was pretty amazing. clear blue water with small boats parked along the pier. there were people fishing along on the bridge also, with decent success. i don’t consider myself an outdoorsy person, but there was something very calming about this place.

pelikan société had massive windows from top to bottom which allowed us to enjoy this view whilst inside. the cafe was filled with natural light and as a result, the wooden furniture was glowing! it had a really comfortable and relaxing colour theme inside, i particularly liked the contrast with the different coloured chairs. the acoustic panels which they have installed on their ceiling, helped immensely with preventing echoing. we’ve been to a lot of places without the acoustic panels, and it can be really hard to talk without having to yell over one another.

i’ve always had a keen interest with the specials menu of any eatery. the specials allow the chefs to experiment with new dishes and to use great seasonal produce, which i wholeheartedly support. we were rewarded with an exceptional mussels dish from pelikan société! a true highlight for any seafood lover, and one of the best i’ve had. the use of royal gala apples with a cider reduction accentuated the natural sweetness of the mussels. the fresh herbs also balanced out the creaminess of the sauce. this sauce would go well with any seafood dish. the mussels itself were not only fresh, but was also cooked perfectly, still plump and juicy. it’s a shame that we won’t get to eat this dish next time.

“the cuban” sandwich came out in a cuban cigar box, very shnazzy! certainly gets everyone looking and excited as it’s coming out - mobile marketing. tastes as good as it looks, the pork belly melts in the mouth, with the dijon sauce and sweet pickles making it a very appetising sandwich indeed! really can’t fault any of the food here, they’ve got the flavours down pat, and they should be very proud of themselves.

i highly recommend pelikan société for any food lover who enjoys a little day trip. you can also visit some nice wineries in the mornington peninsula afterwards as they are not too far away from the cafe. water views plus vineyards all in one day? sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!

what a nice way to end the morning filled with nearby strawberry picking and a walk along cape schanck. service was great and food was surprisingly good considering that i hardly choose sandwiches at cafes. the sandwich came in a box which was strange, but quirky in a good way! overall i really enjoyed my experience here, pop by if you're nearby! the scenery is also very relaxing, good vibes.

excellent food with very generous servings. service was super friendly and efficient. a beautiful outlook and friendly relaxed atmosphere. will definitely be back!

if you're ever in hastings pelikan societe is always a lovely place to go. i'm local and tend to walk in a fair bit, often busy but can secure seating a pretty easy, weekends are busy but service as well as food comes pretty quick. price is fair nothing over the top but the food is definitely lovely.

this cafe has been through alot but the most recent update to pelikan societe is by far the best it has ever been. menu is limited but the food was amazing, i had the calamari fritz and i would come back repeatedly to eat that meal. good coffee is hard to come by in hastings considering there at 8 cafes but the coffee here sits at number2 on my hastings list. overall pricing is quite high for the area but it is worth it, staff were lovely... would come back.

came here twice during a short weekend getaway in mornington because it was so damn good! for day one, we ordered the lamb shakshuka, which was amazing! the lamb was so tender and juicy and complemented the well seasoned shakshuka perfectly, eaten with freshly toasted bread. definitely (and easily) one of the very best of the dishes we've tried. another dish which deserves extra praise is the cauliflower salad with ancient grains. when i first tasted this, i was in heaven. every component of the dish elevated each other and you get the perfect texture, consistency, creaminess and full flavour in every bite. probably not exactly the healthiest salad option out there, but trust me, the extra calories are worth it! the final dish which deserves extra recognition is the mussels we had, and it was 10/10. the mussels were so juicy, creamy, buttery and full of flavour. the serving portions were also very generous. very impressed. we even got extra bread to wipe off and savour every drop of that delicious butter mussel sauce left on the dish.

other dishes we've tried were merely okay. it wasn't bad or anything, they were just forgettable. we tried blueberry pancakes mainly because it's what is mostly seen on the zomato page here and it looked amazing. sadly, the taste was not in par with the pretty picture. the pancakes were dry, tough and was rather plain. even the blueberry syrup and ice cream couldn't save it. the fish and chips tasted delicious for the first five minutes, and the potion was huge! however, we all got sick of the taste really soon because it was really greasy. the batter was also quite thick. we also ordered the herb sautéed mushrooms and spinach topped with a poached egg... disappointing to say the least. there was barely any taste to it. every bite added a little more regret in my hasty foodie-adventurous decision to try something new on the menu despite knowing there's already an obvious clear winner, which was the cauliflower salad.

all in all, service was excellent and the place was beautiful! star dishes: cauliflower salad, lamb shakshuka, and buttered mussels.

delicious food and amazing coffee....relaxing atmosphere and very friendly staff. had a great time today here and would recommend to anyone. we had the fish and chips, the blueberry pancakes and the polenta chips. great experience all round.

have been here a few times over the last 2-3 years and have always been impressed. service is always attentive, but can sometimes be a little bit slow. food has always been delicious and the menu creative for a brunch/lunch venue which keeps things interesting. amazing views! minus .5 for the very average coffee. sorry guys.

took friends down from qld last week for lunch, ordered four fish & chips.....
salad  looked old, fish was basa...could not finish it...why serve basa from fish ponds in vietnam when we have fantastic marine produce in western port bay? i have never dined here before and will not again...one thing ..cannot fault staff they were great...just being honest guys

drove from prahran to spend the afternoon on the peninsula, came across pelikan societe while looking on here and the reviews were spot on.
very friendly staff even while busy, service was great, food came at the right time.
nice choice in back ground music too, not overbearing at all. 
quality of food was outstanding, they have a good little menu.
i had the fish and chips, while the boss had the cuban sandwich, both spot on.
shared a dessert which was the special of the day, if i took my eyes off the ball the boss would have eaten the lot.
meet the owner, had a great little chat, super friendly.
keep up the great work pelikan societe, see you again.

i absolutely love this place! been here over three times now and it has never disappointed. love to head out for a drive on a nice day and watch the pelicans and the ocean. the service is always impeccable along with there food, coffee, chai and desserts. always so perfectly presented and tastes perfect. wish i had a photo to post up aswell.

absolutely beautiful location and some of the best food that i've ever had. we had the turkish eggs and the fish and chips but the hero of the afternoon was the lamb shakshuka. the lamb was absolutely cooked to perfection and everything around it was the kind of stuff that makes you go weak in the knees!

the lemon drizzle cake with cream was a perfect end to proceedings and was the cherry on top of the absolute beautiful cake that this meal was.

wouldn't mind driving all the way back from melbourne just to have another meal at this place.

oh and the staff was excellent too.

everything about this experience can be said in one word.

perfect.

what a gem found in hasting. kids friendly, spacious and good service. great coffee, and menu also catered for kids which is a plus. will be back soon.

food is ok but the menu doesn't offer a lot, is pricey and flies are always buzzing about inside cause they leave the doors wide open in summer. no bad if its for a quick coffee n chat. but there are better n cheaper options around. sorry but standards have dropped. service is friendly and shape, hard for some folks to find the entrance so they just go away.i have directed at least a dozen people to this place because they can't find the doors to get in, it really needs to be a entrance via the front not the side or back.