the stables of como

this place is awesome!
great food andgreatplace to enjoy nature while you're having breakfast or lunch. i would recommend you to have the salmon fritters (which in the picture) and the moroccan lamb with couscous :)
let me know if you want to visit the place, so that i can join too ❤️

the stables of como – como house & garden, cnr williams road & lechlade ave, south yarra (03) 9827 6886. if you get a chance to enjoy the 160 year old como house and garden be sure to pop into the stables of como. this beautiful little cafe affectionately known as “the stables” serves up some good food and coffee and is agreatplace to bring your furry friend.

came here for saturday brunch and absolutely loved it! i did make a booking, which paid off because i could see it was very busy and for good reason. the girls were lovely when we told them we were vegetarian and were happy to accommodate minor changes on the menu even though it does say "no changes on weekends". i had the corn & zucchini fritters and swapped the bacon for mushrooms and my husband went with the gardener's breakfast with scrambled instead of poached eggs and persian feta instead of bacon. the food came out super quick and i can't recommend the fritters enough! so so tasty!! i ordered a mocha but it didn't taste like a mocha at all :( it just tasted like a latte, which was disappointing but that's the only negative i could find. the surrounding park is so beautiful andgreatfor a walk post-meal and if it were a warmer day, we could've enjoyed the gardens a bit more. i also stocked up on the baked goods, which are on the pricier side but look and taste amazing! don't miss out on the red velvet lamington!
great place for brekky or brunch but be sure to book if you're with a larger group!

this is a cute little cafe that has some country charm which serves somegreatcafe food. it's nice to sit outside and enjoy the food on a nice warm day.

if you're looking for an elegant cafe with plentiful gardens for picnics, and a place rich with history, the stables of como might be worth checking out. nestled in a quieter area of south yarra, the cafe is a lovely space with a mixture of old and modern decor that works really well. i can envision the place to be a perfect venue for an intimate event such as a birthday or baby shower. it would also begreatfor a high tea event as they do scones with jam and cream - my favourite!

there is outdoor seating with umbrellas however on this occasion we chose to sit indoors. when you enter there is a lovely long timber counter with homemade goodies of cakes and pastries (and scones!) which is like the feature of the cafe. the dining tables are also made of wood, matched with white chairs and lovely cushions scattered around.

the cafe gives you the option of having a picnic of their delicious goodies which they can pack for you so you can take it out to the large grounds and enjoy it in a garden. this is something we definitely want to do on a nice sunny day, however today we sat inside and ordered from their all day menu.

i ordered the slow baked eggs with forest mushrooms, buttered leeks, brie cheese and added prosciutto as an extra. this dish was so good! the flavours were well balanced and didn't feel too heavy. i loved that there were crumbly bits on top and throughout the dish which gave it a special texture. the prosciutto was more on the salty side so i probably wouldn't add that as an extra next time. it also came with some toasted bread which i used to dip into the eggy goodness. davin ordered the smoked salmon with a soft boiled egg, capers, creme fraiche, dill and rye. this classic dish was also really nice and the ingredients were fresh. 

i also couldn't help but also order a scone with jam and cream which was really nice. the scone was nice and warm and the jam came in a cute little jar. 

we walked through the gardens for a bit after and passed the historic old como property. they also offer tours if you are ever interested and there's also a shop attached to it that sells souvenirs and trinkets.

overall it was a lovely experience, the food wasgreatand we certainly want to try their picnic packs next time on a sunny day! highly recommend if you're looking for a break away from our bustling life!

- h

food: decent variety and decent quality.
service: very quick and friendly service. was a super hot day and they were very accommodating with the fans.
locations: easy to find, plenty of parking. fantastic garden location, simply enhances your mood as soon as you walk in. hard to have a bad day here on a sunny day.
value: was expecting a high price considering its location and postcode. but nope, quite decent.

summary:greatfor dates, afternoon tea, quick coffees, dates, family lunches,greatplace to spend a long lunch. almost a perfect experience for us, and will return with friends. 5 stars.

looks can be deceiving and that is exactly what the stables of como is. a beautiful cafe with appalling service (in the worst way). also, if you’re planning to come here on a sunday, prepare for a 40 minute wait for your food and them not warning you :-)

food: we ordered the french toast and the eggs royale. in terms of flavour, both dishes were done excellently in terms of flavour. the french toast was delicious and a reasonable portion, the coconuts were agreatcrunch and flavour addition to the soft and pillowy french toast. the eggs royale’s salmon and hollandaise was fabulous but unfortunately, the egg was well done :( and this was after a 40 minute wait so it was slightly disappointing but the flavours of both dishes were great.

service: appalling and horrendous to levels i cannot explain. first things first, we asked about our dishes status’s 2 times and were told that it was on its way but we weren’t aware it was going to be that long or even pre-warned. then we asked for butter and we had a server take our request and when she came back, she realised it didn’t come. and here’s the final kicker or what honestly made me feel.. disgusted and confused how someone with this kind of attitude could be hired. when we went to pay, a cashier or server called meg came and we showed our entertainer’s voucher and she snatched the phone from me and then slammed my phone on the counter. the eggs royale was $21 but the bill came to $25 and when we asked why the unusually unproportionate to menu price, she tried to argue with us that we ordered tomato sauce which we did not. we absolutely did not and she told us, in the rudest manner imaginable, that we were wrong and only when we said, we can ask every server who served us whether we had any tomato sauce did she let it go. then it was still $23 so we asked why is it $23 and she went on to tell us that there was a surcharge (to give a context - i saw the menu and i was telling my sister “oh look there’s only surcharge on public holidays! we’re lucky! spoiler alert - they had a surcharge) and my sister asked me whether there actually was a surcharge and this waitress goes on to say to me “there is a surcharge and i would definitely know because i work here” in a really aggressive manner which prodded us to just want to know why she is speaking to us so rudely which she cuts us off by yelling that it’s loud. oh, by the way, we told the manager and all she could say was “oh i’ll talk to her”


this cafe serves good food, long waits and awful service (and a surcharge for the service on sunday lmao). honestly, there’s so many better cafes in melbourne that could serve amazing food and amazing service while at it. i’d be more than willing to pay for service if the service was pleasant and not rude. too bad a cafe so beautiful is succumbed to a group of servers who can’t match up to

we stopped by for a coffee and cake upon arriving in south yarra and enjoyed our visit. good coffee, nice quiet spot.

i'd suggest the picnic options (check their website) would be agreatidea, as it's the grounds that really make it..they're quite beautiful.

4.5⭐️ stables of como would be the perfect brunch spot to dine with some ladies (and gentlemen). i was driving through with a colleague and couldn’t resist stopping here for lunch. we seated outside on a perfect summer day, coffee in hand; only missing the mimosas. highlights: the french toast was rather novel and the the bread looked fruity! the poker (deliberate misspell?) bowl was light on rice and had agreatsesame dressing for the salad. lowlights: not much! a delightful place.

rocked up with our furbaby today given the partnership with k9.greatoutdoor area (both under cover and not) to make it pet friendly, as well as having the gardens for a wander before and/or after eating. ordered the french toast which was delicious - like a bread and butter pudding, with crunch, sweetish, salty mix...but it was probably just a little bit small :( the porterhouse was well cooked medium rare with a very tasty butter. nutella was perfect nuttellary and the coffee was ‘good’. bit sad that our order got lost so we were waiting quite some time before we got fed, but understand that sometimes things dont go to plan, and we were given free drinks due to the delay. some creative ideas on the menu to cater for all tastes. the giant baguette looked like a winner too!

want garden views and lush greens to dine in? then this is the place to be. private function space isgreatfor small groups of 40 to 50 people. their finger foods were nice and service was good. end note: toilets need to be clean.

decor and setting is great!
friend ordered the fritters and was quite yummy and good portion.
i ordered the gelato croissant- flavour was nice but it is a bit pricey for what you’re getting ( croissant with ice cream) could have included some fresh fruit.

juices were freshly made andgreatin the warm weather.

the location isgreatbecause it’s within the beautiful grounds which are wonderful to talk through.
the food took a very long time to come out and the cafe was only 1/3 full.

i ordered:
fruit salad with coyo - i was happy with all of the fruit except the watermelon which was very sweet and mealy. decent amount of coyo and the coconut shreds were a nice surprise.
pink drink which was watermelon, strawberries, mint, rose & coconut yoghurt, it was definitely more like a juice than a smoothie and i found it ok.
taro chips - i was expecting thick cut chips and not potato chips from a packet but they were ok.

kids had: nutella gf toast. i had originally asked for vegemite with margarine but they do not have any vegan butters at all. so kids had nutella - generous amount of butter and nutella.

hubby had: karage chicken. he was disappointed in the serving size considering it was $22. he was hungry.

corn fritters were the 💣 and went back to get them and they had changed the menu for the season! it’s all good because i got the hash and that was on 🔥. this place is on point andgreatambiance. afterwards it’sgreatto walk around the gardens.

there's a certain level of refinement that seems to be missing here. don't get me wrong, the food was great, the ambiance wasgreattoo. i just feel like something was didn't quite feel as polishes as other cafes. the tables outside needed a good scrub down. it would have also helped if they paid attention to their sugar pots. they were either empty or dirty and you really could tell that no one bothered to check how the sugar cubes were doing.

who would i recommend this place to?
if you have a mate or family who is a melbourne virgin and you don't have much time to show them around. well, consider this place and hit two birds with one stone. you get to indulge in cafe food, very melbourne + you get to tuck in a little history with the como house. the gardens are pretty so your tourist mates would for sure want to take their selfie sticks out.

would i be back? sure, why not.