CoffeeHead, Camberwell

Coffeehead
8 Railway Parade
Camberwell, VIC 3124
Ph: 1300 554 745
Website

When I first noticed Coffeehead a few months ago, it was actually the smell of roasting coffee that caught my attention rather than the building itself, which, apart from the bright neon sign, is quite nondescript. (It's behind Camberwell station, a few doors down from Brunetti and opposite the Centrelink). Being my neighbourhood, I'm always excited when a new cafe or venue opens up in Camberwell.  I must say, despite being home to the latte-set and ladies-who-lunch, Camberwell's selection of restaurants and cafes is decidedly average - so I was really pleased to discover that Coffeehead is awesome!

I've visited a few of times since it opened, and have always found the service to be really friendly and switched on - although sometimes the coffee is a bit slow coming out.  The coffee, however, is excellent.  They have a rotating variety of single origins and blends - some of which they roast themselves, some of which they get from other suppliers like St. Ali, Padre, Ducale, Campos and so on.

Lattes and cappuccini from various visits

Foodwise, there's a bit going on - toasted pides and croissants; breakfasty items like muesli, eggs and toast; and cafe meals like soup, corn fritters and pulled pork tacos... all made in the big kitchen that seems to take up about a third of the space.  (And yes, they do sell "spaghetti bolognaise" on toast; that sign above doesn't lie).  Everything is $18 or under, with most of the larger meals around the $16 mark, which was a bit cheaper than I initially expected.

There are sweets and baked goods on display, but these appear to have been bought in rather than made in-house, and I must admit that I've never been tempted to order any of these.  There are also chocolate bars and other retail treats available to buy, but I've found that they tend to be significantly more expensive here than at other outlets, like Leo's.

Apart from all the coffee visits, I stopped in for lunch one day with my folks, and we were really impressed with the food.

Pulled pork tacos with corn, avocado, tomato salsa & smoked chilli mayonnaise - $16.00

The pulled pork on these tacos was very soft and tender, with a nice level of spicy heat (perhaps chipotle?), freshened up by the corn, avocado, tomato and coriander salsa.  I thought it was particularly great that the tortillas were clearly made by hand.  Even though this is the type of dish I would make at home, I was so glad I ordered it - it was fantastic!

Corn fritters with avocado, smoked salmon, poached egg & harissa hollandaise - $16.50

These corn fritters were a good example of the ubiquitous cafe item, and I especially liked the spicy hit from the harissa hollandaise against the saltiness of the smoked salmon and the slight sweetness of the corn fritters.

Roasted pumpkin, chorizo, goats cheese and pine nut salad - $16.00

This salad had all of my mum's favourite foods: pumpkin, pine nuts and rocket, so it was no surprise that she loved it!

Coffeehead is a great addition to Camberwell and I look forward to going back and trying more from their menu.

Coffeehead
8 Railway Parade
Camberwell, VIC 3124
Ph: 1300 554 745
Website

When I first noticed Coffeehead a few months ago, it was actually the smell of roasting coffee that caught my attention rather than the building itself, which, apart from the bright neon sign, is quite nondescript. (It's behind Camberwell station, a few doors down from Brunetti and opposite the Centrelink). Being my neighbourhood, I'm always excited when a new cafe or venue opens up in Camberwell.  I must say, despite being home to the latte-set and ladies-who-lunch, Camberwell's selection of restaurants and cafes is decidedly average - so I was really pleased to discover that Coffeehead is awesome!

I've visited a few of times since it opened, and have always found the service to be really friendly and switched on - although sometimes the coffee is a bit slow coming out.  The coffee, however, is excellent.  They have a rotating variety of single origins and blends - some of which they roast themselves, some of which they get from other suppliers like St. Ali, Padre, Ducale, Campos and so on.

Lattes and cappuccini from various visits

Foodwise, there's a bit going on - toasted pides and croissants; breakfasty items like muesli, eggs and toast; and cafe meals like soup, corn fritters and pulled pork tacos... all made in the big kitchen that seems to take up about a third of the space.  (And yes, they do sell "spaghetti bolognaise" on toast; that sign above doesn't lie).  Everything is $18 or under, with most of the larger meals around the $16 mark, which was a bit cheaper than I initially expected.

There are sweets and baked goods on display, but these appear to have been bought in rather than made in-house, and I must admit that I've never been tempted to order any of these.  There are also chocolate bars and other retail treats available to buy, but I've found that they tend to be significantly more expensive here than at other outlets, like Leo's.

Apart from all the coffee visits, I stopped in for lunch one day with my folks, and we were really impressed with the food.

Pulled pork tacos with corn, avocado, tomato salsa & smoked chilli mayonnaise - $16.00

The pulled pork on these tacos was very soft and tender, with a nice level of spicy heat (perhaps chipotle?), freshened up by the corn, avocado, tomato and coriander salsa.  I thought it was particularly great that the tortillas were clearly made by hand.  Even though this is the type of dish I would make at home, I was so glad I ordered it - it was fantastic!

Corn fritters with avocado, smoked salmon, poached egg & harissa hollandaise - $16.50

These corn fritters were a good example of the ubiquitous cafe item, and I especially liked the spicy hit from the harissa hollandaise against the saltiness of the smoked salmon and the slight sweetness of the corn fritters.

Roasted pumpkin, chorizo, goats cheese and pine nut salad - $16.00

This salad had all of my mum's favourite foods: pumpkin, pine nuts and rocket, so it was no surprise that she loved it!

Coffeehead is a great addition to Camberwell and I look forward to going back and trying more from their menu.