Cafe Melba

Really good place for families with kids due to the large play area. Been coming here pretty regularly.
Unfortunately, service and food quality has deteriorated in the last year or so — think they’re somewhat understaffed now. I’d recommend their pizzas, bruschetta and portobello mushrooms.

Great place for families! I enjoyed the food selection (had eggs florentine that was tasty. Service was exceptional, food and drinks were well prepared, kids enjoyed the bouncer and gravel play box, and the adults enjoyed the time to chat and catch up. We will be back again!

Hands down, my new favorite family brunch place in Singapore. We went on a Sunday morning at 10 and almost every table outside was a family (we were 4 adults and 3 kids). It was a great experience — the atmosphere was great, the food was outstanding and the service excellent.
Since I think we got there on the early side, there was really no wait to speak of. We were seated promptly, the ordering process by iPad was explained and the kids were free to go to town. I ordered the eggs Benedict, my wife had the eggs florentine and out friends has the full breakfast and another dish — everyone loved the meals! The portions were excellent and the food was served quickly. The kids menu was extensive and the little ones devoured the pancakes and French toast. Prices were very reasonable as well. I don’t think I could have enjoyed the experience more. I wanted to take a picture but honestly, the food looked so good, by the time I remembered to, I had already dug in! :)
A co-​worker goes often in the evening and raves about the pizza and dinner meals — he often goes for a beer and meal after work; I plan to join him again soon as I am anxious to try the non-​breakfast items.

The restaurant is located in an interesting setting overlooking a humongous lawn inside a Arts Centre and that makes for very nice ambience. Had gone for the RedMart Craft beer festival which was happening in the lawns and popped in the restaurant for some pizza & frozen margaritas both were pretty good, pricing was ok and I found the service to be particularly good! All in all would like to go again

Came for breakfast on a Saturday. Mostly families enjoying the bouncy castle nearby and sitting outdoors. I had granola with yogurt and berries. The food was fresh. My boyfriend had the omlette which was delicious! We both enjoyed a flat white and long black for coffees. I would go back for their dinner specials which look good. A solid meal.

This is a regular Saturday or Sunday brunch location for my family and friends. Specifically because it is so good for kids. A large field for kids to run around in, a sand pit, and their own Bouncy Castle. While it sits next to a busy main road there is a fence keeping the children playing in grass and not traffic. With ample outdoor seating there is always a full patio of parents enjoying some quiet time while the kids run wild. When it is time for the kids to come back and eat they have a reasonable set kids menu that includes drinks and a dessert. Also the menu is a paper placemat with it’s own coloring, activities, and colored pencils.
I find the food to be good, it isn’t the best food in town, but I certainly don’t dislike eating here. I have ordered the Chicken Schnitzel burger before and forgotten that it is too much chicken and almost impossible to eat and enjoy. The Burger is good, the wood fired pizza is also good. The price does feel a bit expensive, not outrageous in Singapore but a bit high, worth it for the distracted children though. The service has been good, a variety of wait staff, all who can help you and take your order, things do get a bit slow, but they do get slammed and busy.
As I side note, while I have not experienced it, apparently they are more than kids and castles, they have live music and ladies night throughout the week as well. May have to come back here and try it one evening.

Went there for Sunday brunch and the place was a zoo of children. They have a bouncy castle which will occupy the little ones for days. There was a special event for Chinese New Year and it was fun with Lion Dancing and face painting, arts and crafts, balloons, etc. Brunch is simply a breakfast menu and I was not impressed. I couldn’t order a sandwich till 11:00 am so I was disappointed. The bacon was steamed and I felt bad the rest of the day. One piece of toast was not enough and I waited 45 minutes for a second $ 4.00 piece. Dry, cold and everything else had been consumed. The service was horrible. They were busy – I’ll give them that – but the drinks were super slow, the food just average and waiting for the toast infuriating. And, they didn’t care. The tip was included in the bill and I tipped more so they got more than average for a bad experience. I will say the people at the restaurant were some of the best looking folks on earth. Lots of ex-​pats with about a dozen languages floating around. Eggs, toast, bacon, a breakfast sandwich, two juices and it was $ 75.

Café Melba is housed in Goodman Arts Centre which would be a challenge for those getting there via public transport. Lucky for us, we drove to get there and parking wasn’t a problem.
A good number of patrons were mostly families with children and the open field in front of the café allowed these toddlers to run around freely and play.
We happen to visit the café on a Sunday so we had the brunch menu selection. For starters, we ordered the Curried Pumpkin and Corn Soup. As for our main course, my boyfriend who is a fan of steaks, decided to order the Ribeye Steak (200grams) while I went for the Melba Burger.
To avoid having our food all at once, we requested for the soup to be served prior to our main course. However, everything was served at once much to our dismay. The soup came with four slices of parmesan naan which was a good attempt at matching the curried soup although, did not compliment it. A simple soft roll would have done the job. On another note, thumbs up to the taste and flavor of the soup. It also looked fantastic and the aroma drew us in even more.
The Ribeye Steak that my boyfriend ordered was unfortunately a letdown. He had a choice between the Black Pepper or Béarnaise sauce which he chose the latter. It tasted good, but did not go well with the Steak. Moreover, his steak was mildly seasoned and unevenly cooked (he ordered medium rare). The shoe string fries on the side tasted better than the star of the dish. It was golden brown, crispy, and flavorful. The steak also came with salad in balsamic vinegar dressing that was light and refreshing.
My Melba Burger looked great. Pieces of bacon were stuffed between the buns along with a perfectly cooked medium rare beef patty and home-​made relish sauce. It tasted good, but lack the depth in flavor that would have made me crave for more.
Service wise, the staff did not pay much attention to us probably due to the influx of customers. We felt that the service was more of a routine to clear out tables for incoming customers rather than to create that service moment that could have left us with a good impression.
Overall service aspect made our experience with café melba a mediocre one although the food was not bad. It was however not worth the price we paid and we expected a lot more from them. A few minor tweaks especially in the service aspect would have guaranteed my return.

I love of how spacious the place is. It’s one of places that ppl in East can go for relaxing brunch and lunch, but beware there are lotsa kids in here. I had burger w extra pineapple and beetroot and I had kiwi passion fruit smoothies for my drinks. Both r great and worthed for the price. We were waiting for about fifteen mins when we went there on Sunday around 1pm

Food was good, but not great. Curried pumpkin soup was lovely — great texture, lots of flavour. The naan bread it came with was okay, but didn’t feel like «proper» naan. Truffle fries were delish — we devoured them once they finally arrived…
… which leads me to why the 3 stars. Service is TERRIBLE. Terrible! Our server couldn’t remember our orders. When they arrived, they came at widely different times. One got left off completely, and we had to wait another 20 minutes for it. It was a gong show.
Great wine list. We had lots of that. :)
The atmosphere is lovely — being able to sit outside with fans, in front of a green space, and listen to music wafting in from nearby studios — all really comfortable and relaxed.
I just wish the service wasn’t so relaxed. It’s the one thing that needs a kick in the pants.

Location & vibe-​wise, was my type of café — quiet neighbourhood, ample parking, large outdoor patio, breezy, and not crowded. Food-​wise was average… not bad but not spectacular.
Came here on a weekend morning and had the Full Melba Cooked Breakfast for $ 25: 2 eggs, pork sausages, bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, hash brown & toast. I was pretty hungry and considered getting the Mega Melba Cooked Breakfast, an upsized version of the Full Melba, which was $ 36. The Mega Melba doubles the portions of everything but the eggs, and what I really wanted was more eggs, so I stuck with the Full Melba.
It says on the menu that you’re not allowed to share the Mega Melba, or in their words «can’t be splitted». That’s not very nice… I wonder if they would have a problem with their customers sharing any of the other dishes? Is the Mega Melba too good a deal? If anything it would make their pricing a little more decent as $ 25 veers on the side pricey for breakfast. They did however provide a glass bottle of water and cups without us having to ask which I thought was nice considering how many cafes these days won’t even serve you tap water.
Overall, I can see myself coming back if I’m in the area. I don’t mind paying a little extra to avoid the crowds.

I wanted to like the place because it does look promisingly chill. BUT the rude service put me off completely. For one, you do not ask your customers condescendingly what they are taking pictures for. I believe the actual words were ‘What is that for?’ While i do not expect special privileges as a food reviewer, basic friendliness should apply to any customer.
Plus, the prices are pretty high and this is coming from someone who is willing to pay for brunch. Would i pay this price for food at a restaurant with mediocre ambience and terrible service? Hell no. You shouldn’t either.

okayish australian brunch food hidden away in the goodman arts centre. this place has drawn mixed reviews since opening this year — and I’m about to toss my own undecided judgement into the mix, just so you have as difficult a time as I did of deciding if it’s worth visiting.
on second thought, perhaps that’s not the best strategy for ingratiating myself into your favor. so here’s it straight up: this place has great potential, but the food and service are in firm not-travel-worthy-but-I’ll-have-it-if-it’s-there territory. or more succinctly, meh.
I admit to wanting to come here for the longest time, despite those reviews: I had seen photos of the gorgeous space in design blogs, and there’s just something incredibly appealing about good lighting for photography.
but the place doesn’t look nearly this good (one day I will learn to stop trusting photos) in the daytime — and there was this slight ramshackle shabbiness about it, like they hadn’t bothered to take care of what should be a well-​curated space.
the pizzas fared the best that day, hands down. we had the chili crab, mushroom and a trifecta of meat products on the three little pigs. these were well-​cooked in a wood-​fired oven, with a crust that verged between cracker and thin-​crust (nothing nearly as flavorful as the famed mozza — but good in its way), and the ingredients were suitably piled on.
the other dishes were less interesting: a burger was stacked high and pretty — and so were the pile of pancakes I ordered, which came in a healthy stack of four and drizzled with compote — and the full melba cooked breakfast was a generous plateful of food. but these suffered from bimboticism, having mastered the art of looking good without much substance.
so really, if you’re here — head for the pizzas. the other stuff isn’t bad, and actually perhaps on par with some hipsterish cafes, but I don’t think it’s worth traveling for. there is just this pervading sense of unfulfilled potential rather perpetuated also by the sheer nothing-​outstanding-​ness of both service and food. much better food elsewhere, really.

I LOVE brunch! And I think I have found my go to brunch place! For starters, the atmosphere is super chill, perfect for a relaxing brunch. I ordered the eggs benedict and it was super yum! The eggs were free range eggs and they were perfectly poached with a runny yolk. The hollandaise was just how I liked it, accenting the eggs but not overwhemingly heavy. Last but not least, I tried the iced long black coffee and I think its one of the best iced coffees I’ve had in Singapore. Defintely a place to revisit!

This is a review of a work-​related team event at Café Melba. There were approximately 50 people at the dinner/​drinks event.
This review will be shorter and less detailed than most of my dining reviews.
I asked a small group from the team I manage to organize a end of year holiday party for our team. They selected Café Melba (in the Goodman Arts Centre).
Café Melba has indoor seating and covered outdoor seating with mounted wall fans. Our event was held in the al fresco area.
View of indoor seating:
The outdoor seating area is quite nice. It maintains a feel of almost being indoors. It easily accommodated our group and could also accommodate a quite larger group. I do not think weather (unless very severe) would be an issue. The covering looked as if it could hold up against a relatively steady and strong rain. The fans were well placed to keep the area cooled.
View of outdoor seating:
We had a buffet style meal. Drinks were provided via pre-​paid tickets.
The food was quite good. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. There were numerous dishes including a chicken, beef, pasta dish, different kinds of pizza, salads, etc.
Chicken:
Pizza:
Misc:
The staff was attentive and kept the food and drinks flowing. The manager was on site throughout the event and in constant contact to insure the evening was going well.
Overall — Café Melba provided the back-​drop for an enjoyable event. The outdoor space was perfect for our team event. The staff was professional, polite and helpful. The management was engaged in assuring the event went well. Very importantly, they served a wide range of well-​prepared food that was enjoyed by the team. I would have no issue in planning another team event there. Once again, I thought they did an all around great job.

Nice place but the food is not good at all. Too bad for a place with such nice ambiance…

My favourite dishes? They gotta be
1. Beef Rendang
2. Rib Eye Sandwich
3. Rocket and Parma pizza
4. Crab fish Linguine
Oh and the list goes on!!!
A pretty little bistro tucked in a little corner at the Goodman Arts Centre that used to be the basketball court of the Old Lasalle College of the Arts.
Besides the mains, diners can look forward to all day brunch and for those who just want a little snack, check out their Carrot Cake. Filled with raisins and walnuts, it’s more than just a normal carrot cake! The size is good for 2 to share at $ 8/​slice.
Their lychee martini according to a fren who can’t resist a glass of good martini thinks its pretty good too.
Ok, now I’m really hungry!

A surprising find.
We were here on a Friday evening and it was surprisingly not crazy busy. Love the chill-​out ambience. We were a big group and had no problem finding a table.
We only had pizza and truffle fries. Pizza were super thin crust and great for sharing. Think skinny pizza. But if you’re a fan of neopolitan style like I am, then this is good but not great.
Great relaxing place to hang out with friends. They seem to do great brunches. So maybe I will be back to try that next time.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating café melba’s opening, and I was not disappointed. The coffee here is the best in the east side of town and is pretty near my place. Happiness!
I prefer ordering a piccolo as its stronger and more aromatic. The glasses for the latte are a little big, so the coffee gets quite weak and diluted.
I’ve got to say, the service here is pretty good! The waitresses seemed a little hesitant and inexperienced, but yet were friendly and polite.
Also, when I asked about the latte tasting weak, the barista came over and recommended the piccolo. After that I noticed they only charged me for my first order. When I brought this up, they said the piccolo was on the house as I was unsatisfied with the latte. :)
The food here is of good quality! Ive tried the breakfast menu and was very satisfied with the eggs Benedict and big breakfast. Prices are a little steep but take advantage of the promotions on at the moment!
Weekday mains charged at 25% off, while on weekends, you get a free coffee when you order a brunch main before 4pm! Not sure when the promo ends but i was just there last week and it was still on!
The rib eye sandwich and chicken pesto sandwich were both lovely, nestled inside very yummy bread. However the buns for the Melba burger were a bit too doughy for me, though the ingredients inside we’re fresh and the beef patty was cooked to a perfect medium rare juicy delight.
Great ambience and it’s great for families as there’s a large field out front, and I’ve seen an inflatable bouncy castle on weekends!

This Australian bistro is a little gem hidden away in the Goodman Arts Centre (GAC) — it opens up to a green field, and combined with the high ceilings, glass panels and wooden décor give it a warm and inviting feeling where you feel you can sit and chill out the entire afternoon.
The menu is quite extensive — there’s all-​day breakfasts, along with your requisite starters, main courses, pizzas, sarnies (that’s sandwiches for the non-​aussies). My table had the Eggs Benedict with bacon or salmon (both yum), the portobello mushroom stack with a pasta side (also good), and a 12-​inch personal pizza baked in their on-​site wood fire kiln! My favourite bit would be desserts, which are not on the menu but displayed on the counter for you to pick. That day we had a lovely decadent chocolate cake that came with additional berries and cream… super rich and awesome!
For the thirsty, the caffeine addicts in my group pronounced the Café Melba cuppa good, and there’s quite a long list of alcoholic drinks for you to sip and wind down to at the end of the day. All in all this bistro is a welcome addition to GAC, and makes a great option when one is a little too lazy or the weather is too insane to head out to the hawker centres nearby.
P/​S: Café Melba has a special Neighbours card with discounts and perks for its fellow tenants at GAC… check with the staff to find out more!