To be honest, I would suggest that before reading any further you just glance at Hammer and Tong’s menu here. Now come back and email me here if the menu alone did not excite you or inspire you to visit.
To date, Hammer and Tong remains one of the most impressive Melbourne brunch spots (and if I were American I would end this sentence with ‘period’ but alas I am not from the U.S.)
Though it is updated seasonally there is a consistent style to the Hammer and Tong (H&T) menu: duck eggs, popcorn butter, lavender this, infused that. It is rustic, gourmet and tailored to foodies that can stomach acquired tastes or who love truffle in their eggs or a Soft Shell Crab Burger ($12 – pictured) for breakfast. So, if a Big M and a pie for breakfast floats your boat then I’d say give Hammer and Tong a miss.
For the real foodies that have stayed with me, H&T offer a selection of Matt Forbes’ sweet treats ($4.50 each – above), and the Salted Caramel donut is an experience in itself (see close up below). Tip: as Matt’s sugary stuff sells out quite quickly I’d recommend reserving one when you order your breakfast.
The coffee here is Melbourne Standard (approved) and H&T also do dinners: lovely and an even more gourmet version of breakfast, but to be honest their daytime menu does it for me and is what I would recommend overall.
Expect quality ingredients and seriously beautiful looking and tasting food. Also expect lines out the door on weekends (evidence above), so get there early (parking spots don’t come easy), and keep it intimate – the space isn’t huge so stick to groups of 2-4 for the best experience.
JC x
Trading hrs: Sunday – Monday: 7am – 4pm, Tuesday – Saturday: 7am – late
Menu link: Daytime Menu
Address: Rear 412 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Ph: (03) 9041 6033
Website: http://www.hammerandtong.com.au/
Twitter: @hammerandtong
Facebook: Hammer and Tong 412
Instagram: @hammerandtong
Coffee: Duke’s
Must try: The Soft Shell Crab burger and a Matt Forbes donut.
Notes: Impressive wine list, professional and overly experienced staff that are passionate and serious about what they do. As mentioned earlier beware of the weekend lines.
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Please note that prices, menu items, management or trading hours may have varied since time of review. Our thoughts and opinions are based on our experience only.
