The European came highly recommended by a few people I know so a friend and I decided to road-test it for breakfast one Saturday, thinking it might be an ideal brunch spot for a bridal shower we were planning. It was a windy morning so we decided to be seated indoors rather than out. The place is much smaller than I imagined it to be, dim and has a cool feel to it. Probably an ideal spot for a late afternoon drink on a hot day, oh wait, they do that next door already.
Anyway, a quick glance at the breakfast menu told us that the breakfast selection at The European is unconventional. My friend ordered the more conventional eggs Benedict (which was raved about on one of the blogs she had read) and I went for the Tom Cooper Salmon and Pancakes. We ordered coffee and had to help ourselves to water when the waiting staff forgot to bring us any.
When my breakfast arrived, I almost wanted to hand the plate back to the waitress and to tell her that it wasn’t what I ordered. I remember feeling somewhat ripped off looking down at a few thinly sliced salmon that sat on a small bed of rocket salad in the centre of the plate with four browned pieces of pikelet-look-alike thingys on the side (they were about the size of 50-cent coins). Needless to say, I was disappointed. I was really in the mood for pancakes but I suppose it was faulty on my part to assume that pancakes would be… well, pancakes as I know it. So I came to terms with my choice and ate what I ordered. The salmon tasted like smoked salmon from the fridge section of the supermarket – nothing particularly exciting. The eggs Benedict weren’t particularly spectacular as well. When the bill came, we both made the conclusion that we would probably never go back there for breakfast again. $20+ per head for something pretty average – portion and taste-wise – makes The European a pretty pricey spot with not much credit to its name (in my books anyway).
I have to say all that hype about The European really is unwarranted. I am curious though, where those good reviews came from. Those patrons might be pleasantly surprised at how many more spots there are in Melbourne that make breakfast far more superior than what The European has to offer. My verdict on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being most highly recommended) – it sits at 4 for me. Needless to say, we didn’t have the bridal shower brunch there. Good thing we road-tested it first, otherwise there would be some unhappy guests at the shower.
