The name of the café Short Round may have you recalling the pint-sized sidekick character of Indiana Jones, as an employee informs me this character is the café’s namesake. Alternatively, the location of this café may have you recalling visits to the pet and animal supply store that previously occupied the same site, as one former Thornbury resident informs me. Before stepping inside Short Round, I was told of the memories of a former Thornbury resident, visiting the same address with her father in the seventies to purchase chicken manure for their veggie garden. Well, that definitely was hard to picture once I stepped inside, as this place has been completely transformed into a bright, spacious and modern café. The space itself is open and fresh, with tables inside as well as a lovely outside balcony area. I particularly liked that table areas were quite spacious, and chairs and tables were not crammed in together, which is pleasantly appreciated considering this is becoming an increasingly common feature at popular cafes that try to cram in as many patrons as they can.
Short Round Coffee
Between our group of four, I tried the Vanilla Bean Oat Porridge, the Butterscotch house made waffles, the Potato, Chorizo and Manchego Omelette and the Bacon and Cheese Scramble on Brioche Sliders. Honestly, my group shared the same opinion, the food was nice, but there was no real standout. While each dish was cooked well, the dishes just tasted a little blander than expected. The service was attentive and the wait for food was reasonable, but while the food ultimately was true to its menu described, it managed to deliver just a little short. Considering this café is quite new, the potential and quality is definitely there, I would have preferred bolder flavours to make the dishes a little more memorable. The relatively small serving sizes didn’t help either, especially given the price, which is not to say the menu was more expensive than other great cafés around town, but for the simplicity of some of the dishes and smaller serving size, the meals did seem a little overpriced. However, that being said, with meat from local butcher Velimirovic, and Proud Mary coffee, Short Round knows good quality, and the coffee was hands-down fantastic. Many great baristas make good coffee, but tend to prepare it a little on the milkier side, but I loved that the coffee from Short Round was refreshingly stronger than usual, and it was marvelous!
Although I didn’t get to try it, the Bloody Mary’s breakie looked like a standout, and sounded like a more exotic and interesting dish that would be worth a try! The menu is available online, which is always helpful, and I can imagine this would be a new favourite for locals, I know I would come again, just based on the coffee… and maybe to try that Bloody Mary’s breakie!
Butterscotch house made waffles
Vanilla Bean Oat Porridge
Potato, Chorizo and Manchego Omelette
Short Round Cafe Interior
Short Round
731 High Street,
Thornbury, 3071
Tel: 03 9484 3904
Hours:
7am -4pm Tuesday – Friday
8am – 4pm Saturday -Sunday
