Truman Café

This newish Albert Park café is firing on all pistons

First published on 2 Oct 2011. Updated on 10 Oct 2011.

Cafe frontman Mark Wright is, if you haven’t guessed, a true crime fan. He came up with the name for the café while reading In Cold Blood. The only crime would be to miss visiting this terrific coffee spot.

Co-owners and partners Adele Arkell and Jackie Bega, (founders of stalwart cafes Leroy, Las Chicas and Galleon) know what it takes to make a café tick. Add to that Wright and the affable, husky-voiced barista Ryan Cassidy (both ex-Galleon), and you’ve got a dream team raring to go. Then there’s chef Catherine Dando (ex-A Minor Place), who stands for so much more than just good eggs. It all adds up.

The outside tables complete with jaunty umbrellas harness the sun’s potential on Albert Park’s leafy arterial, while inside operates on a less-is-more ethos: polished concrete floors, communal tables, retro knick knacks and requisite goldfish. The space is fuss-free, kid friendly and easy.

Truman’s all-day breakfast is a thing of beauty. The brioche French toast with banana jam and bacon ($13.50) is a showstopper – the marriage of caramalised banana with crisp bacon is one of the more awesome breakfast parings we’ve seen in a while. The signature Truman ($15.50) is a handsome feast of bright yellow scrambled eggs, potato and leek hash flecked with dill, with a generous dollop of smashed avocado, lemon wedge and ‘Dulcie’s relish’ (think tomato salsa with a spring in its step).

Lunch, while limited to sandwiches and a daily special or two, is also splendid. The steak sanga is sensational, in a chewy Noisette bun. The steak is beautifully tender, all finished off with a singin’ smoky chipotle sauce.

Cassidy uses his La Marzocco coffee machine as if it were an extension of his own arm, producing silky Di Bella brews time and again. Terrific, Truman

Words by Ellie Parker |

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