Gardiner and Field

In the heart of leafy, tranquil Armadale lies Gardiner and Field. a truly classy, classic, well put together little café. Mums, friends, businessmen, students — all types of people inhabit this peaceful place. The food is to die for — think braised pork slow cooked in apple cider alongside your perfectly poached eggs. Think softly smoked salmon and spiced pumpkin and fetta mash. Think luscious, plump, soft and crunchy bread (yes, even the gluten free is just as good). Think delicious. Think satisfying. Think it’s time to visit Gardiner and Field.

This is a lovely little place hidden in the suburbs, with decent coffee and a good breakfast menu. Even though the place is small, it’s not been crowded when I’ve been there, and there are crayons and paper to keep the little ones entertained.
There’s a decent bakery selection as well, and service is quite prompt and friendly. They’re also relatively accommodating for variations to their menu (e.g. if you didn’t want something in your meal). Staff are also pretty knowledgeable about the menu.
I’m not a fan of their toast though, which always seems to come out really hard and almost impossible to cut. I’m not sure why that’s the case; maybe the bread is heated twice or something but there have been times when people I’ve eaten at G&F with have had to abandon their knives and just tear at their toast with their hands and teeth to get some.
Parking is just whatever you can come by on the street, but I’ve usually just walked here since it’s relatively local.

The food was ok, nothing to shout to the stars about but the milkshakes were amazing!
they come in different varieties like, Malteaser, Mars Bar, Bounty. Soo yummy!

I think I was biased by the previous reviews, high expectations and hunger. It’s a cute place for sure and in an interesting location.
So why three stars?
We came with 2 kids. The place is after all across the street from a park and tennis courts. They really had no kid food. So we adapted. Bebecinos will solve nearly any problem. A brekky bagel later they were okay.
My wife had the soup of the day which was quite nice.
I had the Avo smash which I had been craving all day. It was a rather minimum serving and very uninteresting. My long Mac was okay, not great.
Service was okay but I just couldn’t shake the feeling we weren’t wanted.
Good. Limited menu. Decent coffee. Three stars just because there is a lot of competition in the area.

What a fantastic breakfast. The coffee was perfect and the corn fritters were amazing. It was served in record time with perfectly poached eggs. Coming back soon to sample the rest of the menu. A great brunch spot for a late breakfast.

Alrighty, I’ve come back for yet another visit to Gardiner & Field. This time I stayed for lunch. I brought over three friends during the lunch time peak but were seated on a table without any worries.
We ordered our coffees, with myself being quite excited for a cold drip. It was a hot day and I hadn’t had a cold drip in a month or so. The coffee is suplied by the Maling Room in Canterbury and if you don’t know already, they’re some of the best roasters in Melbourne. Gardiner & Field definitely know how to use the beans too. Our coffees were spectacular. They’ve also got their selection of coffee brewing devices by the front entrance. that means your Aeropress and v60s. Also their seasonal blend and a couple single origins from Maling Room.
The food is amazing. The breakfast menu is what caught my eye and the ridiculously delicious looking salads. Then the bircher also caught my eye and many, many other things. Pretty much everything on the menu is worth getting.
The café still keeps the Armadale/​Malvern vibe with the gardens right next door. There tend to be a lot of families here or at least a lot of parents. They send their kids over the road to burn energy in the park while they relax with a delicious cup of coffee.

What an awesome and unexpected find.
Taking and alternate route ’round the suburbs of Armadale,
I came across this little beauty. Turns out I’ve been meters from it,
passing by on multiple occasions. Now the disclaimer here, is that
I haven’t actually been in to consume anything, but I suppose that’s
what happens when you call right on the end of a day’s trade.
A Little hidden and out of the way, the fit out and interior design is clean,
appealing and well executed. A large display cabinet of the day’s offerings
is bursting in the mornings– when they have things to sell. It really looks
like the coffee will hit the mark here. Also, there is a great retail buy and
take home section, including, v-60’s, coffee pots (better ones’) Aero-​press
and of course freshly roasted beans. It’s all here and waiting at Gardiner
and Field.
It might not be worth coming when the tennis centre next door is in full flight,
café’s of this calibre tend to get taken over by maundering tennis fiends. That
said, a busy Saturday morning may be one to avoid then.

Very nice coffees, and a lovely neighbourhoody feel. Full of locals and very friendly staff, which is oh-​so-​welcoming first thing in the morning.
Brekkies are fresh and well plated, nice sweets and pastries in the case too.
A very fresh, clean and airy space. It’s quiet as well, perfect for a catch up with friends or a casual perusal of the paper.
Very welcome addition to the hood.