Alphabet Bistro

Been here a few times just for breakfast. It’s ok but price is high and service is pretty avarage.

A long-​time favorite in Parnell the Alphabet sets itself apart with their broad menu that crosses over from breakfast to brunch to lunch. Definitely lots of variety and they have a great selection of items in the cabinets. My personal favourite is their Apple and Cinammon scones!

When I first started working in Parnell I decided to go to all the reputable looking cafes in search of who offered the best coffee. I found it and it wasn’t this place. Alphabet was okay, average at best. Along Parnell Road the best is Mink, they have it all, great coffee, setting and staff. At Alphabet Bistro you get good service, the coffee is okay but nothing great and the place itself is average.
So why would you come here? Good question, prices for coffee are pretty much fixed where ever you go so that is not going to be much of a deciding factor. There is nothing that stands out for me here so I won’t go back. If you really like sitting outside this could be the deciding factor for you, they have more outdoor seating than some of the other cafes. Beyond that I struggle to come up with a reason to come here.

Alphabet Bistro was recommended to me by a friend, who raved about their delicious breakfasts, but I was left a bit underwhelmed by the place. It was nice, I just didn’t think it was anything particularly special.
They’ve got a really nice outdoor seating area, so if you go on a hot, sunny day, it’s lovely to sit out there and relax. I loved that the outside area doesn’t feel too crowded either, so it’s not as if you can hear every aspect of other people’s conversations while you’re enjoying your lunch – something I really have a problem with in other small cafes. The service is equally as good, the waiter was really attentive and greeted us with menus as soon as we walked in.
I feel that it’s the menu that kind of lets this place down though. I just wasn’t especially enamoured with any of the choices on there. Things like Caesar salads and open sandwiches just seemed a bit boring to me, where I hoped there would have been something a bit more exciting. It all felt a bit too expensive for such standard fare as well. Perhaps next time I’ll try a breakfast rather than their, by comparison, small lunch menu.

What intrigues me about this place is that there are always staff waiting outside the door with fliers trying to entice you to come in. I don’t know but this reminds me of Brick Lane in London and it frightens me off a lot of the time. I went in here for brunch one Saturday with my wife a while ago. I must say it was a pleasant dining experience and we were happy with the food and service on offer. It gets pretty busy on the weekends but is much more relaxed midweek. It’s a nice place to while away an afternoon in Parnell, sipping a coffee and watching the world go by. There are some really good cafes in Parnell but this would hold its own with them in terms of the quality of the food. Another thing that struck me about it was that it was exceptionally clean — I guess I sound like my mother now but it’s encouraging that they keep the place spick and span.