Basement Cafe / CEREE

One of the most authentic Filipino cuisines going around that caters for most tastebuds.
Traditional and humble flavours some may say generic but made well.
Dishes were served and presented well in clay pots and were very inviting and tasteful. Service staff were exceptionally attentive and well verse with the menu.
It wouldn’t be a traditional Filipino restaurant without the traditional Sari Sari store (grocery/convenient store) which show cased the well loved Filipino staples.
Spacious and accommodating for the large groups and made available for catered functions in the evening.
Dishes ordered for the day was Kare Kare, porksilog, dinuguan and Ube latte.
Quote of the day (owner) “Tama na yan, Jomar”

ORDERED:
Tapsilog: The staple filipino breakfast dish served with sweet-salty peppery beef, fried egg, garlic rice, salad and vinegar dressing ($23.00)
Regular sized Ube latte ($5.30)

I spent $28.93 here which included card surcharges.

REVIEW:
I haven't had a lot of Filipino food before, but Ceree was great exposure.
Food whose elements reminds me of the Vietnamese broken rice dish (cơm tấm) with the rice core, protein, fried egg and salad. I'd call them distant cousins at best!
The garlic rice was delicious, and I love how GENEROUS they were with the garlic pieces! It was incredibly fragrant and a great way for me to enjoy rice.
Beef was a little too salty for me but luckily the salad was able to cut through the heaviness. That vinegar/salad dressing is incredibly tangy, making your tongue curl!

Service is friendly, but very much focused on self serve. If you're enjoying the atmosphere outside, cutlery and water with cups can be retrieved from the cupboard inside. QR code to order keeps the conversational minimal, while reducing paper menus wastage keeps it environmentally friendly.
I appreciated the relaxed environment, where Ceree staff were happy to let us chill there and catch up after we had long finished our food!

Great Filipino cafe with a wide choice of dishes. The longanisa benny for breakfast was delicious and the coffee was too. Came back a week later and tried the adobo silog which was also very tasty. Then back again a month later for the beef kare kare for dinner!

A hidden gem. Came here for lunch with some colleagues and we absolutely loved it. The food came out in a reasonable time and portion size was great too. We each tried something different and every single one was delicious. Also tried the ube Latte. A must! Very cute! Little grocery store at the front with heaps of Filipino snacks and ingredients.

They got a part of my order wrong but they were able to correct it. The food was good and having the small mart option is so good if you are after some Filipino staples.

I decided to grab a coffee after a quick jog, but when I went inside the cafe I realised it’s a Filipino cafe.

I tried Tapsilog and iced latte. The flavour was good and a real authentic Filipino food. The quantity was fair enough for a 23 aud meal.

Honest review, please don’t forget to ask for a service water.

Nice bigger place at this new location. Plenty of seats outdoors overlooking Carlton gardens. They have a mini grocery section for snacks. We had the ube cream crackers and ube Spanish bread.
Food wise the BBQ pork skewers were my fav. The chicken adobo was also good. Decent coffee. Will have to try other items on the menu next time.

The milk fish is fin-tastic! Super fresh and grilled to perfection, it's like a taste of the ocean in every bite.

The Tapislog marinated beef is a flavoursome materpiecebomb! Tender, marinated goodness that's savoury with a hint of sweetness.

Lastly, the Bingsu halo halo is a delicate icy treat, mildly sweet. Overall, this meal was a taste bud adventure. Can't wait to dive back in!

My wife's comment; "best oat milk coffee ever. I can taste the coffee". Mine was equally good. Sitting up in the window seats next to the street adds to the atmosphere.

Love the salsa chicken loaded fries (so many variety too) and pork dish - very flavorful! Definitely will be back

Great cafe, great staff and great coffee you can really sip and enjoy. We visit maybe once a month because we live out of state but the barista still remembers our order.

Tried! Eggs beni (perfect poached eggs). And lemon grass and Ginger tea.awesome.be back surely to try some other brunch items

Such a beautiful small cute little cafe!
Food was amazing & very good customer service.
I will be back.
Recommend 10/10

Had brekkie here when visiting from Adelaide, and while I thought it was a little bit grimy and grungy, the value was superb for the money. I had a bacon and egg breakfast that cost about $15 and was fresh, tasty, and the ingredients were high quality. Easily the best value breakfast I've had in Melbourne.

Our first visit to Melbourne for a holiday. We happened upon this place while we were waiting for our air bnb. Had a fantastic bacon and eggs, and hubby enjoyed the loaded fries. We walked all over Melbourne cbd the next day and still ended up heading back here for lunch again. Best latte I've had thus far in Melbourne. Absolutely perfect. I had the mushroom gnocchi and the balsamic mushrooms were amazing with the crispy gnocchi. Hubby had the chicken quesadilla and although he wasnt a huge fan, I certainly was of that too and enjoyed it later in the day! I wouldn't be surprised if we end up here a few more times on our holiday! Haha

Don’t know if he’s a manager or owner but the Filipino guy who runs the cafe is friendly. The food took awhile but worth waiting. Simply delicious.

Their Filipino food specials (which varies everyday) are the main reason I keep coming back to eat. It's always delicious and homey, whether it's sisig, nilagang baka, taho, dinuguan, or karekare. The owners and staff are also very friendly, and they create an atmosphere that feels like home.

Basement Cafe is a must try. I might be biased for the fact that they have filo breakfast. But this hole in the wall Cafe has good food, good coffee and very jovial and friendly staff.

One of the best cafes in Melbourne. The breakfast wrap was genuinely perfect, the coffee was great and the general vibe of the place was nice. Great service also! Would definitely recommend to all.

I would like to say this is such a wonderful place! Especially when you suffered from a bad night with (tornado)

The food here is special and people are so warm! I would definitely reckon you come here! All the best to basement! Loveeee!

Sherry Xiong