Jake & the Beans Talk

After seeing all the great reviews which herald this place as a quaint, funky, little cafe with great vego options, I was keen to try it out. However, I was left feeling underwhelmed. I will say the coffee was great and the vibe was right/friendly staff, but that’s probably all it had going for it.

I was seeking a spot with vegan options, much to my dismay there really was only two options and I’m not a fan of chia pudding. The menu was hard to read (tiny/grey and blue font) and their key for what was veg, vegan, dairy and gluten free was a inaccessible. I settled on the vegan Jake and it was overall, bland… eh. I’ve paid less for a better, more tasty, vegan big breakfast option at other cafes. They swap out the meat with just steaks of fried tofu… literally plain fried tofu - no seasoning or anything. It’s not that difficult to toss your tofu in some extra seasonings before frying it. The hash browns were tiny and super greasy. The homemade baked beans were pretty bland. Smashed avo, sourdough, mushrooms, spinach and tomato - all standard for a big brekky but nothing stood out.

There is a surcharge on weekends which is stated on the (difficult to read) menu, but there’s no sign anywhere out the front or near the counter. It feels a bit misleading to not have it stated anywhere on the outside.

Overall, this is what happens when you prioritise an Instagram aesthetic over actual taste and quality of the food.

All your expected café offerings, with a tasty twist on some breakfast favourites.

Been coming here for a while, and will keep coming. Great coffee, friendly helpful staff, ambience and a variety of seating options - inside, tables, bar, street side, heated backyard patio…

Take away bites are suitably tasty, but the dine in dishes are where it’s at. Today I had the “breakfast gnocchi”. And yes, it was delicious!

Very good food & coffee.and the servings are very reasonable as well.overall great cosy experience, will come here again for sure.

Came here on Saturday for breakfast. The food was alright, nothing too special but the coffee was great. One thing to watch out is, there's a 10% surcharge on weekend. We were not aware of it and there was no sign anywhere in the restaurant to state that. We only found out at the time when we paid the bill. We are okay to pay the surcharge but will appreciate it if we are being informed before payment as it is illegal to charge without notifying the customers beforehand.

Jake & the Beans Talk is a popular and funky cafe, the perfect cafe to meet up with friends for a delicious meal and catch up. There is plenty of variety on the menu for either breakfast with a hot coffee, or lunch with a cold beer or glass of wine. I noticed on the menu a choice of yummy sounding smoothies, which I will try on my next visit. I recently  purchased some vouchers for friends, Jake went above and beyond to help me deliver them on time, so as well as serving unquie food Jake & the Beans Talk also delivers amazing customer service.

Always enjoy this gem in Malvern. The food is always good, the service always friendly and there’s lots of space as well.

Was on the search for a great local coffee spot and I’ve found my new home! Will be visiting on a regular basis highly recommend the meals too! Delicious

The food here is amazing, in every way but the coffee is sub-par.

This place has a good atmosphere and vibe, definitely worth coming to but the price and coffee is the only downside. They have a Saturday surcharge which for a cafe is absolutely nuts and the menu price doesn’t reflect it which might be misleading with most business on weekends.
Again, great food quality but any venue that doesn’t make sure the selling price is known before ordering always leaves a salty taste.

Kamu coffee + Jake breakfast is the way to start a morning.

Been here multiple times and have not stopped talking about their Breakfast Gnocchi.it's the only thing I have tried on the menu and it's simply divine!

I really, really like Jake and the Beans Talk. I think its probably one of the better coffee shops in the area. Coffee and Chai is excellent, no complaints there. The Jake, Apple Crumble Porridge and Mexican Benedict were great and would highly recommend you get these if they are available. One thing I would say that wasn't that great is the Breakfast Gnocchi which you can give a miss.

Hands down my favorite spot in the area. Beautiful and friendly small team, incredible menu no matter what you order, generous portions, BEST coffee and lovely atmosphere. This place immediately become my local and I can't see that changing. Amazing job guys!

Fabulous food, attentive friendly staff. Great coffee. I had zucchini fritters, absolutely delicious. Still 5 stars

I used to work in the area 5 years ago and come here quite often, I was stoked they remembered me after 5 years! Killer chicken burger and great coffees thanks legends

Was here today on a Friday morning. Nice ambient atmosphere inside service was good portion was very generous. Small hard working team at the station counter station making coffee and taking orders. I want to pay compliment to the chef for this wonderful breakfast. I will be coming back tomorrow to take the family and friend.

Had breakfast here on a Friday morning. Tables were available without booking and staff were notably kind and friendly. Amazing range of food and options from salads to typical breakky/brunch foods to sandwiches and sangas. Really amazing accomodation of dietary requirements, was surprised to see GF waffles on the menu which is unheard of! Pricing is decent, nothing too expensive. Would definitely visit again when in the area.

Great coffee, friendly staff, good menu, and nice street view. The sitting is roomy and comfy, not overcrowded like some other cafe. They recently increased the price of the coffee but still comparable to others. Highly recommended.

Went here 2 years ago and food and coffee were really good. Dropped in for a take away coffee on the weekend.over $5 for a coffee and the cup was small. Added to that, coffee was very average!

Great coffee, depending on the day some of the staff can be slightly unfriendly, would've been a full 5 star otherwise

Just another Melbourne cookie cutter breakfast. The staff were friendly though. Coffee was decent. I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

I was so impressed by brunch menus we had, would like to try others as well. So Beautiful and yummy. Also reasonable price compare to other cafes. Thanks.