Review: The Wooden Elk, South Melbourne

Yesterday I went past a cafe that had opened recently on Park St in South Melbourne. What caught my eye was the advertising on the window for Paleo pizza. It took a while, but I eventually found it via Google, as they had no signwriting on the outside at all.

So, we went to The Wooden Elk for a Valentine's Day brunch this morning!

First thoughts- small inside. Only 4 or 5 tables inside, but a big bar wrapped around the back, perfect for evenings when they sell tapas and pizza. The decor was neat- lots of wood and stone. Some tables outside, which filled up quickly as the weather turned sunny.

We took a seat, and our menus were delivered to us. The menu looked pretty good, a lot of very popular Paleo options. Pancakes, eggs benedict, rosti, a big breakfast style plate, omelettes, and even Paleo granola- including a fruit free option! They also had a lot of juices, smoothies and even Bulletproof Coffee.

We ordered the pancakes (banana and walnut option; they also had pumpkin and pecan) ($15.50), and eggs benedict on Paleo toast ($16.50), plus an almond milk latte for me ($3.30 plus $1.20 extra for almond milk).

Banana and walnut pancakes, with coconut cream and fresh berries

Almond milk latte

Eggs benedict on Paleo toast

The pancakes were great- nice and fluffy, not too sweet, reminded me a lot of banana cake. The walnuts appeared to be ground, so there were no lumps of nut through out the pancake. It came as a stack of 2 big, fluffy pancakes, with a garnish of fresh berries and cinnamon. There was also some coconut cream, but as the plates were warm, it was melting by the time it was on the table. If anyone from the cafe reads this, maybe put it in a small bowl so it retains the texture.

Eggs benedict was really good. The eggs (free range, of course) were perfectly poached, with bright yellow yolks oozing. The sauce was delicious, and there was also a butter (maybe have been olive oil?) drizzle. The bacon was nice too, though I would personally would have preferred it crispier. The paleo toast was a real hit. It soaked up the egg yolks and sauce nicely. It was a little crumbly, but it was a fairly thick piece, and really filled me up.

I had probably the best almond milk latte ever! The milk was sweet and creamy, totally unlike the usually watery ones I've had previously. 

I would definitely recommend The Wooden Elk for a lazy weekend brunch. They have a good selection of options, even vegetarian ones!

Score: 8.5/10

The Wooden Elk

52 Park Street

South Melbourne, VIC 3025

03 9645 9006

thewoodenelk.com.au