Maddox

Back to Restaurant Reviews
295 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 9041 5650

My score: 3.5/5

Summer dining rolls along pretty happily if a side order of sea breeze comes free with your meal but it’s not always so simple in Brunswick where the air can be so still and the streets so baking that your best chance of catching a breeze is in the dusty wake of trucks and trams. A more pleasant option than chasing the grit kicked up by Sydney Road’s grumbling traffic is Maddox which offers summer salvation in many sweet and lovely ways.

The cafe opened in August and is around the corner from Brunswick Pool. House-made raspberry lemonade, relaxed, smiling and efficient service, and coconut-poached chicken noodle salad are among many Maddox recipes for transforming punishing 40-degree blasts into pleasant rays of sunshine. Enjoy them in the air-conditioned main room with its open kitchen and dangerous views of the cake cabinet. The cutest spot is a one-person window bench just begging for an angsty diary-writing session and the back parlour is the perfect zone to nab for a birthday lunch or business meeting. The design drawings for the interior are framed and hung in the unisex bathroom – they seem to speak of the quiet pride and daily satisfaction that springs from turning a bare shell into a heartfelt success.

There’s palpable pride in the food too. The menu isn’t complicated but it’s exuberant and full of dishes that say ‘eat me’. I like the fried Arabian eggs, sprinkled with chilli flakes, spiced labneh and pink pickled onions. The Frenchie banana brioche is a monument to breakfast as dessert: fat slabs of brioche are sandwiched with sliced banana, eggy-dipped and fried, and cut into triangles of golden, crunchy goodness. Accompanying rhubarb and strawberries make a tasty gesture towards health. Breakfast is served all day but if you are feeling lunchy, the epic Manwich is a porky paean to the high art of sandwiching, featuring a rich, spicy pork patty, a slab of smoky Kaiserfleisch, garlic aioli and tomato relish. Summer daze and cake don’t generally go together but Maddox’s gently spiced banana cake with ridiculously high-topped frosting makes a compelling counter-argument. The coffee is great (iced, if you like). Maddox is kid-friendly but its expansive spirit means it’s more accurate to call it human-friendly, even (and perhaps especially) if the weather isn’t.

More endless summer:

Milk Bar and Co, 42 Lochiel Avenue, Mount Martha, 5974 2757
New in the village and in easy takeaway latte reach from the beach, this milk bar redux includes great breakfasts like bircher muesli with nectarines and honey jelly.

Fairfield Boathouse, Fairfield Park Drive, Fairfield, 9486 1501
Surely there’s a day in your future that’s begging for an hour of boating followed by Devonshire tea? If so, Fairfield has your fix.

The Stables of Como, Como House and Garden, corner Williams Road and Lechlade Avenue, South Yarra, 9827 6886
Pop into the cafe or book at least a day ahead to have a picnic hamper awaiting your arrival. Stroll to a shady spot in the garden to eat it all up. Add-ons include Frisbees, croquet kits and champagne.

First published in The Age, January 26, 2014.