[Melboune] The Hardware Sociéte

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The Hardware Sociéte

Add: 120 Hardware Street, Melbourne
Tel: (03) 9078 5992
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 7:30am~3pm [Sat] 8:30am~2pm
Price: 20~25 AUD/person
Visited on: 2012-04

Ok, I can now say that I’ve eaten at the most popular brunch spot in Melbourne. When we arrived at Hardware Sociéte at 8:46am on a Saturday morning, only a mere 16 minutes after it opened, it was already full. At 8:46 in the morning, on a Saturday! What’s the charm?

It’s a small place with a cute yellow-accented interior, and we were lucky to be seated at one of its outdoor tables where we could enjoy the lovely Melbourne Fall weather. I began the meal with a cup of soy latte (4 AUD), which came with a tiny round cinnamon doughnut.

Here’s a friend’s mocha (3.5 AUD), with came as separate coffee and hot chocolate.

Earl grey (4.5 AUD) dressed in a super adorable teapot sweater.

A flurry of egg dishes then descended upon our small table. Here’s my baked eggs with chorizo, romesco, roasted roma tomatoes (15 AUD), which came in a lidded green casserole pot, along with bread drizzled in herb and garlic olive oil. It was still sizzling as it was brought to the table! Not bad, but I wish the eggs were runny rather than cooked through.

Here’s a friend’s baked eggs with mushrooms, creme fraiche, gruyere, sage (15 AUD). Creamier and tastier than mine.

Here are what the rest of the table were having: scrambled eggs with chorizo, goats cheese, pimientos (17 AUD).

Scrambled eggs with prawns, zucchini, alioli, peas (18 AUD).

Fried eggs with jamon, manchego, herbed olive oil, olive bread (16 AUD).

After all the egg dishes, we tagged on an extra order of fried bioche (16 AUD). A slightly crispy crust enveloped a supremely moist and fluffy center, then topped with raspberry sauce, raspberries, and chopped pistachio…Wow. Must order.

Hardware Sociéte is extremely cute. The decor, the tableware, the presentation of dishes…everything’s adorable. The food wasn’t mind-blowing, but I think comforting is what they are aiming for, and it was exactly that. As we got up to leave, there were still people sitting across the alleyway, waiting for a much coveted seat. I’d like to think that Melbourne has other worthy brunch places though, so I don’t know if I’d come here often knowing that I’d have to wait for a table, and then feel pressured to leave soon after I’m done because there are other people waiting…