Lindt Cafe Melbourne - Montreux Cake

Price: $12.00

Rating: 3 out of 5

Buy again: Possibly. Very nice but rather expensive 

Atmosphere: Good, but not as boutique as it would like to be

This was my second time visiting the much hyped arrival of the Lindt Café in Collins Street Melbourne, but only the first time I actually sat in to indulge.  It offers very impressive views of the 271 Collins street grandeur, albeit slightly strange as I once worked in the building when it was a bank rather than chocolate cafe!  

The décor is an odd mix of contemporary modern lines, fantastic lights reminiscent of liquid chocolate but then with a slight average café feel about it.  But this, nor the rather hefty prices, don't detract the swarms of visitors keen to check out the new kid on the block.  (The following Saturday I walked past and there were queues out the door on a cold day in Melbourne of which I have since seen replicated on warm days.)

The staff member who seated and served us was excellent and happy to give an opinion, and I'm always one of those annoying customers who want to ask a question.  But sadly this was definitely the best of the staff.  The others who waited on us weren't so great, I wouldn't go as far as rude, indifferent may be more appropriate.  But at $12 for a piece of cake I want a wee bit of love and not made to feel I have to leave as soon as my fork has hit an empty plate!

Annoyingly we ordered tap water which never appeared, despite the number of staff milling about with water jugs.

I also didn't like that the tables were very close together, I would venture too close.  This wouldn't necessarily be a problem in a normal cafe, but I keep coming back to my heightened expectations which tend to rise in direct correlation to heightened costs.  

I was expecting all chocolates, macaroons and other such sweet delights, but noticed they also have a (limited) lunch menu; it may be the Lindt Cafe, but its not all about chocolate.  Although do be warned (yes I'm back on price) that the average price for a piece of cake ($12) is also shared by the sandwiches. And on top of that I'm unsure about the presentation, I noticed sandwiches coming out ribbon style with the crusts cut off a’la The Windsor Afternoon Tea, but this is the Lindt Café and I fear it is aiming for something it's not. Lindt chocolate to me is not about refinement and quality, it's about accessibility and reality (at least that's my definition of it), and this reality to a chocolate snob like me doesn't seem to gel with this apparitional, overpriced cafe I am sitting in.

But I'm harping on, let me get to the cake...

Sight

After much deliberation, my friend and I opted to share a slice of Montreux cake and at $12 a slice it was very expensive but lovely to look at - visually it is very attractive (more so than the average cake) and I would definitely have it again if I could justify the price and the somewhat compromised cafe experience. It comes with a piece of gold leaf and a small disc of 70% chocolate on top. This looks okay, but I would venture to suggest it is unnecessary decoration. Funnily enough, this unnecessary piece of decoration may have been the best of the chocolate I ate on this experience.

Taste and Texture

According to Lindt the Montreux cake is 'an elegant cake made from layers of rich chocolate & roasted pecan brownie, chocolate caramel chantilly mousse & mascarpone & vanilla cream' which was enough to sell me.

A great blend of flavours and textures and it lives up to hype, with the bottom layer a beautifully constructed brownie with nuts – texture slightly chewy and that lovely contrast of the nuts. Then a layer of caramel followed by a layer of mascarpone cream (with the vanilla bean seeds still visible and easily detected).  The cake just merges together in a lovely symphony of flavour and texture!

Summary

Overall, it’s a nice experience, generally nice surroundings...but maybe it’s the café, maybe its so many people there having a look, but it felt a little like a tarted up, over priced and I felt like just another sheep on the cattle train (if you excuse the mixed metaphor). The cake was really very nice, and therefore I would rate this as a 4 out of 5.  I would have ventured higher, but I need to subtract points for the much lamented cost and atmosphere, so overall I would rate the overall experience as a 3 out of 5.

In summary, it isn't a bad expereince and the cakes are great, but I think you can have nicer atmosphere, probably better service and a yummy product elsewhere.  I'm not in a rush to return.

Lindt Café Melbourne
271 Collins Street, Melbourne

www.lindt.com.au

29 July 2009
Reviewer: Shari