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Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here.
A chef, a barista and a trio of footy players open an American-meets-British diner in Prahran. The result is a daytime offering that breaks the mould of tired Aussie cafe formats, making brunch feel fun again. Service could use some refinement and a few dishes prioritise style over substance, but with a couple of tweaks, Aftermath has the makings of an institution.
The vibe
Burnt orange laminate tables, orange pendant lights, curved booth seats and silver trays lean into the diner aesthetic, while a shelf stocked with local hot sauces from Ultra Culture and sodas from Mischief gives the café a distinctly local flavour. A realistic illustration of Gordon Ramsay – looking somewhat like Quentin Tarantino – quirks things up further. There’s seating inside and in a covered courtyard, both of which get plenty of sun. Order at the counter to take away or stay for table service, just note that while I was there, it got a little slow when it was busy.
The food
The menu strays from the classic Aussie café format in favour of American and British-inspired dishes, with a bit of Mexican influence that bleeds into the latter.
I can see why the hot cake is the fan favourite. It’s simple: one giant pancake, somewhere between a supersized crumpet and a griddle cake, with grill marks underneath and a generous drizzle of miso maple butter. Salty and sweet without going overboard, rich without putting you to sleep afterwards, and relatively affordable by brunch standards these days (you can also add bacon for $6). Sure, you could make pancakes at home, but you probably couldn’t make them this well.
A weekday visit means the huevos rancheros we’ve been eyeing are off the menu, so we settle on a bean and cheese burrito ($15). I’d have liked to see an egg variation, both for protein and structural integrity: the bean and cheese filling is very wet, making it a juggling act to prop the burrito up and stop it oozing between bites. The flavour is good, though the hot sauce is doing some of the work.
And mini corn dogs – a special – are tasty. I think they’re a little pricey at $5 each, though perhaps the chef knows this because we’re given a double serve.
The drinks
The matcha ($6) is a little weak but serviceable, while the iced coffee ($7) is good.
Time Out tip
Visit on a weekend for the full menu. Not everything is available on weekends.
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