Join the cavalcade to Convoy, an eclectic new eatery that has just opened its doors in Moonee Ponds. Beyond the usual breakfast items, diners will find cinnamon scroll pancakes with cream cheese icing and Turkish eggs with lemon yoghurt and dill, as well as a cocktail lineup that’s sure to be a hit with the brunch crowd. Perhaps even earlier with the addition of a breakfast martini spiked with gin and marmalade. And with plenty of drops, like house sodas and smoothies that err to the non-alcoholic, and of course coffee, they’ve seemingly got all bases covered.

Kieren Spiteri, Ben Argentino, and Bec Moore are the seasoned hospitality crew behind cafe Terror Twilight, takeaway-only lunch bar Hi Fi in Collingwood and Tinker in Northcote. All in the inner north, heading west for this fourth venture made sense on several levels, they say.

“Moonee Ponds has come a long way in the past few years,” says Spiteri. “With hospitality, boutique developments and culture are at the forefront of the suburb’s reinvention. As a group, we wanted to provide a venue that we felt would benefit the area today.”

The venue has been over eighteen months in conception. Melbourne based architectural practice Studio Esteta were brought on board to lend their sought-after talents to the project, as were design studio My Friend Tom.

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“When opening new venues, we always bring the whole team together from the beginning and collaborate from conceptualisation right through the design and build phase”, says Spiteri. “We’ve worked no differently to bring Convoy into fruition.”

Across the road from Queen’s Park, the team imagined a space which reflects the leafy surrounds: warm and earthy tones complementing natural materials, the front exterior set back from the footpath, allowing for an impressive L-shaped deck and garden.

On the culinary front Moore says “our focus is to provide fresh, seasonal, creative and well-executed dishes that will set Convoy apart from other cafes in Moonee Ponds.” Leading menu development and the kitchen is Dale Kemp, executive chef across all four venues. “At Convoy, you can expect some twists to classic dishes from Tinker, Terror Twilight and Hi Fi, and some new and exclusive standouts,” he says.

This includes a few of Kemp’s favourites like Turkish eggs with lemon yoghurt, black pudding, hot red pepper butter, poached eggs, dill and sourdough; a steak frites roll with sliced rump, mustard mayo, shoestring fries and jus; and cinnamon scroll sweet potato pancakes with cinnamon caramel, cream cheese icing, orange zest and cinnamon crunch.

Early morning joggers are also catered to with a dedicated takeaway window where you can buy healthy smoothies and sandwiches to go, as well as housemade cakes and coffee to take to the park.

Open 7am until 4pm, the question isn’t necessarily what are we eating, more what time is acceptable to order that breakfast martini, or perhaps even a Melbourne mai tai?

Convoy
109 Pascoe Vale Rd, Moonee Ponds
03 9370 0873
Monday-Sunday 7am-4pm, kitchen closes at 3pm
convoymooneeponds.com.au 

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