The Lilydale General

If you live in the outer eastern suburbs it can be quite difficult to find a decent coffee... It’s not impossible, just not as easy as in the inner suburbs. Well, what if I told you that there is a hipster café hidden away in the factories of Lilydale that serves fantastic coffee? Just look out for the white picket fence. The Lilydale General menu caters for all diets with a range of gluten free, raw and vegan options. The acoustics inside can make it a little difficult to hear when there is a full house but if this worries you, why not sit outside in the fresh air, under an umbrella with a smoothie.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

·        Slow cooked beef short ribs, orange tomato BBQ glaze, celeriac red cabbage coleslaw, grilled brioche roll and cornichons ($17.00)

·        Banana chia pudding with vanilla cashew milk, avocado agave mousse, rawnola and dried blueberries ($12.00)

·        Cauliflower and coriander fritters, tahini sumac yoghurt, orange turmeric reduction, dressed chard leaves and crushed pistachio ($17.00)

·        Oat and sesame crusted pork fillet on Turkish bread, kohlrabi and apple salad, lemon Japanese mayo, wasabi cress and sriracha with pickled onion and carrot side ($17.00)

* I visited this cafe quite a while ago and the menu has since changed to their new summer menu.

WHAT WE ATE...

I picked a vegan option this time. The ‘Raw tacos – walnut meat, cashew sour cream, corn and avocado salsa, spiced red sauce in cos leaves ($16.00)’. I really loved this dish as it not only tasted brilliant but was super healthy too. For a girl who loves her carbs, these tacos were surprisingly filling. I particularly liked the gorgeous cashew sour cream which added lusciousness without the bad fats.

Raw tacos

My dining companion chose the ‘Toasted Turkish roll, Ben’s bacon, sunny side up eggs, locally made tomato relish, avocado, roquette, and mayonnaise ($15.00)’. This was also great and the tangy tomato relish really stood out.

Bacon and Eggs Turkish Roll

WHAT WE DRANK...

The Lilydale General has an extensive drinks menu as well as a liquor licence. The ‘Blended’ section has some really interesting drink options such as the ‘Turkish Delight Milkshake ($7.50)’ and the ‘Copacobana ($7.50)’. In relation to coffee, they offer a different blend each week. Our lattes ($3.70) tasted delicious.

Latte

SERVICE...

The service was attentive and cheery, even when my dining companion spilt the sugar bowl all over the table... The waiter was very happy to clean up the mishap. 

Address: 110 Beresford Road, Lilydale VIC

Phone: 03 9739 7770

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Trading Hours:

Mon - Fri: 7.00am – 5.00pm

Sat: 7.30am – 4.00pm

Sun: 8.00am – 3.00pm

P.S. Other eateries nearby are Bekendales and Café Rondiné...