Lobby Coffee & Wine

The Verdict

Who would have thought we’d see the day when Seven nightclub turned into a brunch bar, eh? If we had a nickel for all the bad decisions we’ve made in this building...

Well, it’s true. Seven is gonzo, and in its place is a massive 3-part hospitality precinct called Albert House, built by Andrew Ryan & Sam Daish. Lobby Coffee & Wine is the first phase of Albert House to get rolled out—a classy all-day espresso and wine bar, serving bagels, caffeine and good times.

At the moment, Lobby is just doing breakfast and lunch, but it’ll be open from the 14 May for evening sessions. The plan is to serve cheese boards, charcuterie plates and a solid mix of local and international vino.

In the meantime, you can swing by for a truly excellent bagel experience. The menu is tight to say the least: just three bagels so far. The first is a mash-up of Melbourne and New York, an avocado bagel with marinated goat’s cheese, freshened up with a little dill and lemon. Solid. Next you’ve got a classic salmon, cream cheese, dill and capers (our personal fave), followed by a cheeky peanut butter & maple syrup. There's also a range of salads from the guys at Urban Projuice.

If you’re not feeling bagels, Lobby stocks a few snacks, both healthy and...less healthy. Nutty health bars from Who I Is, vegan carrot cake and a daily muffin mix (again from Urban Projuice) and the ever-reliable Butterbing cookie sandwiches.

Coffee comes black, golden grind or matcha, and there’s the usual mix of milk running through the steamer (almond $1 extra). You can also pick up chai lattes, hot chocs and a range of boutique teas.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next stage of the Albert House project. The plan is to open an Asian fusion restaurant on the ground floor, plus a cocktail and karaoke bar one level up. The whole thing will fall under the ‘Albert House’ umbrella. And while our inner 19-year-old is sad to see Seven go, this is probably a good move. Shotgun that smoked salmon bagel...

Image credit: Simon Shiff