Moon Rabbit

The Verdict

This is what the future of Melbourne’s cafe scene should be: something that benefits both the people eating, and the people working. Guys, say hello to Moon Rabbit, Preston’s new social enterprise cafe.

It’s run by Chris Lombardo, an executive officer at The Bridge—a northside not-for-profit that offers vocational training for people with special needs. Moon Rabbit is The Bridge’s delicious, jaffle-filled side hustle, serving vegetarian, vegan and halal-friendly snacks (with damn good coffee).

Make an effort to get to know your waiters and baristas—many of them will be part of Moon Rabbit’s training program, a 26-week course that helps upskill young people with learning difficulties. Plus, they’re the people holding the jaffles, and it pays to be nice to people with jaffles.

Moon Rabbit’s menu is deliberately tight. Six rotating jaffles, four of them veggo, including spiced lamb with sweet potato hummus, a spring onion omelette jaffle with roasted sesame sauce (farrrrk) and even a cheeky lentil Bolognese. You can also get a selection of muesli, cakes and slices from the counter. We were quietly stoked to see a good old-fashioned Hedgehog.

As you might expect, all your takeaway goods come in either paper or glass, and there’s even a range of Moon Rabbit-branded re-useable coffee cups you can buy. FFS, even the used coffee grounds are recycled (they end up as compost in Croxton School’s community garden).

Service with a smile, and food that makes your soul feel fuzzy. That’s what Moon Rabbit is all about. More of this please, Melbourne.

Image credit: Jenna Fahey-White