Tally Kitchen

The Verdict

There are two types of people. The ones who follow an F45 session with a high-protein shake, fresh berries and a chia pudding; and the ones who think even walking PAST a gym totally justifies a double-stacked cheeseburger and Snickers milkshake.

Tally Kitchen caters to both these crowds. It’s got an angel on one shoulder...and the devil scoffing chips on the other.

Tally itself has been around for a while: it’s a Crossfit and flotation therapy studio in South Melbourne. Somewhere you come to either get ripped or Zen out. And now they've added a cafe, Tally’s Kitchen. But unlike most gym-affiliated cafes, this one doesn’t preach. Their slogan has always been ‘Train. Eat. Recover’, and it’s never specified whether that recovery should take the form of a giant steak sandwich.

It’s rare to find a gym-affiliated cafe with a burger menu this substantial. Tally rocks a range of breakfast burgers, a whopping TEN beef burgers and nine chicken burgers (a mix of fried and grilled). The fried chicken, in particular, has a rep as one of the best in Melbourne, and it lived up to the hype. Crispy golden batter, juicy chicken breast, and adding bacon really helped the meat vs salad ratio.

If you’re looking for something that won’t undo all your Crossfit pain, try the acai bowl (house-made granola with coconut yogurt and seasonal fruit) or the vegan Banana Split (bananas, cut length-ways, topped with granola, berries and a scoop of coconut ice-cream).

Coffee comes courtesy of Toby’s Estate (Tally use the famous ‘Woolloomoolo’ blend that makes spell check cry), and there’s a range of health drinks and blended smoothies if you need to grab and go. Pro tip: they have a secret menu that includes a hot chicken & gravy roll. 'Nuff said. 

Come for the workout, stay for the burgers. That’s Tally Kitchen. 

Image credit: Burgers Of Melbourne