“I don’t think I’m used to this…friendliness” I tell Miss K when the man that greets us at Cumulus Inc. is nothing short of friendly and courteous. It is not that we have terrible service in Sydney but usually men with expensive hair cuts, thick black rimmed designer glasses wearing all black tend to be the kind to give you an att-it-ude. So I’m a bit taken aback when they are courteous you do understand.
When I recently dined at Cutler and Co. , everyone asked if I had been to their other eatery Cumulus Inc.. Sadly, there is only so much stomach space in one day and Cumulus Inc. was relegated to the “perhaps one day” list. So when Miss K my publisher picks me up and asks if I’ve been there I practically shriek with delight. Thankfully she doesn’t have a nervous disposition. It’s best not to be around me and food if you do.
We walk the block and a half to Cumulus Inc. although I am unable to tell you in which direction. By now I’ve come to realise that my sense of direction is even worse in Melbourne than it is in Sydney. We take a seat and it’s quite busy for a week day morning at 10 o’clock. I take a quick look at the menu and ask for Miss K’s recommendations as this is one of her favorite three places to eat in Melbourne. I know I have the right publisher because she says “We’ve got to order different things of course”.
Harcourt apple juice $5
I take a sip of apple juice and it’s not bad but not particularly different from other apple juices that I have tried.
Smoked Salmon 65 /65, sorrel, apple and dill$17
Holy heck the smoked salmon in this dish is good. Thinner and appearing more “stretched” (is that a weird thing to say?), it comes with pieces of sorrel, a terrific but underused vegetable, thin matchsticks of apple and dill which I adore with the smoked salmon. And the egg? It is an egg that has been poached for 65 minutes at 65 degrees Celsius and it is runnily gorgeous yet still slightly thicker in texture than a regular poached egg.
Turkish baked eggs, spiced tomato, dukkah and labne $16
I try some of Miss K’s baked eggs with delicious lightly spiced soft baked tomatoes, dukkah and clouds of tangy, creamy labne yogurt cheese. It is one of those comforting, filling meals and the grain bread gies it a satisfying crunch.
Madeleines $3
“Would you like us to place the order for the madeleines now?” the waitress asks us. The reason why she is asking is perhaps because of my incessant cooing when I saw that the madeleines require 15 minutes notice as they are baked to order. They come out dusted with icing sugar and sit proudly full breasted like a bird puffing their chest out. I can smell the eggy and lemony aroma already and I lift one to my mouth and take a bite. The lemon curd inside is like indiscernible lemon sherbet bursts. I had expected to see a dollop of lemon curd in the centre but I can’t see any at all so I am left to contemplate when the next sherbert burst comes.
And Melbourne lovelies, if you happen to be near Federation Square today between 3-7pm I’ll be there for the Cornetto Endless Summer launch and making a general fool of myself 
A few Sydney readers asked if there was going to be a Sydney launch but there isn’t one in Sydney I’m afraid (how much fun would it have been to have it on a beach like the ad?) as the launch was moved to Melbourne.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you find it hard to find your way around a new city?
A cute shop window on the way
Cumulus Inc.
45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC
Tel:+61 (03) 9650 1445
Open Monday to Friday 7am until 11pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am until 11pm
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44 Comments | Add your own
I think I was born with an inbuilt GPS. I have this knack of being able to find my way around fairly easily in whatever city I am in. My husband even lets me give directions when he is driving! The fresh baked madeleines look amazing. I am such a dessert person and have been known at restaurants to ask for the dessert menu first.
Adore all the clever things they’ve done with eggs – slow poached eggs, never heard of that before! And the baked Turkish eggs look divine…
I love going to restaurants and trying all sorts of different things. It’s so much fun!
Lovely restaurant, everything looks so fresh and pretty. And yes, I am hopeless in a new city, but that’s what taxis are for. Life is too short to use a map LOL.
*kisses* HH
What a cute name for a restaurant! Ad that food….YUMMO!
When is the Cornetto launch?
I’ve not been to Cumulus Inc but have been to Cutler and Co – would really love to go to Cumulus one day for breakfast or brunch.
Hope you’re enjoying Melbourne!!
Yes I have no sense of direction!! Even when I have been somewhere a few times, shopping centre pose an even bigger risk for me. There are some that if it wasn’t for hubby I would still be wandering around today looking for the exit…
Those Madelines must have been absolutely to die for!
The Turkish baked eggs look amazing! Breakfast is my favorite meal… I wouldn’t mind a plate of those right now
Mmmm, breakfast. Eggs are just what I need right now…
I have a shocking sense of direction. The Husband says I am the only person he knows who can get lost in David Jones!
However, I’m usually pretty well OK in Melbourne as I’ve spent so much time there.
Squeal!! I’ve always wanted to go to Cumulus Inc. Thanks for the review.
I find my way around new cities with the little blue dot on my iPhone.
Expensive overseas but worth every cent. I enter the addresses of everywhere I need to go into my address book before I leave Australia.
SSG xxx
I loved the food at Cumulus inc (though the service was a bit meh). Your smoked salmon looks delicious.
And to get around a new city, there’s nothing wrong with asking people in the street where things are!
Great pics. This place is only 4 blocks from where I live, but I hadn’t realised until now that it did breakfast! Doing mental booking now.
FYI, the same building houses a brilliant theatre and gallery in the basement, called Fortyfivedownstairs. It presents some great independent theatre, so it cam be a good double with Cumulus if you get your timing right.
The theatre’s website is http://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/
I somehow knew these would be the dishes you would get! I’m looking forward to heading back there, hopefully next month!
Beautiful post yet again! I haven’t yet been to Cumulus Inc, but it’s definitely high on the list of to-gos. Can’t wait to see what other places you visit
Those baked eggs look sensational. I adore making eggs like that – so tasty and satisfying.
I’m not bad with directions actually. I’m good with a map but GPS confuses me terribly!
Jealous, you’re eating 2 of my fav breakfast meals, smoked salmon salad and turkish baked tagine breakfasts. Definitely need to visit Kazbah or Sumac soon lol
Happen to catch a glimpse of the ad campaign on tv yesterday, your hair is so lovely and long and your blue frock is very pretty.
First time at Melb we were like lost chickens lol.
) so we had to order something else. We waited for a long time before our order arrived. Hunger and patience does not go well! When my food arrived, the beans are cold as in either from the frige or because it’s been too long waiting. So we left very disappointed and definitely not gonna go back there.
Melbourne city is actually not as confusing as Sydney CBD.
Anyway, we heard a good review from melbourne food blogger and went to Cumulus Inc on our last day in Melb. We had our hopes that last day will be as perfect as previous days, a nice breakfast then head back to Sydney. When we arrived there, it was already packed. It took a while before the staff approached us. We hoped to have those 65/65 eggs but it wasn’t available on Sunday (or maybe just that day
It took me three days to understand how the streets of Melbourne worked.
I rarely get lost really.
I love just walking out of my hotel and wandering around in a new city
(Of course, though, during my US/Europe travels last year, I’d always have at least a vague idea of where the nearest grocery/chocolate shop/deli was 
)
Love the look of the baked eggs and dukkah!
The Turkish baked eggs look like a lovely way to start the day!
You know that you gave me an idea? I have just made some dukka and now I can even put it on the baked eggs
.
Interesting what you say about waiting staff.
ciao
Alessandra
I love the fact that I can navigate Florence, Rome, Milan, Siena, Lucca and a few other gorgeous Italian cities without a map. I’m not bad with Melbourne and I can sort of find my way around Venice.
I am intrigued as to how they got their madeleines like that. It depends on the city as to whether or not I find it hard to get around – some are built for people (eg NYC’s grid system and excellent public transport), some are harder (eg Brisvegas’ urban sprawl with not so great public transport).
I’m so glad to see you’re uncovering some of Melbourne’s best establishments, NQN.
Cumulus Inc. is always my choice for breakfast when in the CBD.
The 65/65 eggs are amazing.
Wow, madeleines baked to order? That’s very impressive. And the surprise of lemon curd really makes it even more fun.
Gimme a perfect poached egg, and I can make a meal out of it!
I’m also in love with the way they served those baked eggs, in a cast-iron pan like that. Everything is impressive!
how I wish I could hop on the next plane to have this breakfast on the weekend! and the 65/65 eggs.. WOW – I cant even get regular post eggs right so I definitely would love to try this!
I always go the tourist map in a new city & end up finding my way around better than in my own city!
Those madeleines look delicious!
oh if only my days of casual breakfasts in the city weren’t a thing of the past I would be urging e to go there with me soon! Maybe one day! Meanwhile I must protest that not all apple juices are the same – some are unbearably sweet and others have that slight tartness of the apples that I love.
I love being in a foreign city! Usually it means I’ll be able to discover little gems and treasures from weaving through streets
OMG. Madelines to order? I’m in heaven…which may be why they chose the name??
Turkish baked eggs & madelleines! You ae having a rocking good time Lorraine! I’m LOVING’ it!!
Thanks for the review Lorraine. I really must check this place out! It was nice meeting you yesterday at Fed Square even though I didn’t get a chance to talk to you!
cookies baked to order AND kind staff? that’s a one-two punch for a stellar restaurant.
Those Turkish baked eggs look delicious.I am going to try to figure out how to make those.
As for getting around in strange places, my husband is wonderful with maps. But if he is not around I wander aimlessly and it is amazing what wonderful things you stumble upon
I seem to have a good sense of direction in new cities – towards the markets, shops and good food! Lucky me
I enjoyed cumulus for breakfast – I have had their bircher muesli. Nice to sit at the bar and have a quick, light meal. I have always wondered about their turkish baked eggs, they look delicious! As do the madeleines!
Heidi xo
I went to Cumulus Inc with my friends not long ago and I found the exact same thing. (I think we had the same guy serve us) I was expecting him to be snobby, but he was lovely. And I had the baked eggs for my breakfast, weren’t they just divine?! I’ll have to go back soon.
Love the look of the smoked salmon dish. I have been to Melbourne a couple of times and am hopeless at finding my way around, even with a map. If I manage to get to the place I was intending to go, it’s only because I fluked it! I find Melbourne people really helpful, sometimes I don’t even have to ask-it must be the confused look on my face!
Absolutely dismal at finding my way around if I rely on the locals ‘its easy, you can’t miss it’ directions…. but nowhere has me bluffed with my trusty iPhone
Freshly baked madeleines… Oh My!
Yay! This is my absolute fave brekkie spot in Melbourne – I always go there when I visit from hometown Sydney. In my experience, I find Melbournians are always polite – they are simply more sophisticated and don’t need to waste precious good times being childish.X
ohhh.. the 65/65 eggs looks good! heard lots of good things of this place but i’ve never been there before even though i was in melb for so many years. must try that out when i go back for visit.
Those meals look lovely and a very good price for an establishment like that. I think I may have to have breakfast there, next time I am in Melb!
We’re on our first trip to Melbourne in over 4 years and I had this brilliant idea to search your blog for ideas of places to eat! So as soon as we touched down, I made my hubby trek across Melbourne CBD to this very cool joint for lunch, I can honestly say we were nicely satisfied. I recommend the House Lemonade, all lemmony and sweetened with only a fresh sprig of mint! Not one for those with sweet expectations but definitely worth a give-go
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