G’day fellow cafe lovers
Just a stones throw away from one of Melbourne’s most famous streets Chapel Street, Top Paddock can be found at the end of Church Street.

This beautiful café has been voted one of Melbourne’s best cafés in numerous publications and I have to agree with them. Top Paddock is a perfect spot for a weekend meal, with many having to line up and wait for a table on Saturday and Sunday mornings. But I can tell you that it will be worth the wait. I have been to Top Paddock twice now and both times I have been very lucky and have gotten a table right away. I went there recently with my good friend Tiana, she had never been there before and I thought that it would be a great café to visit and I knew she would love it.
Food and Drinks
Top Paddock has an incredible menu, with delicious choices for those who like savoury as well as those who love sweet. Their food is a great way to treat yourself after a busy week at work or if you have a busy day ahead. The dishes have a way to put a smile on your face and keep you happy for the whole afternoon. (Menu and prices are from April 2015 and could have changed since then).

Once again I had my usual, a latte, and I thought that it was pretty good, except it’s slightly more expensive than other cafés I have been to in the past. But it was a good size and hit the spot just right; it was exactly what I needed on that cold Melbourne morning.
Coffee Rating: 3/5 

Tiana had her usual chai tea and she seemed to really enjoy it. It was presented so beautifully with the little teapot and the little jar of honey on the side which allows you to naturally sweeten the tea without having to use pure sugar. What a great idea! Good thinking Top Paddock!!
Chai Rating: 3/5 

I ordered Top Paddocks famous blueberry and ricotta hotcake; there are no words to describe how delicious it was. It is presented so beautifully; it honestly looks like an artwork on your plate. All the bright colours from the berries really stand out from the golden brown of the hotcake. The berries and fig help to break up the sweetness from the maple and add a juiciness that will leave your taste buds singing. The seeds add an extra crunch, bringing in an extra texture needed to balance out the smoothness from the hotcake and berries. The serving is definitely filling and is quite rich, but it will leave you smiling all day long.

Tiana ordered the seasonal avocado with sourdough and a side of bacon, she loves this type of dish and always seems to pick it wherever we go. She said that she wished that the avocado had come already mashed as it would have been easier to spread on the toast, but other than that she said that it was really tasty and that she would order it again. It looked great on her plate, the vibrant green of the avocado against the white plate, the golden brown of the bread and the pinky/brown of the bacon. The crunch of her toast could be heard from the other side of the table and the creaminess of the avocado and the saltiness of the bacon married together perfectly!

Environment & Service
Top Paddock has quite a lot of seating, with places both inside and outside. I can only imagine how great it must be to sit outside on a beautiful Melbourne summer or spring day. I’ll definitely go back during the warmer weather and sit outside and soak in the sun and get caught up in the ambiance. The service is a little slow, but that is to be expected due to the number of seats and the popularity of the café, as it is always full. Make sure if you are wanting to visit Top Paddock, especially on the weekends that you get there nice and early otherwise you have to stand around and wait (get there before 10am).
Activities to do in the area
Why not enjoy a walk to Chapel Street after your meal; it’s only about a 5-minute walk to all the shops. Chapel Street offers a number of high-end stores and your everyday affordable ones. Due to it being one of Melbourne’s most well known streets you can’t go to that area and not have a walk down it. I would recommend that you park in the Jam Factory; parking is only $7 for the day, which is fairly reasonable for that area.


Other information about Top Paddock
Address: 658 Church Street, Richmond (Vic)
Phone: (03) 9429 4332
Operating Hours:
Monday – Friday – 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Website: http://toppaddockcafe.com
Instagram Page: @toppaddock

Café Score = 9/10
Have you been to Top Paddock before? Please let me know what you thought of it and what delicious item you had off the menu. If you had the hotcakes, did you like them as much as I did? Please comment down below, I would love to know!
Are there any cafés that you would love to recommend? Please comment down below and tell me, I would love to visit them.
Until next time,
Happy Eating
– Kim
Hi Kim,
I loved reading about your Top Paddock experience! Also good tip to visit the chapel street shops for those who may not have been there before!
I have been to Top Paddock too! I’ve had their porridge, hot cakes and something else but I can’t remember as it was quite a while ago.. I love it there, very nicely decorated inside always buzzing with people.
Have you been to Kettle Black? They have a very similar menu to Top Paddock (same owners).. It’s very nice in there too and very close to the royal botanic gardens!
– Ashleigh
LikeLike
Hi Ashleigh,
Thank you for your comment. I’m so glad to hear that you liked it as much as I did. I think it’s become one of my new faviourte places. I haven’t been to Kettle Black yet, but i hear so many good things about them and I also see amazing photos of their food on Instagram. It’s definitely on my list of places to visit.
Thank you for your suggestion! I think i’ll visit them in Spring and then have a walk around the Botanic gardens
– Kim 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Kim, you’re welcome. Sounds like a great time to visit Kettle Blackb
LikeLike
Kettle black *
(Sorry accidentally hit send button!
Where is your next cafe venture to?
– Ashleigh
LikeLike
My next venture is to Miss Frank in Camberwell, their espresso milkshakes are AMAZING!!! It’s a great little place for brunch
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg sounds delicious!!
LikeLike
I can feel a very nice atmosphere through the pix. Great post! Thanks for your suggestion. I will pass there sometime 🙂
Kathy
LikeLike
I’m really glad that you liked my post and photos Kathy, let me know what you think of Top Paddock if you ever visit them, I would love to know
– Kim
🙂
LikeLike
I promise 🙂
I’m looking forward to see your next post
Kathy
LikeLike
I promise 🙂
I am waiting for your next cafe’ destination!
Kathy
LikeLike
Oh wow! I thought the last cafe you suggested was amazing but look at those hotcakes!!!!!!!! You will have to take me here Kim! Yum!
LikeLike
Thanks for you comment Maddy. They were AMAZZZZZZZING!!!!!! Maddy you’ll love them!!! We’ll definitely go sometime or maybe you and Scott can pay them a visit 🙂
LikeLike
Haha defiantly, but we live so far out is the public transport any good?
LikeLike
What a great question Maddy, Top Paddock is only about a 10 minute walk from South Yarra Station. So it is quite easy to get to if you don’t mind taking the train and don’t mind a bit of a walk.
If there is anything else i can help you with just let me know
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah brilliant! Well i’d prefer not to take the train but when you live over an hour away its far more economical 😛 Looking forward to your next blog. Do you know what cafe your reviewing next?
LikeLike
My next cafe i’m reviewing is Miss Frank in Camberwell. They have the most amazing espresso milkshakes EVER! So hopefully you and all my readers will enjoy reading about it. It should be out later this week, so keep an eye out for it.
😉
LikeLike
Will do, I look forward to it! You make me so hungry! haha
LikeLike
Omg Kim, I love Top Paddock! It’s one of those brunch restaurants that I love taking people to. My Indonesian friends suggested it to me when I was new and they didn’t disappoint. The food, coffee and place itself is pretty amazing. It’s the perfect place to take a visitor. Anyways, it’s so cool that you included this in your blog, really like this place. In the mean time, I should go visit the other places you mentioned in your previous blogs. Good work 😀
LikeLike
Hi Vidit,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it as much as i did. I think that its become one of my new favourite places. Hopefully you enjoy my other blogs as much as you liked this one.
– Kim
LikeLike
Yes and you should totally try hardware society if you haven’t. It’s on Hardware Lane in the city!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing this!! ❤ Aww this cafe looks just A M A Z I N G! 😛 I actually follow their Instagram page but never been there yet ! That hotcake.. OMG it's just looks so hot! ❤ we'll go there soon! 😉 😛
LikeLike
Hey Sepi!
Their Instagram page is Fabulous! Just looking through the photos makes your mouth water. You should go and pay them a visit, maybe after you finish this semester of uni to celebrate. I promise you won’t be sorry!! The hotcake was AMAZING!!!! I seem to order everything I go and each time i walk away smiling.
Let me know what you think of it!
– Kim 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing, I heard a lot of people said about Top Paddock. it’s one of top ten cafe on Urban Spoon website, your post make me wanna try it. Thanks.
LikeLike
Hi Sasi,
I’m so glad you enjoyed my post, now that i have been to Top Paddock i understand why they are voted one of Melbourne’s best cafes and why they are in the top 10 places to eat. They are amazing, their food is so tasty and their coffee is pretty good. Make sure you pay them a visit, you won’t be sorry.
Let me know what you think of them, i would love to know!
– Kim 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just wanna run out of my house right now to go to Top Paddock but it is so cold and late now 😦 maybe I will go there this weekend 🙂 I will definitely try the blueberry & crottica hot cake with berries 🙂 it looks so yum 🙂 I don’t know many great places in Melbourne so thanks a lot Kim, from now on, whenever I wanna hangout, I will go to your blog to see where should I go 🙂 waiting for your next post Kim. Cheers 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Annie, you should go and try Top Paddock out. It’s even better when you go with a group of your friends. Make sure if you on a weekend that you get there early as it get very busy and you might have to wait for a table.
I’m glad that you enjoy my posts. I will post my next blog later this week so make sure you keep an eye out for it.
– Kim 🙂
LikeLike
I came to Melbourne for the first time two years ago and lived in that area, so the pictures of the bridge really reminded me this first trip.
As a tea drinker, I always have to put a lot of sugar in, yes, I drink really sweet! So I really like the idea of serving the honey…. would be a plus!
Just thought as you love cats as well, have you visited Cat Cafe Melbourne in Queen Street?
If you have, let me know what you think about it!
Good read! Looking forward to more!
Stefanie
LikeLike
I am so glad that you enjoyed my post, i love this area and would love to live in it. I love that Top Paddock provided honey with their Chai tea and would hope they come with other teas (you might have to ask when ordering your tea).
I haven’t been to the cat cafe, but a friend of mine has and she loved it! She loved that you could spend time with a group of cats while enjoying a nice cup of coffee or tea.
Have you been to it before?
LikeLike
I’m super jealous. The ricotta hot cake looks delicious. And the coffee too. I’ll definitely try it out when I’m around the area. Thanks for sharing Kim 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Tammy, the hotcake was DELICIOUS! It is worth the trip and would highly suggest that you give it a try. Let me know what you think of it and if you enjoyed it as much as i did.
– Kim 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Kim
With your blogs I think I have to forget about diet:):)
I love your blogs. Since I’m almost new to Melbourne, it really gives me an idea where to go to eat.
most of the cafes I know are around my place, but your blogs motivate me to try other good cafes in this city.
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Bahar, I’m glad that you’re enjoying my blogs and glad i’ve encouraged you to try something outside your local area.
If you ever visit Top Paddock, let me know what you think of it, i would love to know if you loved it as much as i did
– Kim
LikeLike
Hi Kim! Absolutely loved reading about your Top Paddock experience.
It sounds amazing definitely on my list of places to go 🙂 The hotcakes look delicious!
LikeLike
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your comment, I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed reading my blog post. I would high recommend that you try Top Paddock, its a great place to visit with a group of friends. The hotcake was fantastic! Let me known what you think of it if you ever visit them.
– Kim 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Kim, I’ve never been there before but i’ll definitely go there after reading your post. The hotcake looks so delicious and the Yarra view is great too. Perfect place to relax and have a chat with friends 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Julie,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you, the view of the Yarra is beautiful! Top Paddock is a great meeting place for a good catch up with friends. Maybe you can go there after this semester of uni to celebrate.
Let me know what you think of them and if you liked the hotcake as much as i did.
– Kim 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Kim.
Look great! I’d love to go there one day. Can I easily get there by public transport?
LikeLike
It is very close to public transport, you can easily get there via a tram as they run along chruch/chapel street. South Yarra train station is about a 10 minute walk from Top Paddock, so it is very easy to get to.
Hopefully that helps you
– Kim 🙂
LikeLike
Hey Kim,
Your blog rocks my socks.
Does the inside of the cafe have any stuffed farm animals (cows, sheep) or grass/mud or anything to resemble a paddock? Or did they play animal sounds instead of music to make you feel like you are sitting in a paddock?
Cheers,
Abed84
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Abed, you always have such interesting questions. No they don’t have animals or animal music or sounds. I wish they did, that would be fantastic! It would really make you feel like you’re actually on a farm. Maybe you should suggested that to the cafe!
Watch out for my next post!
– Kim
LikeLike
Its amazing Kim! its killing me here when doing assignments with a hungry tummy and looking at your delicious pixes! (just kidding) But actually they looks so yum! Should i skip the class tomorrow to go straight to TOP PADDOCK! haha i definitely will go there this week! Thanks for sharing Kim! ^^
LikeLike
I am so glad that you enjoyed my post Kate. Before i went to Top Paddock i saw so many amazing photos of their food on their Instagram page. Each time i saw them upload a new photo my tummy would cry out. Their food is delicious, i would high recommened that you try them out, maybe go at the end of semester to celebrate your excellent marks!
Let me know what you think of them, i would love to know if you enjoyed it as much as i did
– Kim
🙂
LikeLike
I did not have coffee when I was in China, but when I came here, I really enjoy all kinds tasty coffee Melbourne, Thank you for sharing
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Peter, hopefully you’ll go and give their coffee a try
-Kim
LikeLike
Your blog never ceases to amaze me, it is very well written and organized.,*`~~
LikeLike
Thanks for finally talking about >Top Paddock (Richmond)
9/10 – Cards and Cafés <Liked it!
LikeLike