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Food - Friction, Essendon Fields, AU-VIC

Friction

4.7 (45)
$40 and under
Australian
Unit 12/30 English St, Essendon Fields, AU-VIC 3041

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A photo of Friction restaurant

Friction

4.7
$40 and under
Australian
Niddrie

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 4 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for brunch
  • Good for groups
  • Kid-friendly
Friction Cafe is an exceptional gourmet eatery located in the heart of Essendon Fields, Melbourne. We take pride in offering locally sourced ingredients in our dishes, which results in amazing food that is both delicious and fresh.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $40 and under
  • Cuisines
    Australian, Breakfast, Café
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 7:00 am–3:00 pm Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (03) 9026 9299
  • Website
    http://www.frictionessendon.com.au/
  • Payment options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Friction.

4.7

4.7
(45)
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

45 Reviews

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Melbourne1 review

    4.0

    Dined on October 19, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was yum, service was pretty good and pretty fast. We had a large work group and it was prefect for this.

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  2. Adelina

    Melbourne1 review

    4.0

    Dined on October 17, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I ordered the French Toast and was a little disappointed with the taste of it. I feel that you have changed the bread - it had a different taste then what I have had previously. Have you changed anything on the French Toast!

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  3. Dean

    Melbourne3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 13, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    My group go to Friction quarterly for our catch up lunch. We always enjoy our time spent there.

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  4. Greg

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on September 6, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great dining experience. Food was fantastic. Service was first class. Definitely recommend.

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  5. Sarsh

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on August 30, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Very friendly and accommodating staff. A great family friendly cafe. Food arrived promptly and they were welcoming when we changed our booking times as of last minute.

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  6. Josephine

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Friendly helpful staff. Food delicious. A little noisy but otherwise a great brunch was had.

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  7. Gregory

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 9, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Went there for Mother's day and as expected it was very busy. Even so the wait wasn't long and the food excellent.

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  8. Pette

    Melbourne19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, I would the green vegetables salad back on the menu

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  9. Carmel

    Melbourne10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 10, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice visit, good food and coffee as always. Will be back!

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  10. Lindsay

    Melbourne7 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 3, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Been here before, food & service up to standard..will return

    Is this helpful?

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $40 and under
  • Cuisines
    Australian, Breakfast, Café
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 7:00 am–3:00 pm Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (03) 9026 9299
  • Website
    http://www.frictionessendon.com.au/
  • Payment options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

FAQs

Sundays are a favourite for brunch at Friction, guests report successful Sunday visits and staff often fit walk-ins in when it's busy.

For a quieter visit, aim for a Tuesday afternoon, guests report it was nice and quiet then; expect busier brunches and weekends, and special days (like Mother's Day) can be especially busy.

Yes, Friction is family-friendly: guests mention a kids menu, available high chairs (staff attended to one during a booking), and positive outings with young children.

Casual dress, comfortable, informal clothing is appropriate; nothing formal is expected.

Portions at Friction are generally generous, guests frequently describe meals as generously proportioned and satisfying.

Friction feels relaxed and inviting with friendly, attentive staff, though it can get a little noisy when the cafe is busy.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. Australia
  3. Melbourne
  4. Northern Suburbs
  5. Niddrie

Make a reservation

A photo of Friction restaurant

Friction

4.7
$40 and under
Australian
Niddrie

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 4 times today
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