The Glass Den Coburg.
- Felix Marrow
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Seriously serious brunch and they do not muck about.
There are cafes who seem only to lean into trend, and then there’s The Glass Den, which seems to take brunch by the horns and politely inform it is doing things its own way. Kind of like they want to set the trend and see how quickly the followers catch up. Either way, it is not about you.
Perched beside the ghostly bones of the former Pentridge Prison, The Glass Den is part greenhouse and part minimalist fever dream. There are so many hanging plants it’s unclear whether they’re decorating or plotting something. Either way, they frame what might be the best brunch in the north and they are all about presentation. Does that come at the cost of flavour or texture? Google reviews might say so but for us, not so much. We get it.
The best thing we ate by far was the Lobster Benedict. Without doubt, this is the reason you cancel your plans and lie to your dietitian. Imagine the buttery, tail on lobster lounging like a Bond villain atop toasted shokupan... because English muffins are for amateurs. Two perfectly poached eggs ooze while a sriracha mayo and yuzu hollandaise usher in a slow heat that doesn’t ask for permission. This dish is absolutely sublime. It’s not subtle by any means and we assume it’s not supposed to be. It’s seafood decadence in a post industrial courtyard surrounded by eucalyptus and former inmates’ laundry lines. It is very bold.
Other dishes flirt with similar greatness such as the beetroot hotcakes. For the Insta crowd, these are aggressively photogenic and the braised beef cheek roti with kale and eggs will make you rethink your entire relationship with brunch carbs, but it’s the Lobster Benedict that cements The Glass Den’s legacy. It’s brunch Jim, but not as we know it.
Coffee is by Code Black along with some very interesting looking coloured beverages masquerading as coffee. I am a purist but I do understand not every needs a caffeine defib just to make them be nice, butI do and I simply cannot fathom anything slightly more interesting than chai.
Service is brisk, occasionally aloof and at times, painfully slow but forgivable when you’re mid bite into something that costs more than your last utility bill and is worth every cent. Dont expect to be in and out too quickly. This kind of food takes time. If you want fast, go to a drive through.
The Glass Den doesn’t serve brunch. It serves reckonings. Come hungry. Leave spiritually altered, and possibly considerably poorer than you meant to be.
The Glass Den is at 15 Urquhart St, Coburg.
Open Mon - Fri 7.30am - 3.00pm, Sat 8.00-3.00pm. Sun 8.30am - 3.00pm
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