Seddon Deadly Sins - Have You Sinned Lately?

148 Victoria Street

Seddon, 3011 VIC

How does one get away with serving the same old dishes and yet somehow are able to make customers think it’s something totally unique and special? Some restaurants use gimmicks like sprinkling their menus with fancy names to keep diners guessing. Others take liberty with their dishes and tweak the recipes a little with some exotic flavor, calling it fusion. And some embrace specific themes that create an impressionable and lasting dining experience. 

Seddon Deadly Sins is a play on the suburb’s name it’s located in and the Seven Deadly Sins. Each sin is represented by a signature dish. For instant ‘Gluttony’ comes with a mega serving of lard in the form of eggs, sausages, toast and true to its namesake even offers the option of piling on sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and hash browns.

What I love about the menu (which comes packaged in old children’s story books - more on that later) is the no holds barred approach to food. Everything served from the Grilled Banana Caramel Pancakes to the Hollandaise sauce Eggs Benedict is packed with oil, salt and sugar. At SDS the whole point is to indulge and not give a fuck about your waistline, just enjoy your food the way it should be.

Grilled Banana Caramel Pancake

Eggs Benedict on Toast served with Hollandaise Sauce

Something with corn cake LOL can’t remember it’s been awhile

The place is always packed for weekend breakfast but I still recommend just barging in anyway coz then you’d get to wait in the special lounge room upstairs. With it’s semi-Victorian interior and curtains adding a dark gothic atmosphere it really makes you feel like you’re a guest at Dracula’s home!

The interior in the dining area is like a mish-mash of antique living sprinkled with gargoyle motifs juxtaposed with comic book wallpapers and fairytale covered menus. But it’s only when you look across the street to see a Greek Orthodox church will you begin to realize the cheeky subtext Seddon Deadly Sins’ theme is trying to portray, hopefully it’s not when you’re not too busy stuffing your cheeks with slabs of bacon and a chug of malt milkshake!

The Final Word:

Is it worth the hype?

Hell yea (pun intended)! Despite being overcrowded every single time I go we never end waiting for more than 15 minutes. The popularity of Seddon Deadly Sins is impressive coming from an establishment that doesn’t even have its own website!

Is it worth the price?

A typical breakfast dish will go for the 14 - 18 dollar price range depending on how much sin you’d like to pile on the side. You’ll definitely walk out feeling satisfied and slightly bloated.

Will I come back again?

Before writing this review I’ve visited this place 3 times and fortunately have friends that crave for it AND have their own ride…

Review: Manchester Press

I find myself being continuously amused at how irrelevant location is for restaurant establishments these days. Ever since the internet empowered us regular mortals opportunities of becoming food critics a strong online presence and good word-of-mouth is all a good establishment needs to attract a steady stream of avid foodies. Your cafe could be located next to a dumpster for all it’s worth and it still won’t matter, all you need is a few good words or Tweets and you’re good to go.

Case in point: the Manhattan Press cafe. Located on Rankins Lane you literally have to pass through a tiny alley donned with graffiti art and a dumpster to get there. Don’t be turned off by the cafe’s proximity to the waste disposal unit though, it actually lends an authentic urban feel to the cafe’s image. How else would one explain there being an old rusty tricycle as interior decoration?

Manchester Press has garnered a reputation for their coffee art. Forget the typical fern leaves and hearts, the skillful baristas won’t settle for anything less than a masterpiece depicting caricatures which I suspect is inspired by their customers. Pity the same artistic deliberation was not extended to the taste of the coffee itself. My flat white was so foamy it might as well be mistaken for a latte.

Me and my friends did find more appreciation for the food. Bagel seems to be the signature ingredient for most of the breakfast dishes and it went pleasantly with runny eggs, both baked and half-boiled.

While there wasn’t anything special about the way our food was prepared it was balanced by the moderate prices and considerable portions. It took me under an hour to finish my bagel, served with fresh salmon and deli cheese!