Brother Nancy

Cafe · West Footscray ·

Brother Nancy

Cafe · West Footscray ·

Ambitious, evolving menu with Parisian bistro/Footscray Market influences

Information

182 Essex St, West Footscray VIC 3012, Australia Get directions

A$20–40

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

On the Grid : Brother Nancy

"Deep in residential West Footscray you will find the treasure that is Brother Nancy, charmingly wedged in between a classic neighbourhood milk bar and a bus stop. The team at Brother Nancy seem to have a genuine commitment to completely messing with your idea of ‘brunch’, without stooping to the lowly act of smashing a defenceless avocado. We’re fine with this. There is some seriously ambitious food being pushed out of the tiny kitchen here. A constantly-evolving menu that reads like a Parisian bistro via Footscray Market consistently dishes up unexpected hits. Say hi to owner Leigh and he will be your best mate by the time you finish your coffee. Could you also kindly ask him to bring back that glorious thing with the fried sesame & coriander polenta chips? Photography by Gianna Rizzo." - Susu Studio

https://onthegrid.city/melbourne/footscray/brother-nancy

Brother Nancy

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

"Brother Nancy, Footscray by Susu Studio. Deep in residential West Footscray you will find the treasure that is Brother Nancy, charmingly wedged in between a classic neighbourhood milk bar and a bus stop. The team at Brother Nancy seem to have a genuine commitment to completely messing with your idea of ‘brunch’, without stooping to the lowly act of smashing a defenceless avocado. We’re fine with this. There is some seriously ambitious food being pushed out of the tiny kitchen here. A constantly-evolving menu that reads like a Parisian bistro via Footscray Market consistently dishes up unexpected hits. Say hi to owner Leigh and he will be your best mate by the time you finish your coffee. Could you also kindly ask him to bring back that glorious thing with the fried sesame & coriander polenta chips?Photography by Gianna Rizzo."

Melbourne

Brother Nancy

mundre D.

Google

Amazing food ,mostly i like mushroom pasta very delicious .must try

Julia S.

Google

Had the chicken sanga and it was absolutely spot on – fresh, juicy, and packed with flavour. The toast with jam on the side was such a nice touch, and the apple jam was honestly next level – sweet and full of flavour. Paired everything with a warm cuppa and enjoyed the cozy, relaxed vibe. Friendly staff and great service as always.

T J.

Google

Brother Nancy never disappoints. Amazing coffee, delicious food, and genuinely warm service every time. The space is welcoming — the kind of café you keep coming back to. Highly recommend.

C M.

Google

Cute little cafe with friendly and welcoming staff. Delicious toasties and great coffee. Would recommend if in the area!

Nicholas T.

Google

Food - poor wagyu beef patties with no taste. Cooked medium rare and still felt like it was rare despite its colour Service - horribly slow if it gets peak hours. Atmosphere - quaint environment but definitely not fit for any dine in service , poor ventilation and you will smell like oil at the end of the meal

Aditi T.

Google

Had the eggs Benedict and coffee! Amazing food and service. Tucked in a suburban street with plenty of parking. Will be back again to try other items on the menu as well. Atmosphere and service were 10/10!!

L V

Google

Good coffee and yummy food, especially the Reuben sanga! 8/2025 update: The matcha is delicious here and wagyu burger is juicy (requested beef patty to be cooked medium).

Zheng D.

Google

Disappointing experience from start to finish. As someone who usually lets subpar experiences slide, taking time out of my Christmas to write a 1 star review speaks volumes to the quality of service we had to endure. 1.5 hour wait for brunch. No updates or communication from the staff. 4 attempts which turned into desperate pleas to order food 40 minutes after we were seated. At no point did anyone acknowledge the delay or apologise — we were left constantly wondering if we’d been forgotten. When the food finally arrived, it was a letdown. Dry chicken, cold fries, stingy on the sauce, and absolutely not worth the wait. If the food had been exceptional, the delay might have been forgivable — it wasn’t. What made the experience worse was the lack of accountability. John and his mate failed to communicate delays, didn’t manage expectations, and actively avoided eye contact with our table. We came from work on Christmas Eve in good spirits. We left frustrated, unsatisfied, and rushing back to work to salvage our team spirit. Definitely will not be returning

Steve M.

Yelp

I'm kicking myself I didn't try the coffee here earlier. Leigh makes a cracking almond latte. Staff are friendly. Place is clean. They get the door sometimes when free without asking when I have the pram. Outside seating available.

Stuart M.

Yelp

Groovy like local secret. Very swish menu for a small local establishment. I had the breakfast burger, the egg cooked perfectly for, my taste. My wife had a salmon dish she says was really tasty. They served a boutique cola which I enjoyed also.

Stephanie D.

Yelp

I was super excited when I heard a French chef was making steak tartare in the suburban bowels of West Footscray. I myself can't eat it due to dietary restrictions but my French dude was really stoked to try it. We rocked to the little cafe around 1pm and it was chock a block full of lunching mums. No inside seats were left so we grabbed a table out front. Service was a bit slow but it was busy and they were friendly throughout. We ordered two decent if standard coffees and the steak tartare (for him), the Chapin breakfast (for me). Sadly, I wasn't impressed. The tartare was ok, if missing the raw egg that is essential in a French bistro. My breakfast, on the other hand was really disappointing. I had been happy to see plantains on the menu...you never see them in Melbourne. I'm used to having them sweeter, with an almost candied tang. These were a bit starchier and blander than I liked. I'm not sure if it was the cooking technique or if Brother Nancy is serving up a different type of plantain but it wasn't great. The plantains were served with very nice, fluffy pile of scrambled eggs, some very under seasoned black beans, and a dense, greasy piece of toast. It was all very heavy, bland, and unexciting. They're aiming for South American but there was no spice, no tangy salsa to enliven it, no fresh tortillas. It just failed utterly and at 16 dollars, was the most expensive item on the menu. No thanks. I'm not in any rush to return here. A shame, as this part of town deserves a good cafe.

Kitty K.

Yelp

Cute spot. Lovely staff and atmosphere. Ever changing small menu. Coffee is hit and miss.

Ashley C.

Yelp

Lovely staff, especially Leigh who is always so welcoming and warm. Coffee consistently good and a nice assortment of food from their little kitchen out the back. Free wifi.

Des T.

Yelp

I eat here all the time & love it, Great for breakfast & lunch & for a coffee #lovingit

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

On the Grid : Brother Nancy

https://onthegrid.city/melbourne/footscray/brother-nancy

Brother Nancy

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

Melbourne

Brother Nancy

mundre D.

Google

Amazing food ,mostly i like mushroom pasta very delicious .must try

Julia S.

Google

T J.

Google

Brother Nancy never disappoints. Amazing coffee, delicious food, and genuinely warm service every time. The space is welcoming — the kind of café you keep coming back to. Highly recommend.

C M.

Google

Cute little cafe with friendly and welcoming staff. Delicious toasties and great coffee. Would recommend if in the area!

Nicholas T.

Google

Aditi T.

Google

L V

Google

Good coffee and yummy food, especially the Reuben sanga! 8/2025 update: The matcha is delicious here and wagyu burger is juicy (requested beef patty to be cooked medium).

Zheng D.

Google

Steve M.

Yelp

Stuart M.

Yelp

Stephanie D.

Yelp

Kitty K.

Yelp

Cute spot. Lovely staff and atmosphere. Ever changing small menu. Coffee is hit and miss.

Ashley C.

Yelp

Lovely staff, especially Leigh who is always so welcoming and warm. Coffee consistently good and a nice assortment of food from their little kitchen out the back. Free wifi.

Des T.

Yelp

I eat here all the time & love it, Great for breakfast & lunch & for a coffee #lovingit

Brother Nancy

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On the Grid : Brother Nancy

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On the Grid : Brother Nancy