Maker and Monger - Melbourne Cheese Shop

The signature fondue special at Maker and Monger is to die for—simple yet incredibly tasty. However, I tried the Flaming Reuben, and I believe the combination of ingredients wasn’t perfect. The rye bread is very noticeable and adds texture, but I don’t think it elevates the dish. The pastrami gets lost under the richness of the cheese, and even though the sauerkraut tries to add some freshness, it’s overpowered by the strong cheese. The pickle is probably the lifesaver here, bringing some much-needed balance to the dish. Overall, I’d recommend just sticking to the fondue—it’s simple and delicious. But for the price, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

The Fondue is a must and a clear fav judging from all the locals who ordered. It’s basically two slices of toasted bread but with a good spread of melted cheese (fondue) in between and sprinkled with coarse salt. Taste is heavenly …. Best to be accompanied by a cup of flat white coffee from the next store Market Lane Coffee 😀

Great cheese toasties. Various types of toasties to choose from. Some with sandwich meats like ham etc... Market atmosphere that has a good vibe. Would definitely go back.

The Fondue was a wonderful adult-version grilled cheese. The flavours of the cheeses plays well with each other. You can purchase fresh cheese home as well. They have a variety of cheeses to choose from.

the fondue special may not look like much, but my gosh, its tasty. But.... it's $18. Leaving a 3* (i may return) as the price to portion ratio is so out of whack. But it's definitely tasty, so worth a try...

Very poor service and very poor value. Came here for a quick bite as we were in a rush. Ordered two toasties and we were told it would be five minutes. 25 minutes later I went to follow up. The girl at the counter was so rude and dismissive. She seemed incredulous that I was asking and said, “it’s coming, it’s coming, just wait!” without even bothering to check. I said, “are you sure?” and told her we had been waiting for 25 minutes. She finally decided to check her slips and realised our order was missing. Turns out it had been stuffed halfway in the ‘done’ pile. No apology. They rushed the order through quickly and it was soggy and partly cold. Mistakes happen of course, but how you handle it makes all the difference. $36 for two tiny cheese toasties is obscene. Absolutely not worth it. [EDIT] The director has responded to me and 2 other customers, assuming incorrectly we are one party who banded together to tear this business down. Funnily enough I have no idea who they are - I am just another customer who had a poor experience. They've also gotten the incident completely wrong. I never ordered an Americano. That must've been yet another unhappy customer which is actually quite funny and telling to me. I did approach the staff to follow up on my order as it had been 25 minutes and they had said it would be 5 minutes initially. They were dismissive in that they did not even bother to ask me what I had ordered - simply told me that it's coming, and to keep waiting. I would have been waiting forever had I not insisted she double check. My order had been stuffed halfway in the 'done' pile. No apology. As I said in my review, mistakes happen but how you handle it makes all the difference. I understand they were busy and I would have been very understanding if they had not brushed me off and were apologetic. Perhaps you should take some accountability for your level of customer service instead of blaming your staff's English.

I recently visited this shop and was very disappointed with the service. The staff repeatedly ignored me, even chose to assist the person behind & came after mysef and then turned away without acknowledging me. It felt disrespectful and unprofessional. I hope the management addresses this issue to ensure all customers are treated fairly in the future. Edit to reply to Anthony: 1. The account you provided about a mistaken order and subsequent interaction with your staff is entirely untrue. We did not place any order, nor did we have any conversation with your staff, as we kept been skipped, standing at the counter. Either your staff has misinformed you, or there has been a misunderstanding on your part. 2. My review was not about a mistaken order but about the rude and dismissive behavior of your staff. All I expect is fair and respectful treatment of every customer, regardless of how busy or pressured the environment might be. 3. Please ensure you address feedback to the correct person. There is no "May" in our party. This mistake reflects poorly on the professionalism of your response 4. Your suggestion that I “please don’t come back again” is highly unprofessional and uncalled for. Rather than deflecting responsibility and dismissing valid concerns, I suggest focusing on addressing the issues to improve the experience for future customers. 5. You Beg Me To Go Back Again - Simply Wrong Place. ---------- Re the deleted paragraph I carefully chose a most neutral comment from ChatGPT that accurately reflected my mood at the time I experienced discrimination. It’s truly disappointing that you still fail to identify what deserves focus. Frankly, it’s pathetic.

Why? The only French toastie place I know that exists in Melbourne and they’re tasty AF When? go to on cold Sunday morning, hangover or when I am dependant on a tasty bite. Date? Will you Brie mine? Nice little place for a quiet easy date to take for a small bite and cup of coffee. 10/10 datetastic What? Toasties are sold along side French cheese from their deli with great customer service at decent prices considering your toastie contains incredible French cheese. Seasons, Meat and vegetarian options. Get there early before popular toasties sell out. They also have a special sandwich which I did as takeaway to eat later. Long time deli customer of their excellent range and well priced cheeses. How? Weekends I go - There’s a bit of a queue at peak times but not a long wait. I grab coffee from Market lane right across while waiting for the toastie (excellent coffee by the way).

The signature fondue special at Maker and Monger is to die for—simple yet incredibly tasty. However, I tried the Flaming Reuben, and I believe the combination of ingredients wasn’t perfect. The rye bread is very noticeable and adds texture, but I don’t think it elevates the dish. The pastrami gets lost under the richness of the cheese, and even though the sauerkraut tries to add some freshness, it’s overpowered by the strong cheese. The pickle is probably the lifesaver here, bringing some much-needed balance to the dish. Overall, I’d recommend just sticking to the fondue—it’s simple and delicious. But for the price, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

The Fondue is a must and a clear fav judging from all the locals who ordered. It’s basically two slices of toasted bread but with a good spread of melted cheese (fondue) in between and sprinkled with coarse salt. Taste is heavenly …. Best to be accompanied by a cup of flat white coffee from the next store Market Lane Coffee 😀

Great cheese toasties. Various types of toasties to choose from. Some with sandwich meats like ham etc... Market atmosphere that has a good vibe. Would definitely go back.

The Fondue was a wonderful adult-version grilled cheese. The flavours of the cheeses plays well with each other. You can purchase fresh cheese home as well. They have a variety of cheeses to choose from.

the fondue special may not look like much, but my gosh, its tasty. But.... it's $18. Leaving a 3* (i may return) as the price to portion ratio is so out of whack. But it's definitely tasty, so worth a try...

Very poor service and very poor value. Came here for a quick bite as we were in a rush. Ordered two toasties and we were told it would be five minutes. 25 minutes later I went to follow up. The girl at the counter was so rude and dismissive. She seemed incredulous that I was asking and said, “it’s coming, it’s coming, just wait!” without even bothering to check. I said, “are you sure?” and told her we had been waiting for 25 minutes. She finally decided to check her slips and realised our order was missing. Turns out it had been stuffed halfway in the ‘done’ pile. No apology. They rushed the order through quickly and it was soggy and partly cold. Mistakes happen of course, but how you handle it makes all the difference. $36 for two tiny cheese toasties is obscene. Absolutely not worth it. [EDIT] The director has responded to me and 2 other customers, assuming incorrectly we are one party who banded together to tear this business down. Funnily enough I have no idea who they are - I am just another customer who had a poor experience. They've also gotten the incident completely wrong. I never ordered an Americano. That must've been yet another unhappy customer which is actually quite funny and telling to me. I did approach the staff to follow up on my order as it had been 25 minutes and they had said it would be 5 minutes initially. They were dismissive in that they did not even bother to ask me what I had ordered - simply told me that it's coming, and to keep waiting. I would have been waiting forever had I not insisted she double check. My order had been stuffed halfway in the 'done' pile. No apology. As I said in my review, mistakes happen but how you handle it makes all the difference. I understand they were busy and I would have been very understanding if they had not brushed me off and were apologetic. Perhaps you should take some accountability for your level of customer service instead of blaming your staff's English.

I recently visited this shop and was very disappointed with the service. The staff repeatedly ignored me, even chose to assist the person behind & came after mysef and then turned away without acknowledging me. It felt disrespectful and unprofessional. I hope the management addresses this issue to ensure all customers are treated fairly in the future. Edit to reply to Anthony: 1. The account you provided about a mistaken order and subsequent interaction with your staff is entirely untrue. We did not place any order, nor did we have any conversation with your staff, as we kept been skipped, standing at the counter. Either your staff has misinformed you, or there has been a misunderstanding on your part. 2. My review was not about a mistaken order but about the rude and dismissive behavior of your staff. All I expect is fair and respectful treatment of every customer, regardless of how busy or pressured the environment might be. 3. Please ensure you address feedback to the correct person. There is no "May" in our party. This mistake reflects poorly on the professionalism of your response 4. Your suggestion that I “please don’t come back again” is highly unprofessional and uncalled for. Rather than deflecting responsibility and dismissing valid concerns, I suggest focusing on addressing the issues to improve the experience for future customers. 5. You Beg Me To Go Back Again - Simply Wrong Place. ---------- Re the deleted paragraph I carefully chose a most neutral comment from ChatGPT that accurately reflected my mood at the time I experienced discrimination. It’s truly disappointing that you still fail to identify what deserves focus. Frankly, it’s pathetic.

Why? The only French toastie place I know that exists in Melbourne and they’re tasty AF When? go to on cold Sunday morning, hangover or when I am dependant on a tasty bite. Date? Will you Brie mine? Nice little place for a quiet easy date to take for a small bite and cup of coffee. 10/10 datetastic What? Toasties are sold along side French cheese from their deli with great customer service at decent prices considering your toastie contains incredible French cheese. Seasons, Meat and vegetarian options. Get there early before popular toasties sell out. They also have a special sandwich which I did as takeaway to eat later. Long time deli customer of their excellent range and well priced cheeses. How? Weekends I go - There’s a bit of a queue at peak times but not a long wait. I grab coffee from Market lane right across while waiting for the toastie (excellent coffee by the way).