It usually takes a new cafe a bit of time to find its footing in Melbourne’s ever-saturating brunch scene, however, being the brainchild of Jia Wang, co-owner of White Mojo, and Valerie Wang, florist of White Mojo, Flovie sure had an edge. That is also a double-edged sword in itself though, with great reputation comes great responsibility, and my expectations were high from the moment I set foot into Flovie, especially given the long line of people waiting to be seated outside the cafe.

The interior is one of a kind, with more floral arrangement than your eyes could feast on, and adorable mismatched chairs and tables scattered across the floor. The overall atmosphere was magical and comforting, especially with the incoming colder seasons.

After some long and serious pondering, I landed on the Snow White from the four choices of Flovie perfume mocktails. When the drink landed on the table, I knew I had made the decision in choosing the most extra drink in town.

After pouring the butterfly pea and lychee syrup into the glass while trying to get some decent boomerangs for the ‘gram, the end result was something that was light and sweet, and not too overly floral, which was something that I was afraid of.

The coffee was on par with Melbourne’s best too, silky and nutty, with a hint of chocolate, this was just what I needed on the drewry morning.

Back on the unique side was the rose tea latte, which was more of a milk tea than a latte in my opinion. Nevertheless, the combination of rose tea, pistachio and coconut milk worked well in unison, and this is a must-order if you’re a fan of rose.

Onto the food front we go. We decided to go with one savoury and one sweet option to share, in order to get the best of both worlds. First up was the Eggs Benny, featuring char siu pulled pork, mandarin hollandaise and fried mantou – a Chinese style bun, as the base. The pulled pork was insanely tender and flavoursome, clearly been cooked for hours before being pulled apart. The crunchiness of the fried mantou is something that is not usually found in eggs benny, and I really appreciated the additional texture brought on by it.

Excuse the obscene number of photos coming up, the Black Forest Hotcakes has that effect on you. Not having too much of a sweet tooth myself, I was initially hesitant in ordering the hotcakes, but knowing that this is one of the signature dishes at Flovie, I decided to give it a shot.

Stunning presentation aside, each element on the plate served the dish well, and there was nothing that was placed on the plate simply to make it insta-worthy – a pet peeve of mine.

The stack of hotcakes was nice and fluffy with just enough chocolate flavour coming through, and the cherry compote was so much better than maraschino cherries that are typically found in a black forest cake, the acidity contrasted well with the richness of the smooth chocolate creme anglaise. The quenelle of mascarpone chantilly was thicker in consistency than the heavy cream version, and the slight tang complimented the acidity of the cherries well.

The hotcakes look a bit more destroyed over here, however it is a testament to just how light and fluffy it is. The airiness is what sets hotcakes apart from your regular pancakes, and this stack definitely delivered on that front.

The obligatory side order of chips was a more-than-generous serving, and the chips were perfectly crunchy with an addictive herb seasoning. If you did find the chips a bit too heavy, the cool yoghurt dip on the side is a sure way to remedy that.

It’s time for the final verdict, is Flovie worth the hype? And the answer is a resounding yes from my visit. Sure, the wait is long, but that is far outweighed by the beautiful interior, unique menu, and well-executed dishes that are not only photo-worthy, but taste amazing too. On top of all that, you can also pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers on your way out, killing two birds with one stone.

How to get here:
Catch any of the Swanston Street trams heading out of the city from Flinders Street Station or Melbourne Central and get off at Queensberry Street/Swanston Street, and the cafe is 5 minutes walk away.

I dined as a guest of Flovie.