Oakleigh VIC 3166
Sweet DREAMS are made of this!
Baklava, Kourambiedes, Spanakopita and Galaktomboureko!
What the hell am I talking about? Well pop into Dream cakes in Oakleigh and find out. It is possibly the finest example of Greek and European sweets and savories in the southern hemisphere, REALLY!
Spacious, well fitted out, bright and friendly it is the ideal breakfast spot for the entire family, even the extended family, an afternoon business meeting or an early evening coffee and cake.
They have it all here, a broad and diverse menu, friendly service, modestly priced, and coffee, lots of coffee.
They do it all, traditional Italian espresso with all the derivatives, Greek/Turkish coffee, Frappe and Fredo to name the most popular, but of course it’s a must to try a frappe at any Greek zaharoplasteio (cake shop)
Although my espresso was adequate, with a dense crema, aromatic and mildly acidic, not requiring any sugar to compliment or camouflage any imperfections, I thought I’d better play it safe with my frappe, as this was instant coffee, so I ordered it medium(metrio) with milk, and was informed that this is the standard method of preparation.
I’m sorry I know, instant coffee, what a sin, but since it is the Greek national drink and I was in a Greek cake shop, I thought I’d better do as the Romans do, or rather the Greeks do…….
It was interesting………………………
If you’ve never had one, Dream cakes is a fine example of where to experience an authentic one, if you’re a regular drinker then good luck to you, it certainly wasn’t for me, but was an interesting experience nonetheless.
Well worth my drive out into the burbs again….
A solid one bean for the coffee and overall café experience.
Just a word of advice, make sure you try a Spanakopita, the best I’ve had anywhere 
Who are you to disagree??
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I work in a neighbouring suburb and often come down on my lunch breaks.. I wounldn’t get my coffee from anywhere else! I’ve been to all the other coffee shops in Oakleigh and though they might look better, their service is terrible, their staff unfriendly & owners who couldn’t give a hoot whether you liked their product or not – as long as you cough up the money!!
I’ve noticed some great improvement in staff & some nice touches added to the cafe (the current decor is warm & inviting), all the very best to the owner, Vas, he’s done a wonderful job at turning the shop around in the last 12 months… Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing your cafe sky rocket – as long as I still get a table
DREAM CAKES CAFE OPEN 8am to 8pm 7days a week
It’s good to see someone to take the time out to write on this page, but obviously hasn’t been to the cafe in the past 12 months.
Hi, i’m the owner here at Dreams and have a few comments to make for myself. We have been here for 3 years now and have made substantial changes to the cafe since first opening. We appologise if we are not up to the standard of the cafes which have been in the area for 20 years, nor have a million Dollar Backing to setup, BUT I DON’T SEE THEM ON THIS WEBSITE. Hmmm Why?
The decore has just been updated and renovation are due in May. Still it seems to me that people expect a miracle over night. But forget the decor, hospitality is all about the people, quality and service which is what DREAM CAKES CAFE STANDS FOR AND BELIEVES IN. It seems that thought this is the most important aspect of any cafe, many have forgotten what HOSPITALITY actually stands for. NOT DREAMS. The only cafe to offer friendly and prompt service. Decor has nothing to do with it. If you like to wait for your coffee then you have come to the wrong place!!!!!!!!
We have tried several coffee blends which have all been tested by the Guys at the Melbourne Coffee Review. (Great job by the way). The bean we started with was a Brazillian bean from Grinders which we found every cafe to be using the same thing. EVEN ALL THE BIG BRANDED NAMES. We have since changed to Giancarlo from Grinders which earnt us the title of HOT SHOTS on the Melbourne coffee review. P.S. THE ONLY CAFE TO LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON THE TEAM AT MCR.
Cakes are always plentiful with a large range of Greek, French, Italian and even Lebanese and Turkish style sweets, and food which is always made fresh on demand. No bainemarie which holds food hot, we cook all food when ordered, if you take a seat at the cafe and took the time to LOOK AT THE MENU. Foccacia are pre prepared due to the people who work in an office don’t have the time to sit down, granted. OUR SPECIALTY THOUGHT IS SPANAKOPITA AND TIROPITA, which is distributed all over Melbourne, even to several Cafes on Chapel street, for all the materialistic people out there.
So i would like to say a quick thank you to all the people out there who have supported us from day one, and to all the current regular customers. Don’t worry we still know who you all are and how you drink you coffee. So when the next time you leave from, st Albans, South Yarra, Doncaster, St kilda, Richmond, Northcote etc your coffee will be waiting for you on the table.
Not the best around. You should learn to take criticism if you want to suceed in business. Keep trying … and best of luck.
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the critics out there. I took on a lot of what people where telling me about the cafe and have put it to good use. Currently the previous dreams has been replaced by a whole new outlook and a completely different feel. See we closed the cafe for 13 days to renovate and make the ambiance more inviting and give a feeling of warmth and comfort. This is what was truly missing in my cafe.
We are still using the Giancarlo coffee by Grinders but the difference is in the education and experience of the coffee makers. See all staff here have been vigorously taught in how to make a good reliable coffee. I believe the quality of coffee has improved a lot as this is an aspect i used to ignored in the past.
The place is more than welcoming now and have currently increased the menu to supply more home cooked style meals. Everything from your basic Foccacia to steak, pasta, pizza and even tapas. The new liquor license is also helping out as it complements the meals. And all you sugar junkies never fear as all the wonderful cakes and sweets are still our main products.
So a big thank you once again to all the critics and all of the supporters. Without you all, this would not have been possible. We hope to see you all again soon, and for those that have not been here, we invite you to come and see for yourselves.
Thank you Vasilios Katsaras
Thought this website was supposed to be for quality cafes and restaurants?? If you ever drive past this place and actually notice it on your way to the more quality establishments…. Do yourself the favour and keep driving… Poor service, 17 year old boys hanging out the front, poor décor – a poor man’s renovation seemed to happen 12 months ago, never any food, or drinks and no eftpos…. Won’t be going back, unless there’s a change in owner!
In reference to the above comment i must say i strongly agree
I have been to “dream cafe” a coupe of times to get away from all the hussle and busstle of eaton mall and i have never seen such a discusting place in my life. In comparison to the other cafes in oakleigh this place does not stand a chance.
I will list below some of the reasons i have herd and experienced from my time being there
- dirty
-cakes are late
- staff wearing inappropriate atire e.g. staff underwear.
-female staff hair not tie up
- Stale cakes
- inonsistent service and coffee
- shop not always open on time
- shop falling apart (incomplete renovation)
-Inconsistent food(one day there is food another day there isnt)
-Young male adults being inconsiderate to other customers
these are just a few things. im sure there are plenty more.
Your shop seriouly is a shamble.
Do OAKLEIGH and its community a favour and just SHUT DOWN.
You think this place is a “Dream” Keep dreaming…
So i put a cooment on this site and it gets deleted
obviously criticsism cannot be taken
Georgia, patience my dear. We don’t hover over the key board waiting for comments. We approve all genuine comments and these guys are under review anyway.
(Valletta)
Thank you for insulting not only myself, but all of the good friends and even customers that put their blood sweat and tears into this renovation. I can appreciate that wads of money were not thrown into the business as they were not available, but I believe the shop came a long way from what it was. I do however agree that certain things were not completed, but will be looked at in due time. Thank you once again for your criticism on your other points and I will take those on board. For future reference, the faulty eftpos terminal had been replaced by the bank. Thank you
Thank you for your criticism but this comment seems to look more like slander with a personal agenda (GEORGIA) We do believe it could have been written in a much nicer manner but we will reply in kind.
The cleaning schedule is quite large yet is completed 2 to 3 times a day. As you could appreciate, this s a large shop which is busy most of the day, which means sometimes it takes a little longer to get around to doing things.
BUT TO NAME IT “DISGUSTING” IS OUTRAGEOUS
Cakes might run late but this is because our policy is to never make cakes the night before. All cakes are made fresh in the morning. We have never had a complaint about stale birthday cakes. Customers are informed that the cakes are made fresh, and are happy to wait for them as they are DELICIOUS…
To give you some knowledge on the business, DREAM CAFE is a retail outlet for DREAM CAKES MANUFACTURING. We supply over 35 stores, Melbourne wide, on a daily basis. This includes our other retail store in DANDENONG named DREAM PATISERIE. If however, by some mistake, you received stale cakes, then why were we not informed, or why did you not come back for a refund? The staff here, and myself would have been more then happy to assist with your complaint.
It is policy that all staff wear their uniform. As far as what underwear they are wearing, I am not inclined to look. All the staff is covered from head to toe. No Leggings, no mini skirts, and no high heels.
All the female staff must have their hair tied up, otherwise they must wear the Dream Hat. And they can’t stand that hat
The service does vary from time to time. When the shop is quiet, then service can be much quicker, but when it is busy, most customers appreciate that it might take a little longer to receive their order. Also Dreams has a PLEASE ORDER AND PAY SIGN at the register. This is similar to how most of the cafes run in Oakleigh. If there are ever any issues with our service, then I am more than happy to take that on board and rectify the problem instantaneously.
Trading hours at Dream Café are between 8am and 9pm. We get here to setup at 7am, and we are more then happy to accept customers before and after our trading times. Customers will never be rejected in our store as long as we are here.
Food does tend to run out during a day, but there is a menu available on every table listing all of our food, sweets and drinks we have to offer.
We cannot be held responsible for the actions of customers. If a customer gets to loud or acts inappropriately, then we will ask them to settle down. On the other hand, we cannot ask a baby to stop crying, nor are we able to stop children from running and screaming around the shop. This is a family orientated business to which everyone is welcome. YOU WILL EVEN FIND BABY CHANGING FACILITIES IN THE TOILETS AND A DISABLED RAMP AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE. THIS IS ACCESS FOR BABY STROLLERS AND WHEEL CHIARS. WE DO NOT DICRIMINATE HERE
This business has been running for 6 years and the manufacturing facility a further 4 years. We have been trading since before all the new cafes came to the area and we have no intention of going anywhere… We are more then happy to take on board all types of criticism which may help improve the business but you have slandered not only the business, but our friends, family, valued customers, and most importantly what we represent and do here. If you have been coming here on a regular basis, you will know how approachable I am to all my customers, and want to hear what they have to say. So I welcome you to our establishment to see that what you have written is very far from the truth.
I find it funny how you say (Georgia) You have been there only a couple(coupe) of times for coffee, yet you seem to know so much….
I go there all the time and love the fact that i’m not treated like a number, but as a customer. They already know what coffee im having and its usually ready by the time i walk up to the bar… I have seen the staff out the front smoking, but i guess we all need a break during the day. That’s kinda why you go for coffee in the first place…
Keep up the good work and see you tomorrow for my coffee guys!!!!!!
Downloaded the Melbourne Coffee Review app and i was in Oakleigh. Sure enough when looking for a good coffee, i checked to find something in Oakleigh and this cafe came up…. First impression were friendly, polite staff and to be honest, barely even waited for my takeaway coffee. I was very surprised at how nice the coffee was, just what i needed Saturday morning.
Thought i’dd come home a write something on this Website about how lovely it was and saw the previous comments. Well i don’t know whether there is a new owner or if the current owner has changed anything, but I can say the coffee and service was great….
Look forward to going back again when i’m in Oakleigh….
I am a regular at Dream Cafe and have been so for the past four years…
Well, this place has come a long way. From what i know, this business started off with a few tables, a coffee machine and a cakes fridge. It has taken a lot of work to get it to the stage it is now. I was even coming past during the renovations to see how things were going.
I love this place. Friendly, polite staff, great coffee and service. But most importantly, they always give me the time of day.
All the best Vas and Kelly, keep up the good work, and don’t let what anyone says bring you down. No one will ever understand how much hard work you have put into this place.
After reading the above comments, I find it very funny how georgia (who ever you are) has put – staff wearing inappropriate atire e.g. staff underwear. <<== I am clearly un aware of where you have been, but in 15 years of hospitality and going into a number of places seeking any type of service, I have never seen any staff member wearing there underwear as part of there uniform. Hence just that comment alone makes me laugh and makes me think on what you have posted can be classified as slander. In regards to the quality and service of dreams. There is no other place better in the oakleigh area then this place.
Staff are well respected and treat all members of the public with the utter most respect. Service is very well presented and in regards to food and coffee's i believe they have some of the best food and coffee in the Melbourne metro area.
Now in regards to the look and feel of the place, People that open up a business have a limited budget and there for can only work with in that budget. So before you criticize some one on the way there shop is, i believe you must find out how much there budget is.
Valetta if you can read and have been educated, you would realize that this web site is call Melbourne coffee review for the shear fact its to gain peoples opinions on the quality of coffee that they have at different establishments through out Melbourne.
Also look at vanilla, you have 13 – 14 year old children hanging around taking up a number of tables while one sits there having a soft drink. Now if you like hanging with children, then I can refer you to some local child care center's in the oakleigh area.
Also Georgia, if the place is dirty, Then why hasn't the Monash city council closed it for breaching health and safety? Also in regards to the efpos, Valetta there are a number of banks situated with in 100 meters of dreams cafe, its call money, go to the bank and take it out and pay like a normal human.
Now Dreams is a very nice and enjoying place to have a coffee or something to eat.
Its one place in the melbourne metro area that i highly recommend.