This cafe sits somewhere between OK and quite good. It has the potential to be very good, but it's not there yet.

The review below says that the serving sizes are small. I agree. The French toast based dishes are quite adequate, size-wise, but the servings of spanakopita and pea and haloumi fritters, although delicious, were perhaps half the size I would have expected for the price. Filling the plates up with rocket and other leaves doesn't fool anyone. Customers know a less than generous serve when they see it.

The review below also says that the menu is limited. I agree with that too, although it isn't necessarily a negative for me. I don't mind a cafe that only does a very few dishes, provided it does them well - and, mostly, Ruby's does them well. What I do look for in a menu, small or large, is a bit of balance, and for me Ruby's menu leans a little too heavily towards sweet dishes. Some of the savoury dishes have sweet elements added, and at least one of the sweet dishes is tooth-achingly sweet. Great if you have a sweet tooth, but I don't particularly.

For instance, the bread in the "Savoury French Toast" is Greek sweet bread. It's served with scrambled eggs and bacon and comes with maple syrup on the side. The execution of each component was fine: lovely creamy eggs, nicely crisp bacon, perfectly cooked French toast. And I don't mind the maple syrup; it can work quite well with bacon, and at least was on the side rather than drizzled on top. But the Greek sweet bread combined with the eggs and bacon was, I felt, a bridge too far. It threw the dish off balance. I think it would have been much better if the French toast had been made from plain bread. Offer some fried tomato and mushrooms as optional extras, and offer a choice of maple syrup or a spicy tomato relish. That would be a genuine savoury French toast, with a little sweetness in the maple syrup if the customer wants it.

The sweet version of the French toast, called a "French Kiss", is very, very sweet. It consists of the same Greek sweet bread base, with a topping of berries, pomegranate seeds, yoghurt, almonds, and I can't remember what else. I had a taste - nice, but one forkful was enough. My friend, who does like sweet dishes, finished it off and pronounced it interesting, but agreed it was a bit too sweet and won't be ordering it again.

The milkshakes are excellent. There are about seven or eight to choose from, all $7, each thoughtfully composed, and the ones I have tried have been delicious.

Service is friendly, and efficient enough when the place is quiet, but they struggle once it starts to jump a bit. We last visited during a lunchtime that was moderately busy, but not full. All the tables except one were occupied, but most of them didn't have a full complement of diners, and there were still empty seats along the window. We grabbed the last available table, which still contained the detritus from the previous diners. It took a while before anyone came over to clear it, and we eventually got tired of waiting for menus and got up to fetch our own. There followed another long wait for someone to take our orders, and another even longer wait for the drinks, and eventually the food. To be fair, I should emphasise that the two staff on duty were working very hard. But then again, shouldn't a cafe be careful not to have seats for more customers than it can comfortably serve at any one time? If this is typical of the service during busy periods, then perhaps this cafe ought to consider hiring more staff, or removing one of the tables.

One more thing: customer comfort does not appear to be uppermost in their minds. On a day when fierce and freezing winds were blowing outside, blasting through the front door every time a customer failed to shut it properly, one of the staff came over and propped the door OPEN (!) for a while, saying it was to freshen the air and relieve the buildup of steam in the kitchen area. Sorry, Ruby's, but if you have a steam problem, then spend some money on better ventilation. It is not acceptable to make your customers freeze just because your equipment isn't up to the job.

In summary, Ruby's has potential. I hope this review hasn't scared anyone off, because there are many things I like about this place. I want to see Ruby's succeed, because East Coburg has been crying out for a decent cafe for some time - there is literally nothing for about a kilometre in every direction. With the Merri Creek bike path so close by, there's a large potential customer base for a breakfast/lunch cafe that can hit all the right notes. Ruby's has the potential to be that place. There are people in the kitchen here who know how to cook, so with a bit of tweaking, Ruby's could be really good. Increase the serving sizes, turn the sugar dial down a bit, hire another staff member to help during the busy periods, and give a bit more thought to customer comfort. Do all these things, and there's a good chance I'll become a regular. As things stand, I will be back - I've been a few times already, and there are enough good things to lure me back - and I hope to be writing a better review next time.

Approximate cost: $15

Ruby's is a much welcomed addition to the East Coburg scene. The cafe adds a much needed breakfast and lunch spot to this part of Coburg. Located directly along the East Coburg end of the 1 Tram line, this is the perfect place to pop in for a cup of coffee while making the morning commute. The staff are extremely friendly and accommodating and the art deco decor is charming. The food is delicious-- the fritters seriously yummy-- but unfortunately the menu is very limited and servings are on the small side. The prices are about average for the general area. Anyone considering a meal should also be aware of the fact that there is limited indoor seating, though this hasn't been a problem when I've stopped by.

Approximate cost: $13