Serotonin Eatery

Emily Hazell is her name and serotonin is her game. Founder of Serotonin: Eatery, Exercise + Education, this tripartite "happiness educational institution" was established through Emily's own quest for a happy, healthy lifestyle. Gastrology recently visited Serotonin Eatery (the café part of it all) and were incredibly impressed with what we experienced.  

Upon entering, the ambience ensures an immediate calm. A lot of thought has gone into the colour scheme and comfortable furnishings (courtesy of Emily's background in graphic design and interior architecture) ensuring it is a sanctuary-like space, an escape from the daily grind. We loved the soothing colours and the hexagonal tiles which are a nod to serotonin’s chemical structure.

For drinks, we recommend ditching caffeine on this occasion and opting for their absolutely moreish frothy nut-milk drinks which include a stunning "golden latte" made with turmeric and ginger.

The food menu is extensive and features delicious plant-based dishes to ensure the body, mind and earth all function at their best. There are no "bad" choices here, every dish is nourishing without compromising on flavour.

The aptly named "Positive Pancakes" are an absolute winner. The banana pancakes are made from banana flour (basically, grounded up dehydrated organic bananas). It was a wonderful brunch dish which amalgamated the best things in life (such as ice cream). The pancakes were fluffy and moist and embellished with house made 100% banana ice cream, berries and coconut yoghurt before being adorned by fresh strawberries, crunchy roasted almonds and luxurious organic agave. Yum!

We also loved the "Rainbow Avo" - Think decadent smashed avocado, served with smashed pea and mint, refreshing house-made beetroot relish and feta topped with fresh chili on the best ever gluten free bread you have ever tasted.  It was a simple but inspiring dish which takes the smashed avo on toast breakfast favourite from one-dimensional to a serious work of art.

Serotonin Eatery also offers a wonderful selection of raw desserts. As vegan as these sweets are, they were concocted without a single sacrifice to flavour. Every item was a wonderful vegan interpretation of the original. Considering the sweet treats had to omit common ingredients like eggs or dairy products (think cheesecake without cheese) we were pleasantly surprised by how good these sweet treats tasted. While they were very different to their “original” counterparts, they were unique and delicious in their own right. The Chocolate raspberry fondant was our favourite raw dessert and was lovingly made from an array of goodness including walnuts, cashews, almonds, coconut, raspberries and cacao.

The perfect embodiment of happiness in a thriving oh so Melbourne-style café, Serotonin Eatery was always going to be a success story and it is no surprise that it is drawing in the crowds week in week out with its consistently excellent food, fantastic drink offerings and cheerful wait staff.

Location: 52 Madden Grove, Burnley
Phone:(03) 9428 8256
Link: www.serotonindealer.com/
Cuisine: Gourmet, health-conscious meals, Cafe