Cafes
San Churro
I believe there are a few of these places around, but the one that I normally go to is at the entrance to the QV building. I remember when I first came here for a coffee the outdoor around was where the smokers gathered, but like Starbucks they have since banned smoking in that section. Anyway, the store itself is, as you can probably guess, dedicated to chocolate, and they certainly have a lot available. However, not being a huge chocolate fan, I only came here for the coffee, and I have to admit that it really isn’t all that good – tolerable, but not that good. They also have some cakes available, but there doesn’t tend to be a huge selection namely because the focus is mainly on chocolate. Anyway, like similar chain stores, don’t expect all that much, though it is probably a little cheaper.
This place is frequently packed, which is important because: a) I don't see what all the hype is about, and b) the hordes of tourists make for a pretty unpleasant atmosphere. The dips are great, as they should be, but the churros aren't really flavorful and honestly feel like they've absorbed all the oil they were cooked in. Overall, too expensive for what you get.
Always a long line at this place and limited seating. It seems late night this place really tends to shine. The dips we got were great (white chocolate and salted caramel), but the churros weren't the best. They were freshly made, but they lacked flavor and mostly just tasted like oil. Afterwards you feel like you've eaten a brick! They look and smell so good, but the taste didn't live up to it, unfortunately.
Always an quick and easy suggestion for a place to have sweets and coffee or hot chocolate. A friend from Cairns came to town and felt like churros after dinner. Also an easy place to keep the kids still with offering them churros with chocolate dipping sauce. We ordered a plate of churros with chocolate and white chocolate sauce. It was fresh and nice and hot. It didn't take too long to come out and it didn't take too long to be cleaned up. There was still a fair bit if dipping sauce so we just ordered the extra churros to continue. My husband ordered a milk shake in which he enjoyed. It came in a large tall cup which was a reasonable size for the price. San Churro QV is located in a prime location of Melbourne so it was busy. Lots of people seated outside as the weather was nice. Standard service in which staff are quick and efficient.
This is a fun caf if you are after a convenient but tasty snack/dinner dessert or even if you are catching up with friends but don't want to go for an alcoholic beverage. The hot chocolate selection is really good to explore and I particularly like the churros here as they remind me of Argentina/Spain (although not entirely the same). It's also very busy and I suspect it's frequented by State Library students wanting a break and shoppers alike as it is on a busy corner of Swanston Street.