Mart 130 - Albert Park Railway Station Converted

I really like discovering places in and around Melbourne that reuse buildings that have a fair amount of history which in turn has a story to tell. If you happen to come across Mart 130, located at the Albert Park tram stop on Canterbury Road in Middle Park you would think of it as a little innocuous cafe conveniently located actually at stop 130 on the route 96 tram line en route to St Kilda, but it is so much more.

Mart 130 is housed within the former Albert Park railway station. Like how Beacon Cove Restaurant and Pizzeria reuses the old Port Melbourne train station, the old train station in Middle Park originally opened in 1860 and was decommissioned as a physical station in 1987 when the railway line was converted to light rail. Oddly Albert Park was originally called "Butts" and it was renamed as Albert Park in 1872. 

I like this cafe because it isn't far from the Albert Park Driving Range, so it is convenient to hit a bucket of balls and then wander down to Mart 130 and get breakfast and coffee in the morning when it suits. There is a vibrant inside dining area but also a peaceful long and wide balcony which overlooks Albert Park. Not unlike the other times I have frequented this place, it is always busy and curiously it is popular with tourists. How so many large groups of tourists that arrive via the 96 Tram brandishing high end cameras found about this place is a mystery to me as I came across it quite by chance when I was out exploring the area by food after smashing some golf balls.

Although Mart 130 is somewhat known for its large breakfasts, including corn fritters which I can attest to the wonderful flavour and large portions, on my last visit, I tried the split pea and ham soup and also a pressed sausage on brioche from the limited lunch menu. The soup had not only a fair amount of ham, but was rich and the perfect winter warmer. The sandwich of sorts arrived at the same time as the soup however I didn't have any trouble powering through either. The sausage brioche not only looked nice on the plate, but it was also tasty.

This place is a spot that should be on your breakfast calendar. It is quite easy to kick back here and enjoy the newspaper, coffee and some quiet time or also make it a meeting place considering the convenience of the tram stop being at its doorstep. Wait times can be long for a table considering the popularity of this place however all good things do come to those who wait.

Mart 130
107 Canterbury Road, Middle Park VIC 3206
(03) 9690 8831
no web site
My Rating: n/a
Service: n/a
Ambiance: n/a
Quality: n/a
Value For Money: n/a
Comment: Cash Only




Twitter: @epicurean3006
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When I made this post originally, 89% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Mart 130.