Mr Tulk Cafe
Mr Tulk, the Library's handsome onsite cafe, provides visitors with a casual dining experience in a beautifully renovated space within the 19th-century wing of the Library.
Where is the cafe?
Mr Tulk is located on the ground floor of the Library's north-west wing. You can reach it from La Trobe Street, near the corner of Swanston Street, and from the Library's front foyer, through the Cloakroom. The exact location of the cafe is identified on the Library floor plan.
Menu
Mr Tulk is a licensed cafe espresso bar. Chef Andrew Kubale and his staff serve up a range of hot and cold dishes for breakfast and lunch, along with fresh, tasty snacks.
Toast, porridge, pancakes, omelettes and more are on offer for breakfast. Lunch dishes include baguettes, toasted flatbreads, lasagne and delicious salads. In addition to the regular menu, the kitchen prepares a choice of daily breakfast and lunch specials.
Lighter snacks range from french fries and pizza slices to meatballs in sugo and smoked salmon bruschetta. A selection of scrumptious sweets like lemon tarts and vanilla meringues with almonds are also available.
Drinks include coffee, juices, soft drinks and milkshakes as well as beer, basic spirits and wines by the glass and bottle.
Foundation members receive 10% off tea and coffee on presentation of their membership card.
Interior
The cafe mixes its heritage location with modern furnishings and tall arched windows to create an inviting light-filled space. Classic dark-timber tables, cafe chairs and banquettes fill the west side of the cafe. A long communal table, reminiscent of an old-fashioned reading room desk, and colourful wooden stools sit in the centre. The south wall features a cheerful installation that changes twice a year.
On the other side of the space are more tables, the coffee machine, ordering area, cake and cold food display, and a long standing-room counter for those in a hurry. While waiting for coffee, patrons can get lost in the bright wall art that splashes colour around the space.
Around 80 people can be served inside, while the outside terrace caters for another 50 or so people.
When is the cafe open?
Mr Tulk is open Monday to Thursday from 7am to 5pm; Friday from 7am to 9pm; and Saturday from 9am to 4pm.
Contact details
You can contact Mr Tulk on:
Venue hire
The cafe can be hired for private functions in the evening. Contact Mr Tulk for more information.
Who is Mr Tulk?
The cafe is named for Mr Augustus Henry Tulk, the Library's first chief librarian. He was appointed in 1856 and worked with Redmond Barry to build the foundations of the Library’s collections. He led the Library for 17 distinguished years.
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