Hugo's @ Kingsway, Glen Waverley

Let’s hear it for the little guy! Hugo’s Sweet and Dessert Bar on King’s Way in Glen Waverley was a breath of fresh air after the disappointingly lowest-common-denominator turn the food there has taken in the last few months.

I went for coffee and cake with a friend and we both had a great time. The service was super friendly right from the moment we got through the door. The coffee arrived quickly and was truly excellent. My long black was well expressed and richly flavored, making it possibly the only long black that I have properly enjoyed on King’s Way in about 3 years. My companion said her Latte was also similarly nice.

I ordered the flour-less Chocolate and Walnut cake and was really impressed. It was super rich – full of Belgian couverture chocolate apparently – and had a delicate brandy flavor running through it thanks to a splash of good Cognac. The walnuts cut through the richness very nicely and I was happy from start to finish. The serving size was perfect for a between-meals treat and for the price I don’t think there is better value dessert on the King’s Way strip.

The walnut cookie my friend sampled also tasted amazing. The small bite I had contained a burst of super fresh, super short pastry and a rich walnut filling that made me wish I had room for one myself.

I would highly recommend you making a trip to Hugo’s. It’s as good (if not better) than somewhere like Burch & Purchess – without the pretensions to being a haute patisserie or the pain in the hip pocket. I have a feeling it will be quite hard to get into once the word of mouth starts to spread.