I went here for lunch today and sat outside in the sun. Service was fast and friendly. Coffee was good and my smoked salmon,salad roll with sesame seeds was fresh and yum, too much for me to eat really and very good value. Couldn't fit in the cute side salad. Highly recommended for a lunch with friends on Chapel St.

I haven't visited the Prahran cafe, but Amici runs a stall at the Bundoora Farmers' Market, and I visited their stall last weekend for the first time.

I agree wholeheartedly with @Reeces's review of the Portuguese custard tarts. Now, be aware that the traditional Portuguese tart is a rustic-looking object that won't win any beauty contests at the best of times, and Amici's tarts are even more ordinary-looking than most. They have dull, pale yellowish-beige tops, and thick pastry that one initially suspects (based on unpleasant past experience at other bakeries) might be stodgy and unappetising. I looked around Amici's website for a photo of them, but couldn't find one; perhaps the Portuguese custard tart has been deemed not pretty enough even by its makers, and pushed aside to make way for its more photogenic brethren.

But do not be put off by appearances. I decided to go ahead and buy a Portuguese tart anyway, based on @Reeces's praise of the product.

Despite its rustic appearance, the pastry isn't the least bit heavy or stodgy; it's actually crisp, flaky and delicate. And the custard is beautifully rich, creamy, and not too sweet or cloying. This little ugly duckling is indeed a swan: a first-class product which I can highly recommend.

Next time, I'll be buying more than one, and I'll try some of Amici's other products as well. I'm actually kind of glad the Portuguese custard tart's appearance is a little off-putting; hopefully that means they won't sell out too quickly next market day, because only those people in the know will be buying them.

UPDATE 2 May 2012: The other day I found myself in Chapel St Prahran in the middle of the morning with two hours to kill between appointments. What to do? Not enough time to go home to Coburg and back again. Window shopping was out of the question; I hate shopping, window or otherwise, and only do it when there's something I desperately need. Then I remembered that Amici bakery is in Chapel St. This was my opportunity to try it out. And I was hungry; I'd had to leave home so early that morning, there had been no time for breakfast.

Amici is a slightly old-fashioned looking space - lots of timber, glimpses of bustling activity in the kitchens along one side behind the bakery counter, very much a working bakery - but fortunately the operation is far slicker than initial appearances might suggest. T was promptly shown to a table, provided with tap water without having to ask for it (instant big tick from me), and given a menu which turned out to be more extensive than I'd expected from a bakery cafe. Plenty of options here for a simple morning tea or a substantial breakfast or lunch.

As soon as I saw Green Eggs and Ham on the menu, I just had to order it. With a name like that, how could one not? It was essentially Eggs Benedict with a green twist: poached eggs, prosciutto, house-made English muffins, and a parsley Hollandaise sauce. I'd expected a fairly standard Hollandaise sauce with a few green flecks in it. What turned up was the most splendidly, violently green sauce I'd ever seen. Loved the look of it. Loved the taste of it. "I like, I like green eggs and ham. I do, I like them, Sam-I-am." And the eggs were perfectly poached, something that an alarmingly large number of cafes can't seem to get right.

Usually when I'm eating alone, I eat, pay, and go. But on this occasion I had plenty of time to kill before my next appointment, so I lingered over my mango smoothie and watched the waitress give the same smiling and efficient service to the other tables as she had given to me. A woman came in with a baby; the waitress promptly brought over a high chair. Another customer nursed a coffee and worked on a laptop. No one seemed in a hurry to move her along, or me.

I don't know whether things get more hectic at lunchtime, or at weekends - there's probably much more competition for tables, so people may be encouraged to eat up and go - but I can tell you that at mid-morning on a weekday, this is a very relaxed and pleasant place to linger with a newspaper or laptop, or chat to a friend. I wish it were my local cafe. I could see myself visiting it at least once a week, not least to try out all the other tempting things on the menu.

Finally, reluctantly, I took my leave, clutching a bag of Portuguese custard tarts. Couldn't possibly leave Amici without buying some of those.

I go to Amici almost every week for coffee or lunch. It is a very busy place, the food is always fresh and of a good quality and value formoney.

Approximate cost: $17

I LOVE this place!!! Awesome coffee, Great service( not stuck up like some other cafes)!! My absolute favourite are the rolls especially the salmon one! Service can be a little slow only because they are so popular so it's always packed.

Great coffee's and food.
Can be pretty slow on the weekends when busy. Much better setup since they have expanded the shop. Highly recommend breakfast there too.

I had some friends visit for a girls' weekend and we stumbled upon this place while shopping. We had lunch on the Saturday and it was so good we brought the boys back on the Sunday for breakfast - which was even better!
Prahran is a great location and this cafe blends in well - It's also a bakery and the cakes and pastries are just incredible.
It's another notch in Melbourne's awesome cafe belt - The food is definitely the highlight!

A great place to kick back for a late brunch or early lunch.

I hang out here quite a lot. It's one of those rare places you can go and hang out with a book and have a really good coffee and not get bothered.

The other thing I like is the freshness of the food. The quiches are particularly good, ask what's been freshly baked.

Approximate cost: $15-20

Amici is a great Melbourne Cafe. A blend of good food, coffee and a great bakery. Great breads, pastries and savouries. Bigger than it looks. It can get busy and slows the service. Takeaway coffee takes too long sometimes...