Pillar of Salt Café

Pillar of Salt is another staple of the café scene in Richmond, located on Church Street. According to Broadsheet, their name was aptly chosen as an ode to a structural pillar that could not be moved during construction.

Their poke bowl actually makes more appearances in my Uber Eats receipts list from the early 2020s than I would like to admit.

Tomoyo and I walked up from South Yarra for this morning’s visit and we perched up down the back in the outdoor space.

It was more of a work-trek, so we came mainly for the coffee and to plan out some more of the launch for the blog (that you are currently reading)!

Their Instagram account paints a better picture of what to expect from the menu and vibe, but it is certainly a trendy café with a lot of traffic getting through its doors.

From outside it looks like a small cafe, but inside, a backyard opens up at the back, and it’s quite spacious. There’s a terrace too.

We took a seat in the backyard, and this time I ordered an almond latte.

Thanks to the roof and outdoor heaters, the backyard stays warm even in winter, which I appreciated.

The latte art is beautiful. And it’s a good latte too. Getting a latte this good for $5 is one of the perks of living in Melbourne.

The cafe’s name, Pillar of Salt, comes from a story in the Bible.

Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom as it burned, disobeying God’s word, and was turned into a pillar of salt. The lesson of the story is not to look back.

The tables and chairs are arranged around a pillar that couldn’t be moved for structural reasons. Covered in white tiles, the pillar seems to embody the cafe’s name.

During our visit, it warmed my heart to see people enjoying coffee with their dogs.

A dog-friendly city really improves your quality of life.

We didn’t order food this time. It’s a cafe where you can take your time with just a coffee, but apparently they put a lot into their food menu too, so I’d like to come back someday.