This place is definitely popular .. and it's interesting to note the range of foreign, expensive cars parked out front on a Saturday norning! Also, the queue can be out the door at these times ... but not sure why. It's okay, but if you sit outside the service is appalling - in general the serving staff are not great, some good, but most not.

Best cafe in the area. Nothing else comes close. Brilliant coffee, food is tasty, service is always relaxed and friendly and the ambience is outstanding. Great to have such a little gem on our door step. Expect to wait for a while for a table at peak times. Can be noisy when busy but that's part of the vibe.

Have just read the previous review - clearly NOT a coffee geek! Milk boils at 67 degrees so beyond that, the milk will be burnt and ruin the taste of the coffee!! If you want a good milk based espresso, that's the way it should be (milk textured to 65 degrees then added to the espresso) - if you want extra hot coffee, have a cup of instant!

Can't see what the fuss is about. The coffee is mediocre, while the food is good. It's definitely very popular, but I'd be surprised if it lasts. Coffee at 65 degrees! Far too cool.

Went today and can't find anything good to say about this place. Bad service, slooooow food and awful coffee!

A great cafe, which seems to just get better as it gets older. The owners also own Hawthorn's almost legendary Porgie & Mr Jones as well, and you can tell by the fitout and menu - they are very similar. Staff can sometimes get a bit bamboozled by the throng of locals that swarm to this joint, but overall it's just a great little local in boring old Balwyn.

Love the ponester. AMAZING food, coffee and service. Gorgeous patterns on the coffees made by the beautifuly outgoing Craig, we just love him! Last but not least how could i not mention the wild haired waiter Tom, who constantly provides us with prompt service and interesting anecdotes.

Love the pony. The boys in there are real characters. food is excellent, though it can sometimes get a bit busy and takes a while :( Great buzz, you wouldnt know you were in boring old Balwyn thats for sure. love love love it. makes us feel a bit cooler here out on the burbs!

Love this place; just read the above comment and i find this hard to believe. There is no Theo owner? The young kids that run this place are great; though it can get hellish busy at times and service can lack a bit... I agree with the prams anyway - parents should not be able to bring them into cafes, as a father of two, we have never taken prams into cafes or restaurants, we just find it courtesy not to take up the room and make it hard for others to get through. Anyway, this is a forum for coffee and the baristas here are truly fantastic, especially Rohan, who I think is the head barista .. his coffee is always consistently smooth, creamy and luscious!

Attended the cafe today with 3 friends. We attend quite regularly - anyway two of us had prams. Whilst we had a good 1/2 hour catchup over breakfast and drinks, and we were seated in the corner away from most people, we were rudely asked by the owner "Theo" to move the prams outside. He had no consideration for the babies in the pram and was very rough and rude. Obviously, the party I was in did not take too kindly to this request, as it was raining outside. We were disgusted by the treatment and will not be returning again. We were wondering whether there has been a change in owner's as this request has never been made previously.

Great coffee, and the staff manage the stress of a very popular cafe quite well.

Wow!!! Read about this place in this month's gourmet traveller so went to see it and it seems EVERY person in Balwyn knows about it - it was packed! We waited 20 mins for a table, but it was worth it; great little cafe, especially out the side on the patio. We cant wait to go back next weekend

Awesome little cafe over here in the burbs! We used to always go to its older brother Porgie and Mr Jones in Hawthorn, but now SP is just around the corner we are pumped; and now the barista from Porgies is at SP so the coffee is perfect, never sour or bitter, and exactly the right temperature. They\'re now putting a courtyard out the back as well in readyiness for Spring, they just keep improving the place, my wife has actually booked her 40th there as they do private functions at night as well. A must have is the mashed avocado breaky dish they do; order it with a side of bacon and a poached egg - you will be hooked!

love the pony, they have also now just put up a roof over the side patio with heaters for winter.. the staff are great, and the food is truly outstanding for a cafe. Coffee is always consistant and creamy with no bitterness. Def one of my fave cafes

OMG! I can not believe there is a place like this in Balwyn! Finally I don't have to travel miles for a real coffee, some decent service and a good vibe! After only finding you last week I am now a daily visitor (see if you can guess....) and can not tell enough people about what you guys have brought to the area! YAY! Keep up the great work guys!!!!!

Dear Raj, [The very nice young waitress told me the chef's name].Was very impressed with the lemon slice i tried while passing through this morning. Any chance of sharing your recipe so I can try it myself. Like most items of cooking I'll give it a go, try and recapture the taste then end up coming back down and eating at the cafe. In the hope that you pass on the recipe. With thanks, Karylene.

So good to see a well run cafe on this side of town; great food and vibe. Don't get a sign, because then it will be too busy!!

What a great Cafe! Really love the fit-out so now, unlike most in the area. It's a little tricky to find, but have found a cafe to return to over and over - have been twice in two days!! Iced coffee right up there with the best, and food extremely fresh and tasty. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Keep it up Snowpony - we will be spreading the word. Pity about idiots/graffiti!!

Great place! Staff friendly, with no attitude and the food is fantastic. Great coffee..the banana bread was amazing and they even have tic tocs for the kids. Can get noisy, but there is a great side patio to sit in the sun. Cool tunes - rock on pony!

Great cafe! We loved their menu; only found it last week and have been back 3 times! Hard to find though- they need a sign out the front.

friends told us about snow pony.. we couldn't believe there was actually a 'cool' cafe opened in Balwyn!! we were excited to say the least!! awesome coffee and food, their banana bread is AMAZING!! they do it with honeyed marscapone and drunk berries.. cool vibe, fitout is really cool with industrial style lights and a huge pic at the back which they are apparently changing every couple of months... they use all the right ingredients to make an awesome cafe in my thoughts - greens eggs, phoenix organic drinks, noisette breads, and organic fruit and veg where possible.. i think this joint will be one to watch, as the owners obviously know what makes a good cafe!!!

This place is a little gem hidden in the endless expanse of bad food and coffee that typifies this side of town. It has a very trendy ambience, with with a simply gorgeous (and original) large photograph on the wall in the front room and a cosy courtyard and backroom. The coffee is consistently brilliant with a good, full bodied flavour. The food is also outstanding - the Snow Pony scrambled eggs (with herbs and goats cheese) are just delightful. The only downside is how noisy it gets in there sometimes, especially when there are too many bratty children...argh! But all in all, terrific cafe that has got so many important things right and a god-send to us coffee/food lovers on this side of town...you could almost believe you are somewhere trendy!