Our Story

Tigerlily Cafe

We joined the Carlton community in 2004 as owners and hosts of Tigerlily. It quickly became apparent that to survive in one of Melbourne most competitive food precincts, Lygon Street we would have to offer something different as well as everything that would meet basic expectations.

Our choice was to focus on fresh healthy food and quick friendly service.

So Tigerlily food is something different for Carlton. Our pizzas have a gluten free polenta base, our sandwiches are made on sourdough bread, and our coffee is a Fairtrade product grown organically in the East Timorese highlands. Our food is also sourced and prepared to meet the special dietary requirements of some of our customers. Having prepared the food on the premises we know its ingredients.

Our catering menu is based on our shop menu with some extra variety for multi-day and different types of events. The philosophy is to bring the Café to your event.

We are really passionate about our food but more importantly we aim to make each and every customer feel welcome, comfortable and valued. Our customers tell us that Tigerlily has a really warm and vibrant atmosphere and appreciate that our staff take the time to ensure that their needs are fulfilled. Familiarity makes our task easier – it also makes for a great workplace.

Being part of the Carlton community means more than providing directions for a visitor or cashing a fiver for parking meter change. It also means recognising other locals and supporting our customer’s charity fund raising efforts. So if you’re growing a mo or shaving for a cure or auctioning prizes for a good cause we would welcome the opportunity to contribute.