under $20

NOT: The Tea Room, Level 1 NGV International, 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

September 13, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Oh I know, I should have known better. When you have a captive audience (hungry, footsore gallery goers) then there’s probably not too much incentive to provide a great dining experience at the in-house cafe. Other than Cafe Vue at Heide Museum of Modern Art and some international examples (notably Tate Modern and Musee d’Orsay) [...]

HOT: Cafe Bursaria, Como House, cnr Lechlade Ave and Williams Rd, South Yarra

September 12, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

The website of Cafe Bursaria has the tagline ‘South Yarra’s best kept secret’. You know what, I think for once that kind of puffery is true. I lived in South Yarra for four years, within cooee of Como House, and I’d never heard of, let alone stepped inside, Cafe Bursaria. Which is a shame because [...]

HOT: Squirrel Cafe, 23 Groome St, Clifton Hill

September 8, 2011 ⋅ One comment

squirrel /ˈskwər(ə)l/ Noun: An agile tree-dwelling rodent (Sciurus and other genera, family Sciuridae) with a bushy tail, typically feeding on nuts and seeds. Verb: Hide money or something of value in a safe place: “the money was squirreled away in foreign bank accounts”. Squirrel Cafe makes the most of its name by taking both those [...]

HOT: The Cutting Table, The Social Studio, 128 Smith St, Collingwood

September 5, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Since I wrote about The Social Studio almost 18 months ago the social enterprise has grown and developed. In terms of their cafe, it has moved from the back of the studio (where it was cute but small and hidden) to a bigger, brighter and more prominent site right next door. I’m so glad that [...]

HOT: Espressino Coffee and Pizza Bar, 68-70 King St, The Rialto, Melbourne

September 1, 2011 ⋅ 4 comments

A lifetime ago I worked at Rialto in Collins Street and there were zero good lunch options. Fortunately things have been moved on in what my former colleague dubbed the ‘Beirut’ end of town. One of the great places located under my former liftwell is Espressino. Espressino is a pizza and coffee bar brought to [...]

HOT: Brunetti, 194 – 204 Faraday Street, Carlton

August 31, 2011 ⋅ 3 comments

There’s something to be said for revisiting old favourites. Before I moved to Melbourne, every time I visited the city I’d make a pilgrimage to Brunetti. Back then it was only a single store in Carlton, half its current size. I loved the European atmosphere, the mirrored walls and the glass cabinet full of cakes. [...]

HOT: The Age Good Food Guide 2012 Winners!

August 30, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

The winners of The Age Good Food Guide 2012 Awards were announced last night. Here is the complete list of winners, some with my previous reviews – congratulations! Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year – Attica Citibank Chef of the Year – Dan Hunter, Royal Mail Hotel Regional Restaurant of the year - Loam Best New [...]

NOT: Miss Marmalade, 126 Union St, Brunswick

August 25, 2011 ⋅ 3 comments

This is how much I expected to love Miss Marmalade. Monday. I borrow a car to drive through choc-a-block traffic on Alexandra Parade to meet my friend A there. On arrival, my baby vomits copiously on herself and on me. The mess is so bad that I have to drive home straight away without any [...]

HOT: Green Refectory, 115 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

August 18, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

There are certain cafes that are the perfect weekend haunts for nursing a hangover. The requisite criteria? Huge servings of hearty breakfast, lashings of coffee, nothing too fancy or complicated and good value for money. I think one of the places that does ‘hangover food’ really well is Green Refectory – and judging by the [...]

HOT: Salford Lads Club, 1 Fennell Street, Port Melbourne

August 15, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

Hip hangouts can be found everywhere in Melbourne and Salford Lads Club fits in the bill in the most unlikeliest of areas – the nether-regions of industrial Port Melbourne. Ex-industrial factory space – check. Stripped back brickwork and exposed beams – check. Wood, lots of it – check. Cool bikes – check. Young and hip [...]