HOT: Eurodore, 271 Bay St, Port Melbourne

I adore Eurodore. This is the European food and produce store that I wish I owned, with floor to ceiling shelves of prettily decorated condiment jars, bottles of oils and vinegars from Australia and overseas, good quality chocolate and enormous wheels of French cheese. What fun I’d have jaunting around Europe, sampling all the wares [...]

HOT: Ezard, Adelphi Hotel, 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

It seems that the GFC really has hit the fine dining scene in Melbourne, as even two-hatted Ezard is offering a discount voucher in the Entertainment Book this year.
Not one to pass up an opportunity to get a discount on very good food, I suggested that we take RM’s uncle Ian out to dinner as [...]

HOT: Shark Fin House, 131 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

Trust me – the best yum cha in Melbourne is from Shark Fin House. Don’t get it confused with Shark Fin Inn, also on Little Bourke – they’re in the same group of restaurants, but House is superior. You’ll be able to work out which is which, as House always has a line of eager [...]

NOT: Little Cupcakes, Shop 7 Degraves St, Melbourne

Aww – I feel dastardly giving cute candy-striped Little Cupcakes a NOT. But really, it’s only because their red velvet cupcake ($4) didn’t compare favourably to the red velvet cupcake from London’s Hummingbird Bakery. The cream cheese icing and the flavours were right, but it was just a bit too crumbly for my taste. [...]

HOT: Koko Black, Shop 4 Royal Arcade, 335 Bourke St, Melbourne

In need of a chocolate boost, I ducked into the artisan chocolatier Koko Black and discovered that they’ve developed a product which taps into a lucrative market – students.
I remember that as a uni student, I would regularly take a Fruit ‘n’ Nut into lectures, as it helped me to stay awake under a lecturer’s [...]

HOT: Phillippa’s Breads, 1030 High St, Armadale

Philippa Grogan is the doyenne of her eponymous artisanal bakeries in Melbourne, and her breads and pastries are right at home in chi-chi Armadale.
Although I really did fancy one of her expensive cakes for lunch, I opted instead for a pasty ($7.50) as I was starving and in need of carbs. It was an extremely [...]

HOT: Mr Tulk, State Library, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne

The State Library’s resident cafe, Mr Tulk, is not just a mere sideline to the books – I’ve often eaten at the cafe without stepping foot into the library, my only reading material a copy of The Age’s weekly Epicure section.
The light-filled space is decorated with the jewel colours and scarpering curlews of Spike Hibberd’s [...]

HOT: Ganache Chocolate Lounge, 250 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

The master chocolatier from Koko Black has defected to South Yarra to open his own chocolate store and cafe, Ganache Chocolate Lounge. The cafe tables and leather sofa make a cosy retreat from the South Yarra shopping strips and the selection of handmade chocolates and gelatos are a nice alternative to a restaurant dessert.

For summer [...]

HOT: Cosi Bar Ristorante, 68 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

Cosi’s gone upmarket since I was last there, regularly devouring their fabulous pancakes for breakfast. The light-filled restaurant still has the lovely courtyard area, but the tables are now covered by white linen tableclothes and the food is much more formal.
That’s not necessarily a criticism, it’s just not what we were expecting for a lunch [...]

HOT: Brunetti, 194 – 204 Faraday Street, Carlton 3053

The original Carlton Brunetti is bustling at all times of the day – it seems that Melbournians just can’t get enough of their coffee, cakes, breads….and for me, the Italian hot chocolate ($4.40). The properly bitter and thick hot chocolate simply does not compare to the insipid powdered mudwater that is trotted out at a [...]