Brunch is always better with a side of banter, and you can be guaranteed plenty when you visit Miss…read moreJackson. Steve and Matt (the faces you will see on most visits) are hilarious and encapsulate good service - they're friendly, accommodating, and take an interest in their regular customers. This alone is worth visiting Miss Jackson for, but throw in their great menu and you'd be crazy not to put this place on your list of regular brunch haunts. Breakfast covers a lot of the usual suspects - but the winner is the corn cakes with bacon, avo and chilli jam, accompanied by a strong Allpress coffee to wash it down. The corned beef sandwich with pickles makes for a sturdy lunch and the home made slices and muffins are a great afternoon pick me up. A rotating specials menu offers seasonal variety - recently; a panfried garfish with a panzanella salad got two out of two thumbs up. Sit outside if you fancy some sun, at the large communal tables if you want to read the papers, or in the back room if you're after discretion. Either way, you won't be sorry.

Being lactose intolerant and hating Soy milk is a bit of a pain but Bon Soy teamed with delicious…read morecoffee makes Miss Jackson a delicious go-to breakfast place! We ordered 4 meals and 6 coffees =$95. 2 Spanish eggs which had changed from the last time we came here, a serving of the pot set avocado and goat chèvre, pumpkin bread with cured salmon, and I had the lamb and quinoa salad + extra poached egg (the egg makes the meal a breakfast right?) which was a bit skimp with the lamb but still tasty. Definitely one of my fave places for a fab coffee in St Kilda!

Holy smokes The…read moremanager of the Ovolo South Yarra hotel sent us here Earl grey excellent, I'm a bit of a snob about my tea and this please knocks it out of the park. Super flat white Prompt service and outstanding food My husband ordered the pork belly and I ordered the eggs Benedict. Love the have GF options and the GF toast excellent We are here for class reunion and I can see us coming back to this place several times before we go home.

Came here with my family, 4 of us in total on a weekend for brunch and was able to be seated very…read morequickly. Everything was fantastic, staff was very pleasant and food was amazing!!! Description from restaurant: Two Birds One Stone is one of the best canteen cafes in South Yarra, VIC. It's where you can have a delicious vegan breakfast with your favorite items. Whether you want to just have a cup of coffee or enjoy a delicious brunch, this French café has everything you would need to enjoy your café time. Moi: Everything they said is accurate! I had the ricotta pancakes and it was soft, flavorful with fresh fruit. Also had the braised pork belly, bacon and a poached egg. The pork belly had the perfect mixture of crispy and fatty bits, delish!!! Definitely worth a try! -ODL Follow my IG: @AOEAT

An awesome little place in an awesome little neighborhood…read more St. Moritz is an inviting little restaurant with a distinct European flare. It has an open airy atmosphere, fun lighting and a fantastic all night happy hour on Mondays. For a couple of yanks not used to $12 dollar beers this was a welcome development. And the Monday $1 oysters didn't hurt either! We started the meal with the truffled polenta chips and truffled mushroom arancini. Pretty much anything with the word truffled will instantly be ordered when I look at a menu. Both of these were crispy and delicious with excellent aioli dipping sauces lacing the plates. Being a couple of Americans we could not resist the Kangaroo carpaccio. It was good as a novelty but did not blow me away. The scallops and oysters were also very good. Hands down the best item we ordered, however, was the Lamb mint pea risotto. This was a masterful risotto prepared to perfection. A symphony of subtle flavors topped with perfectly medium rare pieces of succulent lamb. This dish could not have been better!

Loved this place! Went here for breakfast/brunch and the food was delicious. The restaurant was…read morefestive and is found on a street full of shops and other food shops. Had the smoked fruit salad which was fresh and delicious and beautifully put together. Also tasted the pancakes which were also really good. If we are back in Melbourne we will definitely be back here.

This cafe is a gem. Located on Fitzroy St. near St. Kilda Rd. I highly recommend it! It is charming…read moreand delightful inside. The food is exceptional and the staff are all very friendly. They make you feel very welcome which is so nice nowadays. I stopped in for breakfast, but I know they serve lunch as well. My food was prepared fresh and exactly as I ordered. Coffee was delicious too! Had the pleasure of meeting the owner who was very friendly and so sweet. This a must place to eat if you are in the area! Seating is inside and out so you can enjoy the weather and have a meal with your dog if you so choose. What are you waiting for? Stop on by! I guarantee you'll love it! And there are plenty of things to purchase and take away as well. Now check out my pics and get over there already!

LOVE staple. Great atmosphere, great coffee, really nice service. I went back multiple times when I…read morewas visiting Melbourne. The food is a bit pricey but the quality makes up for it!

I used to be a regular here, stopping in for coffees, take away fruit toast on the way to work,…read morebigger breakfasts or a killer sandwich after a boozy night out. On those seedy mornings I'd find a spot inside, bury my head in a newspaper, sunglasses firmly planted on my face, and just give the staff that knowing look of "either kill me, or bring me coffee". Then, I moved and became less of a regular. I forgot how much I loved the friendly staff, the relaxed vibe and the extensive menu with plenty of options for those needing a healthy, filling and/or greasy brunch. They really cover all the bases here and now, guess what!? (You'll never guess) They're opening for dinners, offering a wide variety of pizzas and their own homemade cheeses! I have to admire them for going to the effort of bringing in their own cheesemakers and offering something a little different, though I think the menu could be a little shorter so that they could focus on nailing a smaller selection. My tip? Stick to the fresh cheeses - ricotta, scormoza and mozzerella. Oh, and don't you dare not have an Aperol Spritz.

The olive bread at Il Fornaio is known as being one of the best in town, therefore I had to try it…read more I don't like olives. Whenever I say that to myself it makes me really upset because I know that I am missing out on something that so many people around the world love. I really want to know what I am missing out on! This is why if something has olives in it and I'm told that "you have to try it", I'll try it. I still don't like olives. Nice try Il Fornaio, nice try. The over powering flavour of olives still runs strong. I had an irresistible Affogato to wash away the flavour. That was great on a beautiful spring day near the beach.

A good find, great vibe good coffee and a selection of pastries. Love the ambience and service.read more

Oh Darling! Pushing the boundaries of cafe food cuisine, Darling Cafe dares to be different and…read morebrings the wok to brunch with modern charm. Hiding down its namesake side street in dense South Yarra, the cafe's simple black and gold signage opens up into an interior that is elegant and sleek down the smallest details. Marble counters and bench tops, floor-to-ceiling bifold windows around the outside, gold trim around the stained timber tables, a copper-framed cake fridge and a handful of full length mirrors leaning against one wall; it's all class. The styling follows through to the centred Synesso MVP Hydra espresso machine. Small cuttings of red lilies on each table add a touch of subtle colour. Seating is an array of small tables both inside and outside along the footpath. The menu. An eclectic mix of typical cafe fare with hints of Asian fusion. Divided into three sections, there's all of the usual breakfast suspects along with some creative additions. Dishes include smashed avocado with a twist of kale chips and chilli cherry tomato concasse, a chilli prawn omelette, sticky date pancakes and hazelnut fudge waffles. Lunch highlights include marinated lamb fillet, honey sesame chicken and zucchini and corn fritters. The third section will likely surprise and confuse many and takes the hints of Asian fusion seen throughout the menu to the next level, entitled The Wok. Peking duck stir fry, Pad Thai noodles, Nasi Goreng. At a cafe. Asian classics with cafe styling but still keeping the original street food charm. It works and works well, but still feels weird. Coffee is from Five Senses with a house blend and single origin options available as espresso or cold brew. There's also a range of teas, including matcha, cold press juices and smoothies. Since it's always 5 o'clock somewhere, wines with mulled wine in winter and cocktails are also on offer. Cakes, donuts, slices and pastries are a rotating selection from local bakers that include Butterbing, Sweet Doll, Nutrition Darling, Vickie Liu and Buttermafia. A local favourite,Darling Cafe has taken some bold choices with the uniting of the cafe world to Asian fusion and street food, but it pays off well.

Stopped in here for brunch one day with a group of 8 and we were sat within 30 minutes during peak…read morebrunch hours. They were busy but so accommodating even without a reservation! I got the pork belly Benedict that included a maple hollandaise, spinach and Granny Smith apples! Such a big portion and usual cost for a benny! My friends got several different items like scrambled eggs, nourish bowls and avocado toast! So delish! Deffo recommend if you're in the chapel st. area!

Every time i come here, its a hit and miss. Great food…read morealways, coffee is hit & miss. But some rude staff & the last time i was here they took 30mins to bring out my food :( I keep coming back as the food is really amazing But they really need to improve on service & teach some of the staff to lose the attitude.

We got off to a mini rocky start by showing up a little earlier than they opened, as they haven't…read moreamended their trading hours on Google or their website (nor does their website work well - you can't look up the menu for example). But the benefit of waiting until right as they opened their doors, is that the place was quiet and there wasn't much waiting. I ordered the "Gone Fishing" which essentially is like a delicious eggs benedict but with a potato rosti instead of toast, and comes with kale and a stunning béarnaise sauce. It's not only beautifully presented, but really tasty and delish. It's quite filling, so at $19 it's pretty well priced. The staff were friendly, and parking wasn't too difficult, so that, combined with delicious food at reasonable prices, will definitely have me coming back here again.

Quick friendly service, fresh tasty juices, lots of breakfast choices, nice fresh meals, fun…read moreatmosphere. I liked it. Fun Fact: the toasted seeded bagel was a nice change from an English muffin on the Benedict!

Very friendly experience today. Good coffee and had a nice pomegranate salad. Great place for…read morewinter sunshine.

Fitzrovia is an all-day cafe-restaurant from chef Paul Jewson and his partner Marco Pugnaloni, a…read morewelcome new addition to the hit-and-miss strip that is Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. Their most recent collaboration was Outpost Cafe in South Yarra (reviewed here). The restaurant has installed itself in the neighbourhood of Golden Fields and Baker D. Chirico. Just having these couple of places open up along Fitzroy Street shows that the area is turning itself around from being a grungy backpacker hangout / tourist hotspot to an exciting home of new and upcoming restaurants. It is amazing what the team has been able to do with the space they have. As you enter and make you way through it seems like you arrive in the front garden, walk up the stairs to the balcony or front porch, move into the elevated dining room and from there you have a clear view of the very open kitchen. And by open I mean you could accidentally wander in, no fault of your own and start cooking yourself. I don't suggest doing this as they have everything pretty much down-pat as it is. The front room of Fitzrovia has all kinds of sweets, pastries and pretty much anything you need to accompany the coffee that is a prerequisite when visiting. On both occasions we visited there was a small throng of people gathered just inside the doorway, which you could initially interpret as a waiting line - but as this is still relatively secret spot you can usually find yourself seated in a jiffy. Fitzrovia's coffee offerings are single estate coffees handcrafted by those blokes down at St ALi in South Melbourne. Head barista Cian Evans is a master of the craft and every coffee that we and our friends have ordered has been consistent in its top quality. If you fancy yourself the home barista they have retail packs to takeaway as well. On our first visit we got there during the brunch/lunch crossover. I have slowly whittled down WordMonkey's aversion to pork by getting her to only try the best and tastiest morsels of pig flesh. And when she opts for the pulled-pork sandwich over any number of eggy choices, you know you have not just won the battle but also won the war. And to make matters worse, when discussing what is the best pork sandwich in Melbourne, she has no second place. So that first visit was simply a pigfest. The flavours were all on-song, the pork juicy and flavoursome, the tangy salad exhibiting just the right balance of Asian herbs and apple-fennel crunch. We returned last week as a precursor to one of the biggest race meets on Melbourne's calendar - the Cox Plate - in conjunction with WordMonkey's birthday celebrations. Her and our Bondi buddy got the fizz flowing and it was up to me to ensure the quality of the coffee was still up to scratch - which it was. Showing up much earlier than our previous visit we had less of a selection but this was a blessing in disguise and we were able to hit a few more dishes rather than reverting to the old pork favourite. WordMonkey decided on asparagus, poached eggs, Daylesford dry-cured bacon crumble and creamy goat's cheese, with a punchy fennel salad. While visiting friend had house-smoked Tasmanian ocean trout and toasted quinoa with poached eggs and salad. Rave reviews on all fronts - the only complaint being that the portions were a little small for the price and that we had to order toast to bulk up the brunch. It would have been nice to get toast included. In the end, the toast we did order didn't turn up until right at the end of the meal. But no dramas, removed from the bill, life goes on. I opted for the Istra Daylesford dry-cured bacon, smoked mozzarella and pear relish toasted doorstop sandwich. If anything in that last sentence is not deemed heaven on a plate then I don't want to know you. It is the equivalent pork belly sandwich served at St ALi - same dreamy bread and all. But the bomb was the addition of that gorgeous chewy cheese and the added element of the pear relish. Fitzrovia is a special little place in a part of the city most people only head to if the weather entices them. The hook that will have people returning to this neck of the woods is that Fitzrovia is also open for dinner. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner being catered for, the team has acknowledged that with spring here and summer around the corner you may not want to be cooped up inside. So taking advantage of the proximity of both St Kilda beach and Albert Park on their doorstep they are offering 'the ultimate picnic lunch...made fresh on the day using the finest in Victorian produce'. They will even arrange chilled wine or champagne to be waiting for you to pick up at Prince Wine Cellars just down the road.

Market Land Coffee, we all know their coffee is impeccable..though I could without the sass from…read moreCustomer Service Rep at the counter and a less confusing bin situation. Unless there is a crisis of some sort I always order and have for some time ordered a 'double ristretto soy latte' yes this this sounds obnoxious and like I'm an absolute yuppie, but ristretto tastes better- seriously try it. Anyway, I asked for this at the busy counter, people behind me, it was hectic and everyone seemed to be in a hurry. The gentleman questions my order, not what it is as is usually the case, rather he recommended I not have the extra shot nor ristretto as their mix is strong. I advised him I was aware and it was fine and he questioned this, we then entered into a very passive aggressive conversation about whether I could handle the strength. Feeling uncomfortable holding up the line I just asked him to give me what he thought was best, I was very frustrated- I hadn't had my morning coffee. Seeking a boost of sugar which I never put into my ristretto but this bland weak latte needed, I made my way over to the table of lids, spoons, sugar etc. very confusing indeed was the storage of the dirty and clean spoons! The clean spoons (stirring stick) are in a bin shaped ceramic thing and the dirty spoons are in a matching ceramic cup, with the dirty ends down- you know I picked the wrong container. Gross. I don't know. It was actually a very upsetting time. Okay, arguably they have the best beans but does this mean they can skimp on service?

There's a smell that accompanies a good coffee shop. I'm sure it has something to do with the…read morein-house roasting, but I'd rather think it's due to the scent of pride the barristas emanate knowing that their coffee is about to rock your world. Either way, Market Lane is rich with just that smell. And wouldn't you know it, it's amazing. They source it, they roast it, and they go to painstakingly coffee-nerdish lengths to serve you a fantastic cup of coffee. They'll even teach you how to do it yourself if you're around on a Thursday morning at 10am, which I happened to be. Grab a seat at the communal table and enjoy. Then be upset that you don't wake up next door to the Prahran Market every morning.