My equal fave nature place in the Northern burbs is Queen's Park. It's frequented by families,…read morechildren, the elderly and fitness fans who take advantage of the many perks about this tranquil park. There are two playgrounds either side of the lake, walking and bike tracks, a gorgeous pergola/gazebo complete with white turret roof. Situated right on the lake, this magnificent area is perfect for wedding photos and is quite often used as a place to get married or to have wedding pics taken. When the giant water feature display comes on in the background the beauty of the scene it creates, particularly from the pergola with ferns and lush greenery in the background, truly takes your breath away. The Queen's Lake Cafe is situated on the opposite side of the gazebo next to one of the two playgrounds. They serve up delicious, homely and oh-so-worth-not-packing-a-picnic sort of food. Fresh rolls, focaccia and hot food, as well as perfecto tea and coffee, this is one playground you won't mind taking the kids to! Even though it gets busy here and not as big as Coburg Lake it's always seemed to be more serene and peaceful each time I've been. Seating a plenty, picnic tables, swimming complex, cafe, playgrounds, free BBQ facilities, walking and biking tracks, peace, wildlife, romantic.... The list goes on and on. The best thing to do is come and experience it for yourself, particularly if you live on this side of Melbs.

Ive been going to Queens Park for over 30 years! I used to go there as a little kid with my parents…read moreand now Im still going there as a parent with my little kids now! Queens Park is a beautiful park and is more of a "botanical gardens" than a regular or wooded park. It contains a beautiful lake with 3 man-made islands and a large water fountain in the lake. Many different species of bird live on the islands including ducks, coots, black swans and others. Turtles can also be spotted. The walk around the lake can be done in 10 minutes but its nicer to amble slowly! There are 2 playgrounds in the park - on either side of the lake and have different equipment to each other - meaning that the kids get 2 playground experiences rather than one generic one. Parking is also remarkably easy around the perimeter of the park and it is quite normal to see joggers running through the park or newly weds having their wedding photos taken in the lush setting. The park borders a swimming pool (open in summer) and the Moonee Ponds bowling club and contains a small cafe near the western side playground. The park is perfect for a romantic walk around the lake at twilight with your lover (it is well lit with lamp posts and is not dangerous at night) yet is also a perfect place for taking the kids to burn off some of their excess energy in the daytime and is also a great place for a jog or exercise session!

Whether your for the wolf or the hound it doesn't really matter. This quaint little cafe, recently…read moreopened, is offering good coffee and a small hipster inspired menu. The staff are friendly and efficient. There's little space to sit inside and outside. The majority of people were like us, the coffee commuters. Grabbing a quick caffeine fix before taking on peak hour train crowds. This time for something different we stayed at dined in like fancy, job free folk. Highlights are the open spaces, interseting artwork and Dr Marty's crumpets

There were four things that drew me to Wolf and Hound - the simple design of the cafe, lure of…read moregreat local coffee beans, the Butterbings (!), and Dr Marty's crumpets. I appreciate a spacious outdoor bench seat due to often having a friend with a pram or a puppy. It expands the space of the cafe nicely. The staff are clearly passionate about their venture here. The service was far superior to other locals in charming casual friendliness and speed. The menu is basic but has interesting flavor combinations - I will be back to sample more. The coffee is for retail sale which is an extra drawcard. Wolf and Hound has found their little niche in a cafe populated area with coffee connoisseur options, not overwhelming people with too much menu choice and feeling refreshing design wise. Nothing is cluttered or complicated and I appreciate this! I most certainly will be back across town for this comfort.

Good food - nice atmosphere…read more The food was really fresh and prepared well. Coffee was well made. It was a very comfortable place to eat.

Amazing food and service! We had the little sister breakfast and it was delicious - everything was…read morewell done and the ambience was wonderful for an early morning brunch. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

We were taken to a back yard courtyard that was comfortable. The latte I asked for was perfect, and…read morethe servings were generous. They made the most beautiful sourdough bread.

Great service, as it is our first time here in Melbourne. Delicious food. We sat outside with the…read moreheaters, even on a rainy day. 10/10!!!

This? Place was amazing the food was delicious and…read moreeverything was fantastic, the old church. Or school I don't know what it was was beautiful. The staff was professional and very kind.

Great location in the front of an old church (maybe an Abbey?). Really really good coffee. I had…read morethe banana bread French toast which was decent, didn't need to eat again that day!

Do you ever walk in to a business and love the interior fit out so much that you wish you could…read morelive there? Well this is that place for me. The exposed brick and rough wood walls add the right amount of warmth and the large windows with stained glass features make the overall feel very airy. What about the food - delicious! Although I must admit the my selections have all been from the all day breakfast menu, they are just too good to pass up! I have had samples from the lunch menu, including the pulled pork of late, and if you aren't an all day breakfast person there are plenty of yummy options from the lunch menu too. Coffee is also great so it's an all round winner!

Chew chew's has the best decor and atmosphere out of the million eateries I've been to! I will go…read moreback here regularly now. Service is great. Food is awesome (fairly unique too). Very keen . Oh, and I love the refurbished desks out the front. Very cool

Solid brunch place with some inventive breakfast items on a cool street. Ordered the babaganoush…read morebreakfast plate with two poached eggs on top of toast with grilled halloumi and a smear of babganoush on the bottom of the plate. It was tasty but the threw all of the items on the two pieces of toast piled on top of one another - like they were in too big a rush to notice or care and I had to reconstruct it myself. Would have liked a bit more of the eggplant spread given that it was featured in the menu listing up front and not barely enough to call it a condiment. Coffee looked pretty but was just okay. Nice place overall.

Great little place. Long line moves fast. Delicious inventive babaganoush poached egg brekkie…read more Also very generous portion of side smoked salmon. Great service and lively atmosphere. Definitely a worthwhile experience.

This cafe was recommended to me because it is housed in an old power station or something to that…read moreeffect. Space had a lot of natural light but the service was terrible. We interacted with three different servers and all were obnoxious. Skip it; lots of other cute coffee shops with better service. Food was blah!

One word - amazing :)…read more The food was super delicious and presented beautifully. The hotcakes weren't too sweet and the eggs were well cooked. I think the flavors complimented everything really well. The service was quick and friendly as well. The ambience of the cafe really set the tone of the space. The timeless structure of the building was renovated tastefully. Really pleasant place to chill and pass the time. Would love to come again. Thanks

Middle child is a small cafe next to Maribyrnong river. The indoor space seats about 6 people only…read moreand no outdoor seating. The owner explained that the cafe is designed to cater for the takeaway dog owners/ pramwalkers/ joggerS/ passerby. There is a takeaway window for this purpose and I am sure they would attract a good crowd as the weather gets warmer. Due to its size, many food items are convenience oriented. Pies, scrolls, paninis. Scrolls are supplied by Oregano bakery Also tried here by my trustee furry friend is their puppacino :) with lactose free milk and grinded doggy treat sprinkled on top. 'Top notch 'she said.

Middle Child recently opened after the original business at these premises was taken over. The…read moreplace has been fitted out nicely & the owner recently purchased his own coffee machine so will no longer be tied into using just one brand of coffee. Currently Rumble Coffee are the coffee beans of choice & they provide a nice smooth cup. I've called into Middle Child whilst out dog walking so yet to dine in but the service has been great and the pooch that I walk has been treated to a couple of complimentary Puppacino's . The puppacino consists of lactose free milk which is lightly warmed and then sprinkled with some tasty dog treats that have been ground up. It's a bit quirky but the dogs seem to love it. At $2.50 when purchased it's a nice treat for your canine friend :) Middle Child will be my go to coffee place whenever I'm in the vicinity & one day I might get to try the crumpets which sound delicious.

Beautiful French Toast!…read more Wonderful Corn Fritters! Amazing Scrambled Eggs! Great skinny flat white! Awesome service too! Will come back. #highlyrecommended #brunch