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.

Great view, good service, nice location make nice burgers,…read moreMake sure you meet hugo the water rat at the end if the pier

View: 5 stars Music: 5 stars…read moreService: 4 stars Atmosphere/vibe: 5 stars $15 happy hour pizza and beer: 5 stars for value Pizza quality: 2 stars When genuinely asking if it was a frozen pizza, I was quickly told no. I still don't believe it because I'm not one to leave food on the plate, but I didn't (and couldn't) eat more than a quarter of it. Undercooked, quite bready, flavorless and soggy. Naturally makes me cautious to give any of their $30-$46 entrees a try.

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.

After a 4 kilometre walk, I found this cafe. It doesn't open until 10am, I arrived 7 minutes early…read moreand they allowed me to sit outside whilst they set up. Great customer service. Then at 10 am they take my order by 1005 i had my coffee, by 1010 i had my delicious breakfast arrived. Quick efficient service. Well cooked breakfast. A little bit pricey, but throughly enjoyable. I will treat myself to this place every now and again.

They get 3 stars on the basis of location alone! Was an…read moreexcellent space to sit on the beach & visit with friends while the kids played in the sand after their meal. The meal was not especially memorable but if I'm visiting friends in town again & we need a breakfast meetup I won't be unhappy if they select the Pavilion.

I was drawn into Auntie Mai's by their picture of Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Noodles in their…read morewindow. It sounded like the perfect lunch after exploring Collingwood and Fitzroy. The sweet history at the counter greeted me right away and took my order (One of the only restaurants in all of Melbourne I've come across that still takes orders at the counter instead of via QR code requiring an Australian phone#) I ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Noodle and Vietnamese Iced Coffee, and took a table number. The table situation was somewhat confusing but only for a second. A few tables had 'reserved ' cards on them, so nowhere to sit in the otherwise tiny, packed restaurant. I noticed an empty patio outside but the door seemed awkward to open right next to a group of people. I asked a woman bringing some food out and she said it was fine to go outside. She opened the door carefully for me. After that it was fine, and the patio was lovely. Actually much preferred to the warm and busy interior. No one sat at the reserved tables, so I'm not sure if they do that to prevent packing people in or maybe they hold tables for people who call ahead, but it all worked out. The patio is full of plants and it was a perfect day. To end on the best note, the food was absolutely delicious. I can't say enough about the perfectly crisped, flavorful skin on the chicken, and the tender meat. I devoured it. The coffee was also awesome and not too sweet. If you find yourself in Fitzroy around Gertrude Street, this is a very worthy stop! I'll definitely make my way back here again to try their rice paper rolls and other tempting menu items!

After some blitzkrieg shopping in the Collingwood neighborhood and heading back home, the hunger…read morepains set in. Before I got hangry, which I do easily, I started looking for a place to refill the food tank. Walking down the street, looking for a restaurant that looked good, clean, and quick, I stumbled upon Auntie Mai's. Walking in I was greeted by a very friendly woman behind the counter. I ordered the lemongrass chicken with rice and veggies. When it arrived, the rice was cooked perfectly, nice and fluffy. The chicken was moist and full of Asian flavor. For a no frills, but flavorful meal, I recommend Auntie Mai's.

This eatery is a stand out. Why?…read moreBecause all the dishes are made with excellent ingredients and from first bite you know a whole lot of love goes into it. You can't got past their potato rosti. The deserts are superb and are guilt free. Although this eatery caters for vegan/gluten intolerant people (in which I am not) doesn't mean it's scream boring. It's full delicious treats for everyone. Coffee is consistent and done very well. I return here every weekend to start it right. Customer service is outstanding and you get a full explanation of what they are about and their purpose as well as what your about to order. One word - amazing.

We read good reviews on Yelp and decided to go there for lunch in a rainy Tuesday afternoon. There…read morewere two other tables in the restaurant when we arrived. We were greeted and seated right away. Overall the food was good and the service was very good. Quite pricy for what it is. The dish that stood out for us was the Canard a L'orange. The duck breast was perfectly roasted. Tender, juicy and went very well with the orange sauce. The escargot was also very good. Served classic French style in their shells with a garlic herb butter. We also really enjoyed the Charcuterie. An assortment of house made terrine, pate and cured meats. On the rich side from the pate and terrine. The Onion Soup had good flavor but we found it to be on the thick side. We prefer it more soupy and cheesy. We thought the Quail Confit stuffed with pate. The quail was on the dry side and a bit too gamy for our taste. The Bouillabaisse also missed the mark for us. The darker brown colored broth had a strong shrimp,flavor with a hint of saffron. We're more accustomed to a lighter tomato based bouillabaisse based sauce. We thought this dish was quite over priced at $44. Loved the atmosphere of the restaurant with its hardwood floor and high ceiling. Follow my food adventure on IG @ tazebudshawaii.com Happy Eating !!

Rough entry process but I think that's down to Covid and new staff more than anything which isn't…read moretheir fault, as soon as we were quickly seated it was fantastic!Staff and management are lovely and courteous. Beautiful food, absolutely stunning, you will not be disappointed. You must order the citron tart and the crème brûlée. We ordered the French onion soup for entree, beef bourguignon and Duck confit for main, all amazing. The bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc was delicious and the French martini's are made with love. Thank you for a beautiful night.

Good for a date night. We ordered a varieties of dishes, and were most impressed by the carpaccio…read more The other dishes were kinda normal, and nothing to write home about. Rather expensive. The servers were very nice. Had to reserve in advance for seating on the weekend. Some mixed up with the orders, but things turned out well in the end. I was kinda surprised when the cash machine asked for tips in Australia.

Stay away from the fryer and you can do very very well here indeed…read more * * * Ichi Ni Nana is a Japanese restaurant and bar. The bar programme looks tempting - but sadly it was a work night for me. The fish here is absolutely outstanding. We had first rate oysters on the shell. They were small, but utterly packed with taste. Non-Aussies - Australia is where you want to eat your raw oysters. They have the cleanest oyster beds on the planet. The oysters served at Ichi Ni Nana are absolutely outstanding. We also did a kingfish sashimi that was completely primo. A pleasant kingfish taste stayed in my mouth for a long time after finishing. Gyoza are standard fare in Japanese restaurants everywhere - often based on perfectly lovely commercial pre-mades. What matters is the in-house cooking. They do a nice job on theirs. * * * Other items were not so lovely. A Dragon Roll was spicy but not interesting. A fried soft shell crab had to be sent back to the kitchen for a bad oil taste. (I almost never send things back to the kitchen.) My wife did not like her Agedashi tofu. * * * Normally a place with this many misses would not get a four star rating. But their raw seafood program is pretty darn fine. Lots of places fry up a good tempura. Few places serve up really really wonderful fish. Stick to what they are good at here and you can do well. And I suspect the bar program just makes everything better.