The Egg Basket deli is a great place to grab a snack or stock up on some Mediterranean produce for…read morethe week ahead. The Egg Basket has changed hands a couple of times, but the new owners seem to have embraced the challenge and have filled the little space with local and imported foodstuffs. Highlights include the dips, chutneys and fresh bread that you can buy for prices that are fairly reasonable in the Balwyn area. An easy place to stock up on deli meats (of which they have a wide range), and some quality cheese too - I generally get some Camembert with quince paste, Egg Basket has a good range, but not spectacular selection. The other problem with Egg Basket is the size. Its pretty small and God help you if it's busy - you'll get squished against the back wall. The service is friendly and efficient, but it does struggle when it's a full house. Either get there early or avoid lunch times.

Every time is pours with rain, I feel the need to go and find a fireplace to sit in front of. Not…read morehaving one myself, and being unaware of any within a 100 metre vicinity of my house I don't tend to follow through with this plan. But now I have one, albeit one bit further than 100 metres away from me. Out the back of this cute little deli is a cosy room with a few armchairs, a few tables and a fireplace. Eat your food, or drink your Jasper's fairtrade coffee whilst warming yourself in front of the fire. The deli stocks a good range of local and imported cheeses, pies, meats, pasta etc. and is a good place to go for lunch or to pick up something to make for dinner when it's rainy and cold and you really can't be bothered cooking something "homecooked".

I've recently moved to the area and to be honest coffee places around here are a bit on the sparse…read moreside. Faced with little choice I decided to roll the dice. How bad can it be? I thought. My first visit went a bit like this. Walked in with only coffee on my mind and there they were; EPIC SCONES! With delicious jam and cream. Being a Brit I could not resist their charms. "Two of your finest scones my man." When the scones arrived I was not disappointed. They were warmed up and fluffy melt in the mouth. The jam and cream were delicious too. A perfect accompaniment to my coffee. Although next time I'll be having tea as that's the way scones should be enjoyed. As for the rest of the menu, I haven't tried their brunch offerings. Although from my short scan of the menu all the old favs are there from eggs Benedict, big breakfast, muesli etc etc. They also have some good sandwich options available, as well as cakes and pastries for those with a sweet tooth. Coffee was good, scones a delicious winner and all reasonably priced. Service was friendly too. I'll definitely be back to try some more of their other offerings soon.

I enjoyed a weekend lunch here. The service is nice and the establishment is spacious, with both…read moreindoor and outdoor seating. Curiously, the menu seems to be majorly focussed on breakfast. There appears to be few dishes that aren't a breakfast variation - just burgers, only two panini options and some salads. However, my companion and I enjoyed a Ham, Cheese & Tomato Panini and a Mediterranean Salad - both were very good. Coffee here is good too. Another point to note, although the place is quite large, there is only one toilet - which is shared by all guests, not really enough.