I'll have one of the chocolate chick pea cakes, a Banoffe tart, and a lemon & coconut syrup cake…read moreplease! What do you mean, diet? I've never heard of no diet. The Northcote Bakeshop is a cute little bakery on High Street, where there's not much around, but is totally worth the trip there just on it's own. They cater for both the savoury and sweet tooth. I had a vegan empanada today which was made up of tomatoes, pumpkin, corn and olives. Just delightful. They also have a whole range of gluten free options as well. Best thing is it's all baked locally in Northcote. Definitely worth a stop if you're ever up that way.

Currently dogsitting in Northcote and got recommended to visit this place haha. Was pleasantly…read moresurprised when ordering their delicious sausage rolls that it came with what I'm assuming some fresh made tomato relish. Also got an beef empanada which wasn't too bad either. I grew up with Chilean friends whose parents always made empanadas so the bakeshop ones don't quite stack up but probably cause they were made earlier then heated up. An empanada in my experiences have been super fresh in that if you're too impatient you take a bite and the steam and filling (usually cheese for me) burn you haha

The most expensive and tasteless sourdough baguette ever tasted…read more For a $7.50 baguette you would hope that it might be halfway decent, but no. It's really hard to believe sourdough could taste so bad. Very disappointing.

4.2 for mine. Best…read morecafe I've come across in this area. It's slightly tucked away but not too much. It's a feel good space with an understated but cool style. The lovely ambient music playing at just the right volume helped the mood as well. The server I had here was a beauty. Sharp as and full of information, personality and humour. Sometimes not easy to pull off without coming across as a smart Alec but no danger of that here. A very good operator. It was cold day and I felt like a soup. Chestnut and mushroom was the server's recommended option, with my preference of seeded bread not sourdough (people, read the Harvard studies about the wonders of whole grain). The soup was superb. A perfect soup for my taste. Ideal food for this weather. I also went nutso over the bread which was toasted so perfectly you could have mistaken it for an art piece. I was advised that this bread was their best seller and I can understand why. It was fantastic with great texture and flavour and just the right accompaniment for the lovely, very well made soup. There was sensational coffee here as well. Deep, rich and delectable. Best I've had for a while. I was advised it was Code Black coffee . A beautiful brew with incredible length and brilliantly made too. I'm in a bit of shock about how much I enjoyed it here. Things are done simply but with a quiet understated style, confidence and best of all, competence. A good place that I heartily recommend.

This is the newly-opened sister cafe to the Seedling Cafe on Flinders Lane. Everything here is 100%…read moregluten-free and "paleo inspired" which generally means no grains, no legumes, no dairy, and a focus on fresh, unprocessed vegetables and proteins. As a vegan, usually when I go to a paleo place, I shudder at the amount of meat and eggs on offer -- but Seedling Cafe's not like that. Their menu dovetails nicely with a plant-based diet, offering plenty of vegan options. For breakfast, vegans can choose from smashed avo, blueberry porridge, and four different kinds of smoothie bowls made from coconut milk. They also have a variety of fancy-pants lattes (turmeric, matcha, etc.) and coffee with almond, coconut, or soy milk. For lunch, there's not much on the menu for vegans per se, but check the display case where they have their fresh salads and there are usually a few vegan salads, which you can mix and match to make a nice healthy lunch (that's what I did -- I had a pea thing, a cauliflower thing, and a vegan coleslaw thing. Yes. Thing.) And of course they have some healthy treats by way of raw vegan bars and energy balls and stuff like that. These vary so just check the display case. I had the peanut bar and while it wasn't decadent like peanut butter, I wasn't really wanting or expecting it to be -- it tasted mostly like ground up peanuts and a bit of sweetness and a bit of chocolate. In other words, it tasted healthy, which is what you're after anyway if you're going to this place. Their menu and the food in their display case is clearly marked with vegan, paleo, dairy-free, and nut-free options. V* means vegan, and staff knows what exactly "vegan" entails. (They even know that honey is not vegan, which is impressive because a lot of non-veg restaurants/cafes don't know that one.) In terms of atmosphere, this Seedling Cafe is lighter and brighter and feels roomier than their Flinders Lane location. It's in the Equitable Place laneway, on the corner with Little Collins Street. Not much seating so this place is mostly take-away, but there are a few small tables and chairs.

Found this little cafe 3 days before leaving the city and the food was simply delicious! I ordered…read morethe açai bowl which comes with granola, bananas, coconut and berries. I asked them not to put the granola as I'm allergic to nuts and they offered to replace t with more berries and extra coconut for no extra charge. Also got their lemongrass ginger tea and it was divine. If you're looking for a great meal not too expensive and healthy this is definitely the place to go!

I don't want to oversell this or anything, but BOCASTLE MAY ACTUALLY MAKE THE WORLD'S BEST PIES…read more Allow me to explain. Once you find out you can't eat gluten, it's like discovering an old friend has died. If you're thinking you can live without bread and pasta, it's a lot more than that. Gluten is smuggled into all manner of things. Soy sauce. Pre-shredded cheese. Over time you find pretty good alternatives for most things (still outstanding on my list is pork buns... if you know where I can get GF pork buns that are acceptable, I'll be your new best friend). For me, pies are one of those things... you don't realise how much you actually like them until you can't eat them ever again in your whole life. Forever. Ever ever. And then I discovered Bocastle. Bocastle gluten free pies may actually be better than regular pies. The crust is crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside. The contents are chunky and saucy. I've never eaten their regular pies. They may be rubbish. But I don't care. With GF flavours in everything from 'classic Australian meat pie' to 'Moroccan chicken' I will happily get my life's worth of pies exclusively from Bocastle.

Decided to drop in for a coffee with a friend and I must say it's one of the best coffee I've had…read morein a while. Also had the the beer fries and they are delicious! Will definitely be coming back for breakfast next time! Now for my second coffee!

Spacious, bright and pleasant. Big meals and quick with them once ordered. Coffee is nice, it's a…read moregood place to go for lunch

This is where a conversation about new restaurants really pays off…read more It is so seldom that the vegan offerings at a restaurant trump the selection offered to the carnivores but Maccaroni Osterio's two page vegan menu offered in a fine dining environment is a joy to behold. Of course from one sitting for two it is difficult to provide a full summation of the dishes on offer but the signature Gnocchi Forest is a bit hard to go past. The bar skills need work but that will come I am sure. If you want to know what vegan food can aspire to here's the place to find out. Did I mention it's also Italian?

Why isn't this restaurant packed out? The food is great and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening, from…read morethe warm welcome through to the very reasonable bill at the end of the night. The restaurant is very stylish and the staff friendly and helpful. There are plenty of choices for vegetarians. The green bean and potato salad with capers was a winner and my beef was delicious, as was my desert. My only slight criticism was that the fries were are little disappointing. We are keen to return soon to try the Sicilian Sunday lunch. We recommend this restaurant and hope more people give it a try.

Now, this is one of those more traditional fish and chip shops, but then again which one isn't…read more I've actually been here a couple of times, the first time when I had just arrived in Melbourne, and the second time when I was meeting up with friends for a barbeque, and decided to bring some chips. Well, there is a reason for that and that is that their chips are actually pretty awesome. If fact they are so good we came back for a second lot.

So I stepped of the 86 tram on the way to Terra Madre but didn't want to risk shopping while hungry…read moreso I dropped in to this great suburban fish and chips shop. Its the sort of place where you can get a piece of battered fish and a generous serve of crisp and crunchy chips rapped in paper for just over $10. What I found most interesting was that this place also offered gluten free options, though only at non-peak times, but I thought the consideration for their customers was worth noting. Like any good fish and chip shop, there is a selection of fish and seafood to choose from plus those little sweet extra's such as banana and pineapple fritters. Yum.

Fantastic brunch place and true to its reputation. Had the Potato Hash which looked deceptively…read moresimple at first glance but was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time. Paired it with an iced matcha which was top tier as well. Excellent service and great vibes with all the wide windows, exposed brick and lush plants.

Great food, super nice staff, cool vibes. Was walking around Collingwood and randomly popped in for…read morebreakfast. Glad I did.

Breizioz 4.5. Very…read moregood place. Quirky atmosphere. Feels like a Paris Brasserie. Service was lovely throughout. We had the savoyarde gallettes. They were superb. Perfect with a fresh salad. We had unfiltered cider too which was a perfect accompaniment. Lovely experience. We'd definitely return.

The idea of hot, sweet, crepes on a cold night sure does sound good to me! While the set up of this…read moreplace may be a little basic, the service is lovely (some of the best I've had in months!) and orders are quick to arrive on the table. We shared the goat and Swiss cheese galette - a wise decision because it was quite rich. A terrific match with the cups of traditional unfiltered French Cidre. At a mere $5.60 a cup or $16 a bottle, I could happily drink this all night if I were here for a longer meal. We couldn't leave without something sweet. A chestnut and rhum crepe for him and the apple and Calvados galette for me. Both got drenched at the table with flaming liquor making for a little bit of theatre and danger as we feared our eyebrows would get singed off!