The baristas here are super friendly. They also sell off their freshly delivered daily bakery…read moretreats 50% after 2pm which is an awesome deal to get at Starbucks!

I like this Starbucks cause it opens early so I can get my coffee fix before work, the staff are…read morealways polite & the atmosphere is great. Defiantly one of the better Starbucks in Melbourne.

This is a tiny little grocery store that sells only vegetarian and vegan products. There is an…read moreextensive range of frozen 'mock' meat products, plus vegan dairy items such as cream cheese, sour cream, vegan cheese including a sensational ricotta and many other soy milk products. There is a large range of Asian style dried vegetables, sauces, noodles and baking products, all vegetarian and many also vegan friendly.

I can't really understand why this place hasn't been reviewed yet. I've been here twice and really…read moreenjoyed the food both times. Having spent 18 months in India I've eaten plenty of Indian food, this is not the best but its really authentic. If you like unfussy South Indian food this is the place. The style of the restaurant is really basic, you come here to eat! The prices reflect this, I can't remember what I paid, not much more than ten bucks all in. We shared and I tried the thali, the idli, the masala dosa, all of them are exactly to standard, tasty and satisfying. The ladies working here are friendly in a polite warm way. They came over and checked the food wasn't too spicy for the young teenage boys I had in tow, it wasnt which made them really happy! Such a sweet place, no frills and no pocket damage! Pop if your passing and pick up an authentic bargain.

I'm no vegetarian but this is the first place I've been to that makes me think such a thing is even…read morepossible. The dining area is tiny, but the food here is full of fresh, flavoursome and fragrant spices. You just know it's real food. So do plenty of others who know what to look for. It's packed full of people looking for authentic southern indian style food. Don't tell the vegetarians around here, but my favourite thing to eat from here is their yellow yoghurt and zucchini curry: I get take away, warm it up, and stir in some freshly pan-fried chicken thighs for a fast affordable meal that just dances on the tongue.

One of the best places to grab a quick bite to eat in this part of town. Connected to a catering…read morebusiness so there is great variety. Friendly service and a true tuck shop feel.

As a serious set-back for a person who re-lives her pre-child foodie years via lunches during the…read moreweek, my new CBD job has transformed itself into 3 days a week exiled to the Industrial Wasteland of West Melbourne. This office is tantalisingly close to Victoria and Errol Street, but just manages to be too far away to manage a lunchtime trip. This tiny window attached to a related catering business, provides takeaway service only and ensures that my morning coffee comes via espresso machine, instead of the tea room Nescafé monster. The coffee is of a consistent standard, with prompt and friendly service. The gourmet sandwiches etc are all made daily and prices are very reasonable. My blueberry muffin was obviously homemade, with lots of berries and big chunks of white chocolate. Tuck shop may not completely satisfy my needs, but at least has brought me back from the brink of despair.

This was actually a nice cafe, and they certainly did provide me with a rather lovely pot of tea…read more Mind you, I wouldn't necessarily say that the service was the best, but look, I probably shouldn't complain too much, considering that this place did turn out to be a rather nice place to grab some morning breakfast, and yes, it was pretty early in the morning as well. Yeah, I'd say that I did like this place, and it did have some charm about it.

Hot Poppy, my pick for breakfast in North Melbourne…read more I like to get here early for breakfast so I can get a seat. I understand why this place is popular, great coffee and a spectacular range of breakfast dishes. Not just your boring old big breakfast or eggs florentine here. No sir. My breakfast tortilla with chorizo and poach egg, guacamole and salsa etc, etc was fresh and filling. It was actually better than the food at a lot of so called Mexican restaurants. Next time I will try the croquette madam or maybe an omlette with Kransky. So much to try, which isn't a bad thing at all.

As if the Fitzroy cafe options didn't cause enough "where should we go for…read morecoffee/breakfasts/lunch?" dilemmas, Addict should now be firmly set in your shortlist. The coffee is solid. The menu is diverse and goes beyond the standards eggs and bacon options. Vegetarian seem to be well catered for - Northern Beans with poached eggs and confit tomatoes or the Potato Hash with mushroom duxelle got the thumbs up from meatosaurs eating at our table. Crumpets come with a pat of Pepe Saya butter and the cutest jars of house made preserves, or go all out and order them topped with smoked salmon, spinach and poached eggs. So bloody good. For those of the sweet persuasion, there's the fluffiest pancakes you will ever have topped with poached quince and mascarpone. They're "wholemeal" which is supposed to make you feel better about the overdose of sugar I guess. Kids can score a pancake, topped with icecream for a paltry $6 (or an egg on toast or rugrat-sized porridge). The lunch menu is appealing with salads, sandwiches (using Zeally Bay Sourdough) and seasonally appropriate mains of confit duck, pork belly or pulled pork. A cold winter's day getting stuck in to these while reading the paper sounds like the ideal scenario to me. So, who wants to go for lunch?

I came here for a lunch meeting as I was keen to check this place out and on seating they remarked…read more"Is this your favourite local?". It was my first time there, but that is the vibe that this cafe gives. A bright, welcoming space that locals will quickly acquaint themselves with and become regulars. Coffee was decent and the menu was really interesting. I ordered the wholemeal gnocchi and was delighted at how jam-packed the dish was with vegetables. Overloaded with peas and beans and greenery, it looked as good as it tasted (unfortunately my hasty snap was too blurry to post!). The style reminded me of a St. Ali dish, so I wasn't surprised on further research that there are two ex-St Ali chefs in the kitchen. I grabbed a snap of my lunch buddy's dish too as it was almost like a pretty dessert, but packed full of things like chia seeds and puffed buckwheat so it was more nourishing than it looked. While it's in no way local to me, I would happily make a habit of coming here.

Location: Enter into University of Melbourne via Gate 10 and you will see a sign directing you to…read morethis streetcar. It is right behind John Medley West Building. First of all, how could I not support a student-run business? I feel your pain, struggling university students. First thing I have to note is the really really friendly service. Unlike a lot of businesses, this spot truly loves their customers. They greet you with a smile and are very polite and courteous. You should definitely look around their website and/or Facebook page where they explain the history of their bold and youthful entrepreneurship. I will always support them just because they are great people! The crepes are not bad either and at affordable prices as well, starting with a basic butter and sugar crepe at 3.50 (delicious!). Next, I got a banana, honey, and cinnamon crepe with whipped cream and it was delicious as well. Fair warning though! They put their crepes in little carboard cone containers that have a tiny hole at the bottom so if your crepe can potentially drip (for example, honey), watch out! Cover it with a napkin! Ways they can improve: ~ They could upgrade on the variety of crepes they offer. They have a lot of basic fillings, but nothing that really stands out as amazing. I'm a huge fan of this business. The crepes are fantastic, the customer service is fantastic, what more can you want? Even if you are not a student, or staff member, or affiliated with University of Melbourne at all, this place rocks and you most definitely stop by!

Carte crepes is the perfect uni food venue. Doing just a few things very well. Good coffee,…read moreexcellent crepes made right in front of you. I personally like the simple lemon and sugar best, but can also recommend the snickers crepe if you need a full on sugar kick. The crepes are mostly all sweet but they do have a few savoury ones with ham and/or cheese and relish.

Living in the vicinity of Magic Mint I am often salivating at the smells that come from this…read morerestaurant so finally I decided to see if the taste lived up to the aroma...thankfully it did. Upon arrival we were given poppadoms and two small dips (probably not enough for 3 people). We were all a little disappointed that the poppadoms resembled those that you can easily pick up in the supermarket rather than being of the large home made size that we have experienced in other Indian restaurants. The food we had was full of flavour and the plain naan bread simply a delicious accompaniment. All three of us were left satisfied & certainly had no room for dessert. Coupled with good service it made for a very pleasant evening.

One thing Moonee Ponds does well are the quaint and impressive restaurants and cafes that are…read moredotted along the main streets. Magic Mint is one of these. You'll smell the undeniable aroma of authentic Indian cuisine before you see it, and if it weren't for the alfresco seating you might well just walk straight past. Offering traditional favourites such as butter chicken, chicken tikka and masala, for me I can't go past the Tandoori Platter - it's mouth wateringly delicious. The staff are beautiful and always so friendly and welcoming, and although the restaurant looks quite intimate, it's surprising how many people can actually be seated inside. A charming little cafe, and with BYO wine as well you can't go wrong.