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    Lights in the Attic

    3.9 (9 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

    Lights in the Attic Photos

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    Menu - 31/01/16
    Matt L.

    The lights are on and someone is definitely home at Lights In The Attic. Situated in Hawthorn East, this local gem is a bit of a surprise to find in a suburb that is mostly residential and a bit of a middleman between bustling Hawthorn and Camberwell. Located unassumingly at the base of an apartment building, the cafe takes on an intriguing modern industrial crossed with nature design. The low ceiling and floor is grungy concrete slabs with a maze of cables and ducting, colourful pipes and hanging light bulbs. This is contrasted by a sleek white tiled counter, light timber furnishings and a scattering of native bottle rushes and eucalypts throughout the cafe. Seating is a row of small tables looking out onto Camberwell Road, some timber booths and some more small tables in the outside courtyard. The modern industrial design flows through to the tables which are made of timber mounted to what appeared to be shelving frames. The food menu equally unique with all the typical breakfast options and a short but complex lunch selection that has an Asian fusion influence. Highlights include the "Finding Nemo" (smoked ocean trout with scrambled eggs, fish bonito, flying roe mayo on toast), the "Wild Forest" (chilli scrambled eggs, potato made mushrooms ok toast with bacon, pork floss and crackling) and the "Attic Pizza" (fried eggs, bacon, pomegranate, mixed nuts, blue cheese on a garlic roti base with sweet potato chips and maple syrup on the side). On this visit, the "Bird Nest" was ordered. Two scotch eggs perched on top of a nest made from thin potato fries all in a bed of a cassoulet-like base of kransky and chilli beans. This exciting dish lives up to its name, resembling a literal birds nest. The crunchy scotch eggs were cooked perfectly and the sausage and bean base packs a gentle nudge. Coffee is from Atomica with an espresso blend and filter options available. Cold drip comes served in a novel screw top scientific-style vial. Organic hot chocolate and a range of cold press juices are also on offer. Lights In The Attic is a humble yet exciting cafe that offers a getaway from the neighbouring busy suburbs. The team's other ventures include Green Eggs and Ham in St Kilda and Nine and Three Quarters in Prahran, all forming a trio of creative venues that tell a story.

    Bird Nest.
    Clement L.

    Nice cosy cafe that was very unassuming, and had a nice clean decor that set a good tone from the minute we walked in. They served good coffee and very good food. The food was very creative and serving size was very generous. My friend and I are generally big eaters, and we struggled to finish our food. Will definitely be back again soon.

    Scrambled eggs with smoked trout
    Leslie L.

    One of my favorite cafes to have breakfast. They have amazing coffee & creative, delicious food to tempt my appetite! The staff are also super friendly & make your day a bit better : -)

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    Light Years - An elegant venue to have your breakfast in solitude.

    Light Years

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.5 km
    $$

    My first visit to Light Years was for breakfast; a delicious and unforgettable meal it was…read more The location was off the beaten path, it took me about 15-20 minutes walk from the nearest metro. I was wondering why such a popular spot would be so isolated? But all is well worth the effort to get here. The venue is brimming with natural lighting, classic charm and warmth. For my breakfast, I ordered the Pixelated avocado (on a sourdough toast) because it just looked so darn intriguing. I didn't expect anything else to be honest, and turned out this was GOOD!! Every single element in this dish has complex flavors that compliments each other. The chili dried air kale, diced pixelated avocado and the soft shell crab was especially stunning. The dish certainly performs to its Instagram ability. For my drink, I ordered their matcha latte; it was strong tasting yet smooth. I could drink this all day! The Light Years is certainly not disappointing in any way, from the beautiful venue to the outstanding food, supported with service and ambiance for days. Easily, my favorite brunch spot in town at the moment and much to recommend you :).

    Went to Light Years for Sunday brunch and was relieved to find that, although very busy, the wait…read moretime was only a few minutes. Recently opened at the bottom of a new apartment block just along from the Camberwell tram depot, it should not be confused with Lights in the Attic cafe which is a bit further down Camberwell Road. The fit out is the now common scandi/minimalist affair with a smattering of potted greenery. Coffee is from Dukes, but the star of the show here is the food. All the dishes I saw coming out looked great and were good sized portions. I had the bircher and it was a generous serve, looked pretty and tasted even better. Overall a good value and tasty option for brunch/lunch in the leafy inner east.

    Photos
    Light Years - Matcha Latte.

    Matcha Latte.

    Light Years
    Light Years

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    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

    Hawthorn Common

    3.8(12 reviews)
    1.5 km
    $$

    I really like this place, I have been here plenty of times and it continues to grow on me…read more Definitely time for a review. I'm a little surprised to see people queuing at Axil when this paradise awaits upstairs next door, don't get me wrong I love Axil, but this place is pretty stunning. But please don't tell them, it's rare to be able to get a seat outside on a gorgeous sunny deck under an umbrella surrounded by trees and a veggie garden in Melbourne without a queue. The food has never disappointed. From the porridge and oats to the cooked breakfasts, I always enjoy my meal. Good specials on offer too, on the weekend I had corn and ricotta fritters with heirloom tomato salad and avocado cream, it was the goods and I'd love to see it on the menu. Their coffee offering is pretty solid, from the standard milky affair to the fancy filter stuff I don't understand but order to impress our interstate guests with my Melbourneness. Their green smoothies are tasty too. The staff are great with a sense of humour that I really enjoy, the owners in particular are cool (banter with them is a highlight for me), they're friendly and it's a family affair and they welcome families alike. But don't worry this place isn't overrun with yummy mummies, it's not really overrun with any 'type' it's just full of people who enjoy good food in breezy, relaxing surrounding. They also do yoga on the deck on Saturday mornings.

    Fight the lure of Axil and take the stairs to this gorgeous new comer. The coffee was perfection…read moreand made even more enjoyable on the sunny deck amongst the succulents. Choosing a snack was difficult as everything looked delicious. The custard donut did not disappoint. I'll be back to try something from the breakfast menu or for yoga on the deck Saturdays!

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    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

    Seating area

    Hawthorn Common - Outdoor seating

    Outdoor seating

    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

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    Seating area

    The Grounds at St Columbs - Exterior (image source: The Green facebook page)

    The Grounds at St Columbs

    4.3(4 reviews)
    0.9 km

    Looking to find the entrance you find yourself walking around a very well kept church. Although you…read moresee signs and can peek through the windows to see people enjoying a coffee inside you wonder where the door is and turns out a tiny little sign is all they need to peek your curiosity towards the most inconspicuous doorway. Walking in, it warm, high ceilings... You find yourself inside the back of the church. From wood, brick and Tolix chairs... You feel quite at home. Having had the pulled lamb on humus and lentils, their menu describing it much better than myself, it was delightful. The citrus zest dressing complements the slow cooked lamb and lentils which are too full of flavour. The brownie is very good. Not at all sweet and surprisingly much more creamy that what you would expect from a traditional brownie sadly it is quite small and seeing as brownies are my only vice there is always space for more. For those more interested about their coffee, they source their beans from code black and for the soy fans, you'll be delighted that they use Bonsoy.

    I love myself a good social enterprise. Eat, drink, be merry and help someone out. It's a win for…read moreme and humanity. I have only been here for coffee and snacks but they are both good. It can be tough to get a decent soy latte, but these guys do it well. The ginger cakes ain't bad either.

    Photos
    The Grounds at St Columbs - Cafe behind the church

    Cafe behind the church

    The Grounds at St Columbs - Café with space for kids to run around. Coffee and food great too. Friendly staff. Love it.

    Café with space for kids to run around. Coffee and food great too. Friendly staff. Love it.

    The Grounds at St Columbs

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    Lights in the Attic - restaurants - Updated July 2026

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