This cafe is a gem. Located on Fitzroy St. near St. Kilda Rd. I highly recommend it! It is charming…read moreand delightful inside. The food is exceptional and the staff are all very friendly. They make you feel very welcome which is so nice nowadays. I stopped in for breakfast, but I know they serve lunch as well. My food was prepared fresh and exactly as I ordered. Coffee was delicious too! Had the pleasure of meeting the owner who was very friendly and so sweet. This a must place to eat if you are in the area! Seating is inside and out so you can enjoy the weather and have a meal with your dog if you so choose. What are you waiting for? Stop on by! I guarantee you'll love it! And there are plenty of things to purchase and take away as well. Now check out my pics and get over there already!

LOVE staple. Great atmosphere, great coffee, really nice service. I went back multiple times when I…read morewas visiting Melbourne. The food is a bit pricey but the quality makes up for it!

Very friendly experience today. Good coffee and had a nice pomegranate salad. Great place for…read morewinter sunshine.

Fitzrovia is an all-day cafe-restaurant from chef Paul Jewson and his partner Marco Pugnaloni, a…read morewelcome new addition to the hit-and-miss strip that is Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. Their most recent collaboration was Outpost Cafe in South Yarra (reviewed here). The restaurant has installed itself in the neighbourhood of Golden Fields and Baker D. Chirico. Just having these couple of places open up along Fitzroy Street shows that the area is turning itself around from being a grungy backpacker hangout / tourist hotspot to an exciting home of new and upcoming restaurants. It is amazing what the team has been able to do with the space they have. As you enter and make you way through it seems like you arrive in the front garden, walk up the stairs to the balcony or front porch, move into the elevated dining room and from there you have a clear view of the very open kitchen. And by open I mean you could accidentally wander in, no fault of your own and start cooking yourself. I don't suggest doing this as they have everything pretty much down-pat as it is. The front room of Fitzrovia has all kinds of sweets, pastries and pretty much anything you need to accompany the coffee that is a prerequisite when visiting. On both occasions we visited there was a small throng of people gathered just inside the doorway, which you could initially interpret as a waiting line - but as this is still relatively secret spot you can usually find yourself seated in a jiffy. Fitzrovia's coffee offerings are single estate coffees handcrafted by those blokes down at St ALi in South Melbourne. Head barista Cian Evans is a master of the craft and every coffee that we and our friends have ordered has been consistent in its top quality. If you fancy yourself the home barista they have retail packs to takeaway as well. On our first visit we got there during the brunch/lunch crossover. I have slowly whittled down WordMonkey's aversion to pork by getting her to only try the best and tastiest morsels of pig flesh. And when she opts for the pulled-pork sandwich over any number of eggy choices, you know you have not just won the battle but also won the war. And to make matters worse, when discussing what is the best pork sandwich in Melbourne, she has no second place. So that first visit was simply a pigfest. The flavours were all on-song, the pork juicy and flavoursome, the tangy salad exhibiting just the right balance of Asian herbs and apple-fennel crunch. We returned last week as a precursor to one of the biggest race meets on Melbourne's calendar - the Cox Plate - in conjunction with WordMonkey's birthday celebrations. Her and our Bondi buddy got the fizz flowing and it was up to me to ensure the quality of the coffee was still up to scratch - which it was. Showing up much earlier than our previous visit we had less of a selection but this was a blessing in disguise and we were able to hit a few more dishes rather than reverting to the old pork favourite. WordMonkey decided on asparagus, poached eggs, Daylesford dry-cured bacon crumble and creamy goat's cheese, with a punchy fennel salad. While visiting friend had house-smoked Tasmanian ocean trout and toasted quinoa with poached eggs and salad. Rave reviews on all fronts - the only complaint being that the portions were a little small for the price and that we had to order toast to bulk up the brunch. It would have been nice to get toast included. In the end, the toast we did order didn't turn up until right at the end of the meal. But no dramas, removed from the bill, life goes on. I opted for the Istra Daylesford dry-cured bacon, smoked mozzarella and pear relish toasted doorstop sandwich. If anything in that last sentence is not deemed heaven on a plate then I don't want to know you. It is the equivalent pork belly sandwich served at St ALi - same dreamy bread and all. But the bomb was the addition of that gorgeous chewy cheese and the added element of the pear relish. Fitzrovia is a special little place in a part of the city most people only head to if the weather entices them. The hook that will have people returning to this neck of the woods is that Fitzrovia is also open for dinner. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner being catered for, the team has acknowledged that with spring here and summer around the corner you may not want to be cooped up inside. So taking advantage of the proximity of both St Kilda beach and Albert Park on their doorstep they are offering 'the ultimate picnic lunch...made fresh on the day using the finest in Victorian produce'. They will even arrange chilled wine or champagne to be waiting for you to pick up at Prince Wine Cellars just down the road.

Amazing coffee and super accommodating with menu. Great breakfast range. Ordered Hash Brown stack,…read morewaffles and Brekky Burger - so good!

My first experience at GB Espresso was a two thumbs up morning. We took a table outside since we…read morehad our 4 legged fur baby with us. The waitress was very quick to come out and bring us menus and water, and take our coffee order. Moments later she returned with our 2 extra hot mochas and took our food order. I had the Potato, parsnip & chive cakes with melted Heide Raclette cheese, roasted bacon & poached eggs with house tomato relish. It was delicious. The potato cakes were cooked perfect, light and fluffy. The Raclette was the perfect compliment to the cakes and the poached egg made it all come together in perfect harmony. Looking forward to our next visit.

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.

Nice cheeseboard with wine pairing. Not sure it deserves an entire chain of restaurants for the…read moreconcept. I've had similar boards as one of a number of appetizer or dessert offerings at other restaurants. The cheeses were quite good and the wines and champagnes were fine. The pours felt stingy since we ordered the "large" pours. Points off for not having some labeling system to know which wines and cheeses you are eating.

Absolutely loved this place. I was looking for a little bite of cheese and some wine and this spot…read morecompletely answered my prayers. They've fantastic flight options: wine, champagne, beer, cider, whiskey, gin and even sake! And it all comes professionally paired with perfect portions of cheese. Our waiter expert explained what each wine and cheese was, where it was from and exceptional notes. I'd highly recommend stopping by if you fancy yourself a cheese lover. You can also order a la cart if flights aren't in your cards.

Finally made it to Turning Point and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's bright and spacious inside with a…read morebeautiful yet simple interior. We were shown to our table quickly and given time to look over their delicious sounding menu. They offer breakfast for most of the day, and lunch from late morning, so there's a lot to choose from, but I decided to go with the Two Cheese Beef Burger, but just asked them to hold the brie. The mix of pickled onions and English mustard, gave it a nice punch and a distinctive difference to other burgers out there. The fries with it were spot on; perfectly cooked and tasty. I will say, however, that another reviewer (or two) were right when they said the brioche buns were dry and crumbly. I really wish restaurants and cafes would give you the option of a bun. I don't like brioche buns (mainly because I don't like sweet and savoury together), because they CAN be dry, and this is the part where the meal let us down just slightly. With that all said, I really recommend Turning Point for either breakfast, lunch or brunch. Parking CAN be brutal (it's right outside a train station), though yesterday there were cars pulling in and out of spaces, so you can be lucky. It's worth it though, because the food is good and I cannot wait to come back and try other items they have on offer (which can also extend to their cabinet of treats near the cash register where they sell items to go, if you wish ...).

3.9 Turning Point is…read morea very popular place. It has a groovy new fitout. But it's stark concrete and wood needs some sound baffling. It's very, very noisy in here. The staff are fantastic, as is the coffee. We really liked the black cutlery - great touch. Twosheds and brunching companion ordered kale and zucchini fritters, with a side of chorizo, and scrambled eggs with bacon. The fritters were a tour de force, if a touch under seasoned before Twosheds took to them with the gourmet salt. Supremely light and fluffy, they were topped with fried kale and an exquisite purple yoghurt sauce. Accompanying chorizo was beautiful. Companion's scrambled eggs were beautiful too, but the bread came without butter - a bit annoying. Bloody Mary was super strong. Suggestion for the noise issue is felt tips on chair legs to reduce scraping on the concrete. Recommended. 3.9

I love this little shop! We don't have places like this in America. So charming and quaint. You…read morewalk in and you've been transported into a beautiful bakery. Everything is homemade and delicious. I would eat here every day if I lived here. A wonderful selection of breads, desserts, lunch items and much more! I would definitely rate this as a must stop if you are visiting or live here!

Think Fitzroy Street is nothing but bogans and backpackers? You've clearly never been to the…read moreamazing Bakery D. Chirico! Everything is made fresh in-house -- I should know because I lived upstairs and had to suffer the smells of heavenly pastry prep each night. Prepare for a long wait if you venture in on a weekend -- this local hot spot is always busy. Always. The inside seats all of about two patrons, but there are plenty of tables outdoors, rain or shine. The plain croissants are a perfect hangover cure, totally worth the crowd. Next time you're in the beach 'burb, you'll definitely want to stop by this incredible lil artisan bakery.

Food here is excellent! They have a steak dinner deal for $20! I love the fried goat cheese balls…read moreand Turkish bread as well! Only down side is that they have a young German waitress who is terrible! She took my friends order and walked away without taking mine. She then tried to give us another tables food. Never came back to check on us. It was the worst service I can remember is quite some time!

Despite living right around the corner from Hide & Cheek, I have been procrastinating about going…read morethere. One reason for this is that I'm a little bit sad about the demise of Land of Siam, the Thai restaurant that used to be at this location, because it was a staple in my lazy Friday nights when all I want to do after work is collapse on my couch with some pad thai and a bottle of red. But then Derby Thai moved in down the road, so that helped the Thai issue (even though I really liked the Land of Siam in particular). The next reason for procrastinating about Hide & Cheek was their choice of font in their signage. No, really. Maybe I hang out with too many graphic designers or something, but this is a really naff font choice. Font matters because this made me think this was going to be a really naff place. While I would still love to give their signage and their menu layout/design a complete overhaul, this is actually a nice little local cafe. Inside it is quite light yet warm and cosy. There are some good choices on the menu. I had the Mermaid, which is an egg white ommelette with honey vodka cured salmon, spinach, toast and hollandaise on the side (my favourite little touch, as you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you like). Next time I happen to wander down I intend to try the Speedy Gonzales, which was baked beans but with the genius touch of haloumi, which makes every breakfast a winner. The coffee was good, but I prefer mine a little hotter. They do, however, use Bonsoy, which is a big mark in their favour. So the food was good, the service was fast and friendly...but I still can't get over that font...

Delicious breakfast wrap, awesome coffee, and a cheeky nice group of people manning the desk…read more Actually, I believe the joint is owned and run by a couple women, and I hope they do great. It is a perfect little neighborhood place and I will be sure to pop by every time I'm in the 'hood. Oh - check out the TASTY looking pastries. Mmmm!

Stopped in here for brunch one day with a group of 8 and we were sat within 30 minutes during peak…read morebrunch hours. They were busy but so accommodating even without a reservation! I got the pork belly Benedict that included a maple hollandaise, spinach and Granny Smith apples! Such a big portion and usual cost for a benny! My friends got several different items like scrambled eggs, nourish bowls and avocado toast! So delish! Deffo recommend if you're in the chapel st. area!

What can I say about Dukes that already hasn't been said. I…read moreregard this place as one of the best of the best. The baristas are experienced and you can tell they take their job seriously. I love sitting by the counter watching them do their work with love. So meticulous. Food, oh the food.. wonderful. Being so popular, Dukes is very busy and loud but it is a must visit on your list of 'Great Coffee Places to visit' Please go there and take a sneaky look at those baristas.