Honestly, I really wasn't all that impressed with this place. It was one of those places that I…read morewould see as I trundled past it on a tram, so one morning I decided to jump off an check it out. Yeah, I really wasn't all that impressed, but then again it did have a lot to do with the non-standard menu, oh and the rather strong pot of tea as well. Yeah, I guess while I do like to try things that are a little different, there really wasn't anything about this place that grabbed me. I think I'll pass.

I keep seeing this place in 'guides to Melbourne' etc, and it's just around the corner from my…read morehouse so I thought I would check it out. Firstly the staff were ridiculously rude, I almost thought our table was being pranked. We asked about the vegan menu and she rolled her eyes and said they didn't have anything left. We ordered lattes, flat whites etc and asked for soy milk, the waitstaff looks over and goes "yeah I got that" it was such a strange experience that we wanted to get the hell out of there, so we skipped the limited vegan options and headed to the much nicer Breakfast Thieves, where they didn't treat us like scum. The waitress has a short, brown bob if that helps anyone to stay AWAY! (Also very important, the coffee SUUUUUCKED! Photo attached)

"Tucked away" in a lonesome part of Brighton - as far as cafes and stores go - is The Little Ox…read more It's in an area much more conducive to finding good parking, and has a nice, welcoming feeling to it on the inside. I came here today on a warm, sunny day, and they have a big outdoor seating area, and plenty of room on the inside, with big wide open windows to make you feel part of the outside still. They have a great all day menu full of your favourites, and a good selection for lunch. Admittedly, I really only ordered a salmon Eggs Benny, which yes, is something I can make at home, but it was still presented well and these things always taste better when someone else makes it for you (though I would have had a side of butter with mine if I knew how dry the toast was going to be). I had a Mango Smoothie too, and that was nice, though the passionfruit inside it, almost overtook in flavour. Everyone at my table LOVED their coffees, and their burger and Ruebin sandwich were apparently great too. Overall this was a great lunch outing. I can't really fault it at all. All well priced and everything tasted good and was presented nicely. I had been wanting to come here for a while now, so I'm glad I finally got the chance and would highly recommend it.

This hidden gem is the kind of place that you have to be told about otherwise you would have no…read moreidea that it existed. The food here is amazing, fantastic kitchen. Sometimes I find the need to talk to the people in the kitchen and tell them how satisfied I am. I have seen on TV a lot lately the use of micro herbs but never actually eaten somewhere that put them on my dish, I got that fancy schmancy treatment here. I didn't actually need it, but it did look nice. On my way out I fell for my temptation and brought the best meringue that I have eaten in my entire life. Just before being put into the over to cook a shot of coffee was poured into the mix and swirled around. So chewy in the middle. Perfect.

I've been here twice so far. Once to grab a late lunch. I ordered the Buddha bowl, which was a…read moresimple bowl of greens and mashed sweet potato and avocado with some homemade tortilla chips. My sister ordered the zucchini fritters, which came with two poached eggs. They were really good, especially with their a thousand island sauce. The second time I came here was to grab a sandwich to go. I love their sourdough bread, and the sandwich had the multigrain bread. It was tomato based, so no cheese, and had grilled eggplant and mushrooms and spinach. It was very tasty, and even more so if you get it lightly toasted.

This is a hidden gem. The best bistro/cafe of its type in the southern suburbs on our experience…read moretoday. It's better here than at more fancied places including the famed Leftfield. We loved the space. It's bright and airy with plenty of room to spread out. A small thing, but I loved that there is seating with decent cushions instead of hard, flat immovable surfaces. Also, whoever chose the music playlist really knows their stuff. The music playing throughout was fabulous. We were advised that there is a new menu offered here now and that the chef has over 15 years experience overall and has been in Australia 6 years. The menu looked contemporary and very interesting: we quickly selected the corn fritters and the Tunisian baked eggs. We were knocked out by the sheer quality of both dishes. It's beautiful food. The corn fritters were with smoked salmon and poached eggs. They're lovely fluffy fritters with great flavour including a fascinating hint of spice. Ditto the gorgeous baked eggs. These are the best I've ever had. The previous best were those at Jerry Joy in Thornbury but these topped those to my astonishment. They are rich and substantive again with delicate hints of spice. And, whoever decided to add the slice of lemon is a visionary too. The acidity is just beautiful with the dish. We finished with coffee and red velvet cake. Both were wonderful again. The coffees were expertly made, a real Melbourne coffee. The cake was excellent too. Lovely, tasty and moist. The perfect finish. This was an unexpectedly great meal. We loved the place, the food and the service. The world's most stunning woman and I commented to each other that this was a pretty much the near perfect brunch. Put Servery and Spoon in the inner suburbs and they'd be fighting off customers and have lines around the block. It was that good. Finally, I'm conscious that I'm giving another 5. This is another case of not having the capacity to give a half mark. A 4.5 would have been optimal, but a 4 far too low. In those circumstances, there's no option but to choose the higher mark. (Our sincere thanks to Nitin and Ritika for the invitation to visit here. Put simply, we loved it. We wish them and their venture the good fortune that it and they deserve.)

This is the kind of place I go to wishing I was fussy with food because there is literally nothing…read morethat I wouldn't order on this menu. It. Is. AMAZING. Main reasons being: 1. They have one of the most delicious big breakfasts/big vego breakys that I have seen plus then a whole lot of interesting, creative takes on classics and a whole range of things that I would never have thought of to start my day. Things such as cured salmon quinoa salad with roasted cauliflower and crunchy kale. They smash out home made baked beans with roti and fry some seriously delicious fritters with av. And the mushrooms with truffle oil...mmmm. 2. Their bloody Mary and Bloody Margarita is worth stopping a dry July for. Not that I would do such a month of torture. 3. They are on the side of Rose street markets. LOVE. 4. Natural light, beautiful decor and so many indoor plants = happiness. 5. Great staff and great coffee. If you need a sweet treat with your coffee they have some seriously good looking ones of those too. 6. Everything on the menu is so colourful with veg and/or fruit and healthy bits. Vego friendly and vegan friendly. Quinoa coconut milk porridge with mango mmmmmm. 7. THERE IS A COCKTAIL BAR ON TOP OF THE BUILDING.

Yum! Friendly people, delicious food, hot coffee, funky surrounds. Head there early on a Saturday…read moremorning to beat the crowd then check out the Rose St Market and the Fitzroy Mills down the road.

The latest addition to Queensberry Street is Proud Mary's newest offshoot - Twenty & Six Espresso…read more This part of town has recently started to really take off, with the sandwich mecca that is Beatrix and the much-lauded Auction Rooms just a short stroll away. Easy to pass if you don't know what to look for, the cafe is housed in a nondescript space with minimal signage. Inside sits around 20 people with outside space for the taking when rain doesn't threaten. The team have kept things simple - white walls with decals by Melbourne artist and Rose Street Market regulars Able & Game. Above the cream-coloured La Marzocca coffee machine, copper piping frames the counter with coffee paraphernalia displayed on a wooden shelf. The sporadic but thoughtful splashes of colour include an art deco minty-turquoise in the cups and saucers and hot-pink spray-painted twigs, which breathes life into the otherwise understated space. Bare bones industrial lighting and wooden milk crates line the walls - some crates are topped with coffee sacks for extra seating - we especially love the rustic wooden chairs outside with their geometric paint-dipped designs. The coffee is the Proud Mary house blend - Angel's Wings. With touches of sweet orange, plum and light notes of hazelnut the team sticks with what it knows best. The menu is short and sharp. Egg-based dishes comprise of most of the four special offerings with a breakfast selection of cranberry and nut granola, sourdough toast and fruit bread with preserves to round the menu out. The shelf in front of the coffee machine has some of the sweet offering for those looking for a quick bite or something to take away. I ordered the Hulk Smash - but substituted the eggs for beautifully charred Istra Bacon. I don't tend to pick something from the breakfast menu, but in the absence of a lunch menu the sourdough, minted avocado and bacon with the wonderfully zesty-sweet addition of slithers of pink grapefruit is a well thought out inclusion. WordMonkey went for the safe option - mainly due to the fact that she was saving herself for dessert at Beatrix (review here) - the last time we visited Beatrix she was under the weather and unable to eat anything. She went for the poached eggs on sourdough - supplemented by a few forkfuls off my plate - why do girls do that? What's there to say about poached eggs? Runny on the inside and perched on two slices of crunchy buttered toast. It might not be about to set the world on fire, but it joins the ranks of Melbourne's solidly good coffee and brunch places. Well done folks.

Could this be my favourite new brunch spot?…read more The soba noodle Toyko salad was light, yet utterly satisfying. With plenty of roasted chicken, crunchy veggies and pickled ginger, it was a great alternative to "regular" breakfasts. Not that anything at Twenty & Six is "regular", each dish inspired by a different part of the world and presented in a fun and innovative way. My friend's Scandinavian breakfast of smoked salmon, poached egg and avo came with a 1.5inch thick slice of grainy bread, the avo splayed out and stood on its end - Opera House style. Coffee comes from a range of Melbourne specialty roasters and is made with care. The smoothie is creamy and the presentation in a little milk bottle is super cute. Everything *feels* a little expensive when ordering but there's no doubt you feel like you've got good value when you walk out after a generous meal served with friendliness and efficiency.

Cafe with outdoor and indoor seating and ample street parking. Arrived here on a Sunday noon and it…read morewas almost empty inside but lots of people on the outdoor tables. Free wifi. A small selection of baked goods on counter. Menu consists of wraps, burgers and a handful of brekkie items. Despite being a small menu it caters to all tastes. My friend got the small victories sandwich which is bacon fried egg tomato in slices of bread. He inhaled it and liked the freshness from the tomato. I had the lamb wrap with pulled succulent lamb, refreshing pieces of cucumber and tomato, delicious undertones of the sauce and complementary sourness and crumbly texture from the feta. The wrap itself was a thin white wrap. I devoured mine too and the hot crinkly cut chips were a bonus Our coffees were robust yet creamy. Great value for money. Good friendly service.

Around the corner of my house Small Victories has taken my preference for a sit down breakfast. I…read morelike the brightness of the place as for a breakfast dimmed lights don't make sense. It is the meal that starts your day, it should awaken you like a beautiful sunrise when you just had a 9 hour sleep. Food wise always up to scratch, I have had soup, sandwiches and the small victories breakkie. Sucker for black pudding and love the way it is served. New age fun with a vintage feel. The space feels great, always feel welcome and most importantly they tolerate me just talking shit about everything and nothing. Recommended by me. But then again. Who the fff hell am I?

What a cool little place! Service is great, food is just…read moreamazing and offers a different menu each day - gotta love variety! Recommend to all to check it out!

It's a bit pricey for a flatbread sandwich and a small salad...but the portions were a good amount…read moreand I was quite full afterwards. I'll definitely go once in a great while since the food seems pretty healthy and the ingredients are tasty. I tried their roast chicken flatbread and sweet potato salad as a takeaway. The flatbread sandwich was very meaty and I was hoping for more arugula to balance all the meat. The salad was decent but I want to try their other selections. They had a mushroom risotto that looked good. The staff was very attentive and friendly. It helped that I went with someone who was a regular. If you're willing to splurge for lunch, I'd say go for it.

it's a very nice place for brunch.,beginning from wonderful experience, and the service is very…read moregood . We ordered the pancake , which is fit for the c

It's a very nice place here. There's much to love. The space feels good although the tables for…read moretwo are very very close together and you inevitably share some conversation with your neighbours. As this is a busy place we had various people both sides of us throughout our brunch. They now know more about my life than I'd prefer. The dishes my companion and I had were mighty impressive. For a start, both dishes were visually stunning (see photos), impressively composed and very flavoursome. Mine was the Huevos Sucios or the Dirty Eggs. I cannot fault the dish particularly as the jalapeño flavour was so beautifully balanced that it gave a delightful length to the meal that lasted well after I finished it. It was never over hot either. The temperature was bang on. Plus, I thought it was good value for money. The Dirty Mary for $10 with this dish is a steal and it's a superb drink. This is better than any version of Mary I tried recently in Hawaii where they'd claim to make the drink better. They don't. My dining companion had the king salmon which he declared as delicious too. Our coffees to finish were lovely as well and topped off a pleasant and successful venture. I'd like to give the place a 4.5, but that option isn't available as has been canvassed here at length. On balance, mainly due to the squeezy tables for two, I'd round down to 4 this time not up to 5. Tough judgements these.