At a glance - Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie

A lovely place to rest in between shopping over French/European style breads, cakes and pastries over a mocha.

At a glance - Cafe Lua

Great brunch spot which is pumping on the weekends. Loved their take on smashed avocado on toast. This place has been consistently good over the past couple of years. 

At a glance - Providence

We adored our brunch at Providence Cafe where Head Chef Cate Hardman showcases her passion for seasonal ingredients and cooking. 

The menu features produce from Victoria’s farmers markets. Cate brings her modern touch to traditional cookery (think sumptuous bacon and egg pies and lip-smacking breakfast berry clafoutis).

The coffee is excellent. As are the delicious range of juices.

At a glance - Gazi

What can you say about Gazi that hasn't been said. There is a reason that long after it's opening, it is still difficult to secure a table at this very generously sized restaurant. 

And, like the venue itself, the food is generously proportioned. On our visits we have found the dishes to be executed wonderfully using fresh produce. It can only be described as comfort cooking on steroids and it is why we are sure to return again. And again. And again.

At a glance - White Mojo, CBD

White Mojo offers too-pretty-to-eat, delicious fare and excellent coffee. 

The menu features fresh and modern cafe cuisine. A true example of how Melbourne is pushing the boundaries of the humble brunch. 

The Eton Mess is a dish that manages to taste even better than it looks. Tart natural yoghurt together with fresh berries combine with textural freeze dried berries, strawberry gel, spice meringue and creamy coconut gel. We loved how the flavours worked well together producing a wonderfully balanced dish with bold, attention-grabbing flavours.

The waffles were equally as good. Perfectly made - crisp and well-browned on the outside with a moist, light, airy and fluffy inside. They were the perfect canvas for lemon curd, meringue and freeze dried berries. Yum! 

At a glance - POW Kitchen

POW Kitchen serves authentic flavours from Southern Asia at curb-side prices and a passport-proud selection of beers on tap, cocktails and wine. The menu offers over 20 Asian inspired dishes with eats including Ya’an original ‘bang bang’ chicken, ‘crisp crisp’ school prawns or the ‘sticky sticky’ short ribs. POW Kitchen's red curry of slow cooked beef cheek was perfectly seasoned and possessed the customary punchy flavours exhibited by South East Asian curries and was a great match for the melt in your mouth texture of the beef. We loved the inclusion of textural snake beans. 

At a glance - United Kitchen

United Kitchen Dining & Tapas is the latest and greatest Latin American hot spot to hit St. Kilda’s buzzing Fitzroy Street strip. With the aim of uniting people and cultures via shared experiences, the bar and eatery is designed to allow for all occasions whether it’s an intimate dinner for two or more people, large groups & functions but also even just single people passing by. United Kitchen's Seafood Azteca Soup was stunning. We loved this flavoursome broth which featured perfectly cooked seafood including prawn, Atlantic salmon and squid. Slices of avocado were a clever addition, adding creaminess while crispy tortilla strips brought texture. 

At a glance - Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an all-day dining restaurant overlooking Albert Park. The owners’ Paul Jewson and Marco Pugnaloni's ethos is to create luxe comfort food, inspired by provincial Italian and British cuisine - Think big flavours with rough edges.  Fitzrovia's slow roast lamb shoulder was comfort food at its best. We loved the creamy organic sweet potato mash served alongside beautiful confit onions, spring onion, crispy candy striped beetroot, and pea and mint jus.

At a glance - St Hotel

Comprising of the downstairs Public Bar St Hotel and Dining Room, upstairs bespoke drinking with the Supper Club and Social Club, the St. Hotel has it all! St Hotel's 1kg 200 day John Dee grain fed rib eye was beautifully tender and flavoursome.  The accompaniments to the steak were each delicious – wonderfully flavoured jus and the dressed rocket provided a thoroughly enjoyable freshness.  Of course, the true highlight was the giant rib eye itself  – a light searing ensured that it was lined with a thin crisp, caramelised exterior.  The meat was intense with a deep earthy richness and sublime texture.  

At a glance: Fugazza

Go to Fugazza and order the eggplant parmigiana Fugazza. That's pretty much all you need to know.

 Tucked away on Hardware Lane, this delicious little lunchtime secret is a delight. Delicious fresh toasted focaccias are their specialty and although they come in half sizes, trust us, loosen the belt buckle and opt for the full size. Then have a nap when you get back to work.

At a glance: Bagelworks

Bagels are undergoing somewhat of a resurgence lately as Melbournians discover the delicious, affordable simplicity of fresh bagels.

With bagel shops popping up all around Melbourne, Bagelworks is a welcome addition to Little Collins Street. Of course offering fresh bagels made daily and cold pressed juices, we were most surprised by the high quality of coffee on offer - which we honestly didn't expect from a bagel shop. Worth a visit on your next lunch break.

At a glance: Krimper

In true Melbourne style, Krimper is tucked away in a little alley way.

The decor is deliberately kept simple, resulting in a rough and rustic industrial warehouse vibe which creates a very unique character. 

The menu has great options and also includes an all day breakfast. We opted for 2 items from their lunch list which set us back around $20 each. We thoroughly enjoyed our dishes of Barramundi and Purple Carrot. Both were cooked well and presented beautifully.