Food and drink

An early adopter of the city’s speciality-coffee wave, this impressively remodelled former auctioneers’ quarters is serious about its beans. Founded by the team behind nearby Small Batch roastery, it’s since been acquired by another of Melbourne’s coffee supergroups and is a haven for coffee fans looking to try more than espresso. Alongside filter coffee that uses single-origin beans from Guatemala, Kenya and Ethiopia, there are exemplary flat whites made with Small Batch’s Candyman espresso blend – plus iced sparkling filter coffees come summer and excellent food year-round. 

With excellent produce-driven fare served in elegant, old-world surrounds, this husband-and-wife-run café and deli is a sanctuary on Smith Street. The all-day menu journeys through the Mediterranean and the Middle East, delivering breakfast classics, delicious slow-roasted rotisserie meats and a vibrant feast of seasonal salads. A seat in the sunny courtyard with a glass of rosé in one hand and a good book in the other makes for a perfect Melbourne moment. 

Named after a song by seminal 1980s Australian alt-rock band The Triffids, this backstreet Brunswick brunch spot was a pioneer of Melbourne’s now-ubiquitous “renovated industrial space turns roastery café” genre. Brunches here may be rowdy but they’re never boring and there’s a good chance you’ll brush shoulders with unassuming local musicians and artists as they line up for their morning fix.  Alongside the standard egg offerings, the all-day brunch menu lists classics such as avocado with salsa and dukkah on sourdough. Coffee here is excellent (it’s all roasted on-site) and comes in the form of espresso, filter, pour-over, cold drip and more. 

Movida’s Spanish culinary revolution came at a time when an authentic take on the cuisine was foreign to Melburnians. Today Barcelona-born chef-patron Frank Camorra’s trio of Movida venues continues to prove that there’s much to explore in Iberian food and wine. More bar-like than the neighbouring flagship, Movida Next Door has an elbow-to-elbow atmosphere. Perch at the bar for aperitifs and tapas or settle in for extended snacking on seafood-leaning plates backed by an excellent Spanish and Australian wine list. For tapas and vermouth on tap, visit Camorra’s bodega-style Bar Tini two doors up.

Few venues manage to glide between breakfast, business lunch and romantic dinner as effortlessly and convincingly as this laneway original. In the morning, the elegant light-filled space makes a fine perch for catching up on the day’s news with a flat white and a breakfast set (boiled egg, sourdough, preserves, yoghurt and juice). Come nightfall, Andrew McConnell’s produce-driven menu switches gear to inspired, share-friendly dining. Start with a glass of Tasmanian fizz and some native oysters then move on to the tuna tartare with crushed peas – just be sure to factor in the signature slow-roasted lamb shoulder. The service is smart, the wine list diverse and the buzz undeniable. Nightcap? Take the stairs to sibling bar Cumulus Up, one floor above.