By Ella Burton-Taylor
When it comes to brunching in Melbourne, we all have our go-to places. Hopefully this list may allow you to branch (brunch) out a little…
Short Round
731 High Street, Thornbury
Vibes: Quiet and sunny.
Food: Short Round are great at putting twists on the classics (i.e. my smashed avocado came with polenta). As a result, dishes can be pretty luxe and rich.
Set-up: Open plan, wooden floorboards and exposed-brick. It used to be a house, so the entrance has a classic stained-glass window above the front-door. And yes, there is Aesop soap in the bathroom.
Location: Thornbury is the next big thing, so get on it before it makes Instagram feeds.
Cibi Minanoie
33 Peel Street, Collingwood
Vibes: Japanese, calm and homey (the word mina-no-ie translates into ‘Everyone’s Home’).
Food: Not your standard smashed avocado. Anyone who has been to Japan will appreciate their home-style Japanese breakfast and selection of green teas. They also have an impressive range of Japanese homewares to browse through.
Set-up: The café is in a warehouse with very high ceilings, white walls and indoor plants. Wooden tables are plenty.
Location: Well within the hipster zone.
Kanteen
150 Alexandra Avenue, South Yarra
Vibes: Active-wear and loud noises.
Food: Pretty stock-standard brekkie dishes, but they do have good specials.
Set-up: Kanteen is one of those kiosk-style cafés – an indoor/outdoor hybrid. It’s casual. There are also lots of children and pets running around so be warned.
Location: The location definitely trumps any aversions to active-wear. Located right along the Yarra River, it is an ideal location for a brunch stop-off whilst on a walk with a dog or human.
Tre Bicchieri
623 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
Vibes: Italian, cozy and surrounded by lots of trees.
Food: Surprisingly not that Italian. My recommendation is the zucchini fritters with chilli.
Set-up: Definitely the smallest of the cafés described. At the window there are amazing red leather arm chairs. A retro-style bar sits in the middle. Lots of Italian-inspired photographs and posters towards the back.
Location: On Rathdowne St. Ride a bike there and you will feel very cool.
Image Source: https://www.broadsheet.com.au/media/cache/db/dc/dbdc3a30dd1ec481145795f9201945e9.jpg
Purely Dicta 