BRUNCH WITH STYLE IN MELBOURNE

" I have never refused to try different types of food. In Melbourne, a multicultural city I have no trouble finding food to make my stomach always full. "

Australia is the home to some of the most inspirational cafes and restaurants. Melbourne, the second largest city of Australia, is home to diverse cuisines due to immigrants from all over the world. From the roadside meals to fine dining and without doubt, cafe-hopping was in my itinerary. 

I have made several lists of Melbourne’s hits places for brunch with my-own criteria, such as the best places to eat in Melbourne right now, nice place for taking picture, and the food should be delicious and photogenic. 

HARDWARE SOCIETE
123 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 9621 2100

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 07:30 - 15:00,  Saturday & Sunday 08:00 - 15:00

Located on Hardware Lane, the interior is clean and bright and the space is small, but there are several tables out the front overlooking the lane to help with indoor overflow.

We took about 20 minutes to half an hour to get some seats. 

I read some articles that people do come for their Baked Eggs and so do we. We ordered DEUX. Chorizo sausage, potato, piquillo, peppers, quezo mahon, toasted almond and aioli. The ingredients just blend perfectly together, the contrast of soft potatoes and toasted almonds were fight in my mouth. Perfectly paired ingredients with the crusty bread. Highly recommend the baked eggs.

Chorizo Baked Eggs

The seasonal Fried Brioche. The brioche was just so fluffy and the varying ingredients of rosemary and honey panna cotta, poached nectarine, fresh raspberries, pistachio praline and honey syrup. 

Fried Brioche

I was surprisingly with their signature hot mocha with 54% dark callebaut.

Hot Mocha

I absolutely fell in love! Great atmosphere and super friendly staff. 

HIGHER GROUND
650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 8899 6219
Opening Hours: Monday - Wednesday 07:00 - 16:00, Thursday - Friday 07:00 - 22:00,  Saturday 08:00 - 22:00 & Sunday 08:00 - 16:00

“Not quite a café, not quite a restaurant”. 

Once you enter Higher Ground, literally another level of café. When I walked in, there was literally a “woooow” moment. Open space industrial chic interior, high ceiling, exposed brickwall, abundant planting, natural sunlight, and a semi-open kitchen sits behind. Upstairs is where you want to be if you want to be more cosy, and people-watch below.

Minced Lamb Fry Up, sourdough with miso eggplant, fried eggs, barberries, smoked yoghurt and pine nut dukkah. I love the taste of spices it reminded me of Mediterranean food, but the spices was not too strong.

Minced Lamb Fry Up

The Hotcake with Ricotta, Blueberries, Pure Maple, Double Cream & Seeds, rumoured to possibly be the best ricotta hotcake. It was so pretty I felt happy eating it. The texture of the hotcake was fluffy like a soft cake. Sprinkled with seeds and grains for the crunch, drenched with the right amount of maple syrup and could also find blueberries infused within.

Hotcake

HOPETOUN TEA ROOMS
282 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 9650 2777 
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 08:00 - 17:00 & Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

There’s a line of people waiting to get a seat, and yet another group of people taking photos of its famous display window ( including us ), which is showing a mouth-watering selection of cakes, slices and macarons. 

Located in Melbourne’s famous Block Arcade, the Hopetoun Tea Rooms is steeped in history. The Hopetoun Tea Rooms is one of the greatest treasures of the Block Arcade. Created by the Victorian Ladies Work Association, it was named after the Association's founder (and wife of Victoria's first governor),  Lady Hopetoun. Today, the tea rooms are run in much the same way you would expect Lady Hopetoun enjoyed back in the late 1800s, with a cosy, refined atmosphere, beautiful tea ware, great service and an impressive array of food.

With its refined atmosphere, the Hopetoun is the perfect location for enjoying the Victorian-era tradition of high tea (bookings essential).

The impressive cakes display

And we leaved our stomach for those freshly baked old- fashioned scones, and crepes with cream and strawberries.

Crepes with cream and strawberries

KRIMPER CAFE
20 Guildford Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 9043 8844
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 07:30 - 17:00,  Saturday & Sunday 08:30 - 16:00

Really love this place. It’s hidden away in one of Melbourne's oldest laneways. Their signboard on above the door is kinda small but surprisingly huge inside. 

I ordered Prawn Benedict, it’s sourdough toast with poached eggs, prawn salsa, apple cider  hollandaise. When my food arrives, the presentation is just as lovely as the descriptions and the portion was huge. 

Prawn Bennedict

MANCHESTER PRESS
8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 9600 4054
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 07:00 - 17:00,  Saturday & Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

All I knew about this place was that it was famous for making everything into a bagel. 

The menu features an assortment of closed and open bagel dishes. I ordered Bocconcini, its open bagel with salami, bocconcini, pesto and roquette. 

Bocconcini

I was quite happy with my Manchester Press experience, I do like their idea of a cafe dedicated to bagels.

RUSTICA
Level 2/300 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia
Ph: +61 3 9663 1545

Opening Hours: Monday - Wednesday 08:00 - 17:30, Thursday - Friday 08:00 - 18:00,  Saturday 09:00 - 17:30 & Sunday 10:00 - 17:30 

Rustica is the destination for every food-loving Melbournian. We visited Rustica in Melbourne Central. We confused with the menu because all sounds delicious. 

We ordered Avocado Toast, it’s smashed avocado, miso tahini, whipped meredith feta, black sesame + wasabi pea togarashi, nori + micro green salad. I love their idea to add wasabi.

Avocado Toast

THE KETTLE BLACK

50 Albert Road, Melbourne VIC 3000 - Australia

Ph: +61 3 9088 0721

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 07:00 - 16:00,  Saturday & Sunday 08:00 - 16:00

The Kettle Black – ahhh... I have to visit this beautiful place even though I have seen Instagram pictures.

Heritage building

We ordered Chili Scrambled Eggs with Mooloolaba crab. The scrambled eggs were not exactly spicy. I like the creaminess of the eggs, it was the best part.

Chili Scrambled Eggs

READ: 

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GOLD COAST FOOD PARADISE

BETTY’S BURGER

Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre, 12-14/3240 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia

Phone: +61 7 5538 6565

Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 10:30 - 21:30, Friday & Saturday 10:00 - 22:00, Sunday 10:00 - 21:30

Inspired from classic 1950’s Australian burger shack, Betty’s Burger is dedicated to serving the freshest, juiciest and most mouth-watering burgers around. Each burger is made fresh to order following Betty’s special recipes. 

I went in for the Betty’s Deluxe, Burger with Angus beef, bacon, cheese and Betty’s special sauce. 

Betty’s Deluxe

MAX BRENNER CHOCOLATE BAR

G1/3240 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia

Phone: +61 7 5507 7788

Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday & Sunday 09:00 - 22:30, Friday & Saturday 09:00 - 23:30

Max Brenner is creating a new chocolate culture worldwide. Thick Italian hot chocolate in the hug mug is a must for chocolate lovers. We ordered Sharing Platter, consisting of dip fresh fruits in pure melted chocolate, strawberry & cream crepe and Max Brenner’s signature chocolate shouffle with vanilla ice cream. Yes... Sharing is caring. 

Sharing Platter

CHARIS SEAFOOD
371 Marine Parade, Labrador QLD 4215, Australia

Phone: +61 7 5527 1100

Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 07:00 - 19:00

Charis Seafood offers the best variety and quality seafood available on the Gold Coast. Avariety of fresh and cooked fish, prawns, lobster, oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus, crab and much more. We ordered Family Feast - tasty seafood in crispy batter made with the freshest seafood.

Family Feast

The staff at Charis Seafoods feeds the pelicans on the Broadwater daily at 1:30 pm, where close to a hundred pelicans gather for their special feed of fish. So sit back, enjoy your seafood and the entertainment.

Pelican feeding

HARD ROCK CAFE SURFER PARADISE

Cnr Cavill Ave &, Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia

Phone: +61 7 5539 9377

Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday Noon - 21:00

Baby Back Ribs

GRILL’D HEALTHY BURGER 
Shop SP019, 20 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia
Phone: +61 7 5527 5359
Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday & Sunday 10:30 - 22:00, Friday & Saturday 10:30 - midnight

At Grill'd, they have tasty, yummy, mouth watering burgers, They use only the high quality ingredients, fresh daily and low in fat.

Open kitchen

KOREANA BBQ RESTAURANT

12 Elkhorn Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia

Phone: +61 7 5504 5627

Opening Hours: 11:30 - 15:00 & 17:00 - 21:00 ( closed on Tuesday )

Kimchi Jjiggae

READ: 

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LUNE CROISSANTERIE: NOT JUST ANY ORDINARY CROISSANT

LUNE CROISSANTERIE

119 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Mon, Thur-Fri: 7:30am-3pm, Sat-Sun: 8:00am-3pm

Shop 16/161 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Mon-Fri 7am-3pm (or until sold out).

Almond Croissant

On this trip to Melbourne, I made it my mission to get my hands on some of Kate Reid’s croissants at Lune Croissanterie.

It's 7.30 on a Summer's morning in Melbourne CBD and there's a long line of people queueing around Lune Croissanterie Collins St and they're here for pastry. Not sure what to order? You can always look at the row of display-only pastry in front of the cashier, or allow the experienced wait staff to explain the different pastry croissants and flavours to you. I decided to order for take away: traditional Croissant, Almond Croissant, Kouign Amann and Lemon Curd Cruffin. 

Firstly, I tried the Kouign Amann, which is like a caramelised croissant but not overly caramelized. There is a distinct crunch as you bite into the layers of laminated dough, sticky from the caramel, not too sweet, and has a crispy exture. 

Kouign Amann

The Croissant was royally puffed up, crispy on the outside, light and buttery on the inside. At Lune, each croissant is much more than the sum of its ingredients. It is a precise balance of science and craft; the result of experimentation, refinement, and physical hard work. 

Croissant, ready to bake

A cruffin is simply a hybrid of a croissant and muffin. The pastry is made by proving and baking laminated dough in a muffin mould. The first known Cruffin to be created was by Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie - Melbourne in 2013. ( source: Wikipedia ).

At Lune, the croissant-muffin hybrid has been highly experimented with. I tried the Lemon Curd Cruffin, that is made with house made lemon curd, citrus sugar and candied lemon zest. Compared to the croissant, the cruffin is more layered. 

Lemon Curd Cruffin

READ: 

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DAY TRIP TO PHILLIPS ISLAND

Kangaroos feeding

My cousin would like to introduce Australian animals to her children, so we made a plan to visit Phillips Island day trip from Melbourne.

Read: PHILLIPS ISLAND

WAROOK HOMESTEAD
4170 South Gippsland Highway, Monomeith 3984
Phone: +61 3 5997 1321
Opening Hours: 7 days 10:00 - 16:00 

The first stop was Warook Homestead for an Aussie farm experience. Warrook is a living history, a full working farm over 100 years old. We also feed kangaroos and view Australian and other wildlife like koalas, wombats, cows, etc. Don't forget to buy Australian beef pie or chicken mushroom pie in the cafe, the taste was really good.  

Attractive Wombat

SAN REMO FISHING VILLAGE

Before entering Phillips Island we have to pass through the San Remo Fishing Village. San Remo, an old fishing village that is a popular tourist destination today. The quaint town is filled with fish-focused eateries and the chance to dig deep into the fascinating history of the fishing trade and the surrounding island. There is plenty to keep you busy while visiting this charming part of the island, whether you want to explore the lengthy history, try some of the delicious food, or simply sit and soak up the local atmosphere. But unfortunately it rained, so we just passed it.

San Remo Fishing Village

Luckily suddenly the weather was sunny.  It was time for dinner.  We have dinner at NORTH PIER BAR AND RESTO.  We ordered Pizza  Margarita also Fish and Chips. The kids said  it was the best pizza. The beach- view in the front of the restaurant was so great.

Pizza Margarita

Beach view

KOALA CONSERVATION CENTRE
1790 Phillip Island Road, Cowes 3922
Phone: +61 3 5951 2800 
Opening Time


After finished our dinner, we made a stop to the Koala Conservation Centre to see Australian's most iconic animal: Koalas. The place was so big and interesting. The Koala Conservation Centre gives visitors the chance to marvel at cute koalas in their natural habitat. Unlike a zoo, the koalas here live in the wild, making their homes in lush eucalypt woodland, the koalas are free to roam around as they would in the wild. There are a number of interwoven treetop boardwalks so we can get up close and personal without interfering with the koala’s space. We were lucky to see baby koalas, we watch as they learn to climb, find food, and get to know each other. 

Australian's most iconic animal: Koala

THE NOBBIES

1320 Ventnor Road, Summerlands, Victoria, 3922

Phone: +61 3 5951 2800

The Nobbies Centre is an ecotourism destination located at Point Grant, on the western tip of Phillips Island, Victoria, Australia. Once known as the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre.  The Nobbies is well known for the magnificent views of Seal Rocks where you can see Australia’s largest colony of fur seals.

Managed by the Phillips Island Nature Park, and features educational displays, a cafe, a children's play area with many interactive displays, and a gift shop. 

Too bad when it was very bad weather,  cloudy and foggy so everything looks dark. We strolled along the boardwalks around The Nobbies, absorbing coastal views at lookout points. 

View from the top

SUMMERLAND BEACH PENGUINS PARADE

Our main trip is the Penguins Parade at Summerland Beach. Summerland Bay Beach is one of the best places to go on the island. Summerland Beach turns into a penguin haven at night-time.

Every evening, the colony of little penguins that call Summerland Beach home make their way up the shore from the water to settle in for the night. The little penguins that arrive on the shores of Phillip Island every night during the season are the smallest of the penguin’s species and are therefore sometimes referred to as ‘Fairy Penguins.’ Standing at just 33 centimetres tall and just 1 kilogram, these penguins have a notable difference to other species of penguins by their feather colours. 

We ordered tickets to see the penguin parade in underground viewing which was only limited to 70 people. They’re a lot of fun to watch. 

In the visitor’s centre, which boasts displays about the habitat and behaviour of the penguins, as well as the history of the parade and why it is so important to Phillip Island. 

Fairy Penguin inside the man-made house

READ: 

AISALICIOUS TRAVEL IN AUSTRALIA

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