Considering I’ve been living in Brunswick for almost two and a half years now, and given my fondness for brekky, it seems rather strange I’m only beginning to explore my ‘hood. Perhaps the problem is there aren’t lots of cafés within walking distance to my pad, and twenty minutes doesn’t count as a walk - that’s exercise. But here we are, fairly close to home and in unexplored territory. Very excited. oh, and very annoyed that all my regular brekky partners had pissed off down the beach for the weekend.

Small Block
130 Lygon St, East Brunswick

For some time, I knew this place was the epitome of Brunswick cool. Friends had raved about just how good it was but somehow I never got round to walking in the front door. So it was with a little trepidation that I scampered through what turn out to be the side entrance for the café located in Piera St. Outside seating is compact and highly desired, so when you spot a free table you can ill afford to hesitate. Just don’t expect to seat more than three for coffee, or two for brekky. And make sure you bring your sunscreen on a sunny day - slowly my fluorescent tan will disappear.
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Summer is finally starting to rear its warming face in Melbourne, and with increasing temperatures comes an increasing desire to enjoy one’s brekky outside. Sadly, most Melbournians would agree with me, making outside seating a premium commodity. That’s one of the reasons I don’t like strips like Acland St in St Kilda - every man and his dog crowds the footpath, making it impossible to even move along the street or have some form of private conversation. Timing (not to mention location) is all too important for breakfast, hence our return to Rathdowne St for this brekky.

La Luna Bistro
320 Rathdowne St, North Carlton

The thing I love about North Carlton are the trees. I have a huge love of tree-lined streets, especially during the warmer months. Funny thing about La Luna, there really aren’t any trees around it, especially the outdoor seating area. No matter. One of my staff had been talking up the brekky here, and considering chef Adrian Richardson had been involved in the fringe happenings of the Fifteen project, I was keen to see what all the fuss was about.
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There are just some old favourites you can’t help but revisit time and again. A great product, fantastic service and a homely (whilst remaining special) atmosphere. That’s what this weekend’s breakfast was all about - seeing if my brekky yardstick still held muster. I just quickly wanted to mention the City Wine Bar that sits next door. We started with coffee at the Wine Bar because our main destination was rockin’, meaning a 30min wait for a table. While it seemed to take a good 10-15mins to get our coffees (my concern was because there was only one other table, and they had their drinks), the coffee was worth the wait. Drop by to pick up some hard-to-get European wines from what is quite a considered list.

The European
161 Spring St, Melbourne

This restaurant and I have a long history. From Friday morning hangover breakfasts (way back when I worked casual hours) through to lazy Sundays and a central meeting point for friends all over town, this place has been my favourite. That and I have always felt this establishment served up the best eggs benedict in town - I claim I have proudly shared with many tourists in search of a great breakfast. So with two extra people on top of our usual four, we descended upon what I hoped would be the quintessential brekky experience in Melbourne. Escusing some tardiness by all parties, and a seemingly short 30min wait for a table, we had the rockstar table (to match my rockstar streetside park) by the door and brekky was under way.
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