Malvern cafe, Servery and Spoon, has a new smaller sibling since mid-September in My Sister Says, on the quiet strip of shops just around the corner from the main drag of Bay Street in Port Melbourne. Owner Elaine So has maintained the goal she established in Malvern by setting up a small cafe for locals and it’s a refreshing patch in an area a little low on eclectic thoughtful cafe culture.

Much of the menu and the cakes are made from scratch and the tiny room houses bar stools against a bench down one side of the room, a handful of tables and its kitchen, along the other side sits behind the counter which is carefully cluttered with cakes and sandwiches. There’s certainly an urban touch here - a striking piece of artwork is painted on the floor by artist Amy Wright and long-armed reading lamps jut out at differing angles from the white wall which is only otherwise dressed with an x-ray lamp surrounded by quirky touches - beakers juxtaposed with terracotta pots alongside jars of jams for sale.

The coffee is good and the food - generous, fresh and full of big flavours - there’s John Harbour ham with smashed avocado and tomato salsa, cauliflower fritters with carrot dip as well as a gutsy steak sandwich. This new cafe for Port Melbourne lifts the bar for the surrounding area and ensures our inner-city cafe culture is constantly evolving.