Cafe Piccolina

Cafe Piccolina is a neighbourhood cafe serving up nostalgic brunches, baked goods and coffee, just a short walk from Royal Park. To find it, look for the ghost sign for John Bull Oats (by the company that became Uncle Toby’s) painted across one wall of the 19th-century building.

Head inside and you’ll find a menu featuring a smattering of cafe classics: skillet-baked eggs with sourdough; comforting apple spiced porridge; mushroom and taleggio toasties; and creamy poached chicken sandwiches peppered with capers, cornichons and herbs.

The sweets counter is a little more nostalgic, lined with platters of baked goods from banana bread to vegan lamingtons to date scones. Coffee comes courtesy of Kensington’s Rumble Coffee Roasters.

Cafe Piccolina is the first solo venture for owner Alex Wright, who was a bartender at neighbouring pub Naughtons before taking the reins here – at the suggestion of her boss. While the Naughtons Hotel owners are also involved in Cafe Piccolina, Wright is the brains behind (and the face of) the operation, along with her dog, who inspired the cafe’s logo.