Lights in the Attic

You won’t have to climb flights of stairs to arrive at this attic, which is located at the base of a large residential building. Due to its low exposed ceilings, operator Kevin Li was reminded of an attic the first time he saw the space. He knew he needed to add lights to brighten up the interior, hence the name. Still, it’s far from gloomy, with a large windowed facade that brings significant light into the Architects Eat-designed space.

Li has come a long way from his days working in IT. He’s helped establish a number of Melbourne cafes and owns The Crux & Co. and associated patisserie.

On a white Synesso Hydra, his baristas serve a blend by 5 Senses. Cold drip and iced coffees are also available alongside a range of premium teas and cold-pressed juices. Single-serve filter coffees are prepared using the Marco SP9, an automated pour-over machine that's more consistent than any human.

On the menu, there’s a huge section of stand-alone ingredients, each individually priced. These go well beyond the usual extras – there’s kransky sausage, five sauces and eight toast spreads.

Of the assembled dishes, the undisputed highlight is the Bird Nest, where a basket of woven French fries protects oozing Scotch eggs and usually, some sort of bean cassoulet. The Banoffee Waffle Bowl with banoffee cream, vanilla ice-cream, milo soil and jaffa ice-cream is a guaranteed hit with those who enjoy dessert for breakfast.