Suntop Plaza

Suntop Plaza feels like a cosy cafe by the beach, not one in the heart of Melbourne’s inner north. It’s run by Melissa Murphy and Joey Kellock (also behind 1800 Lasagne).

The key offering spans sandwiches, coffees and cakes.You’ll find Murphy’s classic fruit-forward bakes like nectarine tarts, lemon brûlée cakes and sponge cakes filled with baked plums and cream. Toasted sandwiches are made with Natural Tucker rolls – “the best ciabatta around” according to Kellock – and might include poached chicken and salsa verde with radish, celery and iceberg lettuce; and ham with relish and fresh vegetables. To drink, there are coffees, matcha lattes and cold pressed juices.

Suntop Plaza is named for a cafe Murphy’s parents owned near Sunshine Beach in Noosa back in the 1990s. The Melbourne cafe’s signage uses the same sandy yellow and pale blue colours on the Noosa original’s awning.

Inside, the walls are a burnt orange, and the wooden tables are littered with vases of vibrant flowers, inspired by the Sunshine Coast. Behind the counter the walls are adorned with bossons. The detailed and realistic masks depict characters including a chef in a classic kitchen toque, men in bowler hats and dogs.