Cafe Bü was an accidental gift to Carlton North. Mother-and-son owners Amanda and Nick Büsst stumbled across the run-down milk bar while searching for a new home in 2014. They realised it made sense to turn part of it into a business rather than a fully fledged home.

Bü was originally planned as a small (just 2.5 metre wide) cafe with emphasis on its takeaway window. It quickly proved it could do more. An upstairs rooftop with synthetic grass and a wall-display of succulents is a tucked-away space to enjoy the sun and watch bikes zipping by below.

In late 2016, the cafe took over the corner shopfront 20 metres away, welcoming a whole new crowd outside, full of people on their way to work or university. Alongside specialty coffee from 5 Senses, the menu has extended and includes 5 & Dime bagels, seasonally changing salads, a few egg dishes, toasties and Cobb Lane sweet treats.

The fit-out is simple – plywood tables and benches, grey and white paint, penny-tiled counters and a pop of bright colour on the doors.