Reading from the menu at these 10 cafes should have your taste buds well and truly charged. They're twisting classics, tweaking presentation and throwing in a few curious ingredients to indulge with audaciously individual dishes, perfect to welcome the springtime change. Making our top 10 is a mix of both fancifully sweet and sophisticated savoury dishes that look to serve you with something a little unexpected and refreshingly adventurous. Whether it be the delicate subtlety of a cleansing watermelon salad, an unexpected drizzle of sauce gribiche or a re-imagining of the favourable peanut butter and jelly sandwich, we’re taking a look to see which cafes are distinguishing themselves from the rest and tempting us away from those somewhat trusted and predictable classics.
Cavallero's peanut butter and jelly sandwich: homemade berry jam, crunchy peanut butter, hot French toast served with whipped citrus cream.
Ora's fried duck egg, black pudding, breakfast radish, parsley salad.
Chez Dre's corn and jalapeno pepper brioche with Mexican-style black eyed beans, guacamole, tomato salsa, pulled pork and a fried egg.
A Minor Place’s smashed avocado and grapefruit on hi-top sourdough with olive oil, sea salt, lemon and fresh herbs.
Golden Fields’ Shanghai crepe, fried eggs, spring onions, hoisin sauce and coriander.
The Premises’ smoked kippers served with bubble and squeak, lemon and herb butter and a poached egg.
Monk Bodhi Dharma’s slow roasted king oyster, shitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms on a house made pumpkin, spinach and sun dried polenta bread served with goat’s cheese, thyme and red chilli oil.
Cumulus Inc.’s water melon salad with berries, mint and fromage blanc.
Cafe Vue’s salmon pastrami, with watercress and rocket salad, sauce gribiche and a poached egg, served on a crumbed potato and fish cake.
401 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
(03) 9866 805
Red Door Corner Store’s coconut crumpets, local rooftop honey, homemade berry jam and Myrtleford butter.