Short Round

This Thornbury cafe is nothing if not a local product. Built in 1880, the former butcher's shop and pet store underwent an extensive refit as Libby and Clare Cairns transformed it into everything that they loved about the city's north. The modernised space still retains much of the building's original character - the newer plywood and tile overlay seems to emphasise the traditional aspects of the location.

The commitment to keeping Short Round local extends further - stools and benches were made by Northcote's Pop & Scott collective, and vintage chairs come via High Street retro store, Model 143.

The insistence on buying Victorian pushes through to the menu as well. The dishes - prepared by chefs Kate Pratt and Jo Baring - are strictly seasonal. One particularly local dish is the Labourer's Lunch, a modified ploughman's plate using ham and kransky from Velimirovic, a continental butcher that has operated in the area for 63 years.