Melbourne Patron

On my walk to work each morning, I often used to pop into Fifty Acres (65 Bridge Road, Richmond). Not only was it in a prime position for a coffee pit-stop en route to my work, but the coffee was actually good. If I sound surprised, it's because I'd never had good coffee anywhere along Bridge Road prior to finding this place. Bircher muesli Bridge Road is long, but seems to be a cup-half-empty sort of place: several abandoned shop sites, some big names sticking it out with determination, a sprinkling of not-very-impressive pubs/bars, and the occasional restaurant. Recently, it has picked up a bit with the addition of restaurants like Ladyboy Thai and Mister Jennings , and my personal favourites: a Gorman store and the Mt View rooftop (not new, but worth a mention!). But a decent cafe was certainly missing from the area, and Fifty Acres has stepped up to the mark, neatly positioned near the Punt Road end of Bridge so you can fuel up before your shopping spree. Ra...

There's a lot of hype about Hammer & Tong 412 (Rear 412 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy), as there usually is about most new decent cafes, particularly ones so close to the hub of Fitzroy. In some cases, it's all hot air; in others, completely justified. In the case of Hammer & Tong, it is a mix of both. Housed in the former premises of The Brix (a short-lived bistro with a reputation for quality), Hammer & Tong's owners Dennis Ferreira and Simon Ward did little to change the fit-out, so impressed were they by its design. Their website describes the look as "light filled", "stylish" and its "own take on vintage-industrial chic". It is definitely more industrial than vintage. It's all hard surfaces and slate grey, in a long, narrow space with a cool but light and airy feel. I didn't find it particularly warm and cosy, but stylish it certainly is. I didn't witness too much in the way of "vintage" i...