Melbourne Patron

My housemate and I have an ongoing list of places we want to try. One she has been mentioning for a while, Backstreet Eating (152 Kerr Street, Fitzroy), seemed appropriate for a weekend brunch we'd locked in. On the corner of Napier and Kerr, Backstreet Eating is just one block from Brunswick Street and aptly describes itself as "a modern neighbourhood bistro". Open seven days a week for three meals a day, this place seems to offer it all, and there is not much on the menu that doesn't appeal. We seriously considered a Bloody Mary, Mimosa or Bellini with brunch, but my housemate has just started Febfast, and I'm enough of a lush as it is. Items from the lunch (house-made gnocchi with goat ragu, anyone?) and cheese sections also greatly appealed, but we eventually settled on salmon gravlax for me, and avocado on toast for her, both with scrambled eggs. The food was delivered relatively quickly considering the place was full, and was faultlessly present...

I can do nothing but rave about Proud Mary (172 Oxford Street, Collingwood). I visited the renowned coffee-makers and cafe for the first time in August last year, when my sister was in town. I'd heard rumours that it was so popular, it was likely we'd have to wait for a table, so we tried our luck on a Friday morning instead of the weekend and managed to get a decent table fairly quickly. I remember being impressed by the single origin coffees on offer, and eating a delicious mushroom and polenta dish. I think my sister had some kind of pancakes or sweet dish that came with a bitter citrus sauce. (The menu has changed since then.) At that point, I wasn't blogging... so here is my belated enthusiastic amateur review! I've been back for coffee once or twice, but this was my second time for brunch. A friend and I had decided to arrive early to beat the Saturday morning crowds. (Proud Mary is conveniently/annoyingly located a stone's throw from Smith Street, on...

Walking past the Boatbuilder's Yard  (23 South Wharf Promenade) in the past, I'd always been attracted by the chilled-but-buzzy vibe, timber overload (warm and inviting, don't you think?) and proximity to water (yep, that water thing again). A date gave me the opportunity to try it out on a school night, and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the night before, I hadn't slept a wink. Not only was this detrimental to my general social performance, but it also meant I wasn't in a great frame of mind to make blog-style judgements on the bar/pub venue. However, I will do my best in retrospect. Lots of timber I ordered the house bubbles, served up by friendly and relaxed-looking barmen. We sat outside - because that's what you do at a waterside venue - but it was an overcast day and the wind was whipping the awnings around beside us. This didn't detract a lot from the feeling of open-air-water-proximity I love, but after a while it was a bit fray...

My parents wanted to show me a place they knew I'd like. The first time we tried (might have been Christmas Eve?), Forbes & Burton  (252 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst) was closed. The second time was a few days after Christmas - and they were right. It's modern and a bit swanky, but also relaxed. Think designer wooden tables, clean glass surfaces and natural light. I'd feel out of place in jeans but it would be a great cafe to meet your girlfriends for a fancy brunch.  We only stayed for coffee, but saw the food from a distance and it looked gooood. This was also the only decent 'large' coffee I'd had in Sydney this time round.  That evening, I was treated to #2 "you'll like this place" by Mum and Dad: Cafe Sopra  (81 Macleay Street, Potts Point), part of the Fratelli Fresh company. It's a grocer/deli and restaurant all in one, so you eat surrounded by the tall shelves of lovely fresh produce. The staff are excellent (...