i didn't have the idea to do this until i got home so im missing a bunch of photos - i'll add some from elsewhere where necessary and add links to their sources. i'm also sticking the bill of items and price where i have them, and an approximate where i don't

bowery to williamsburg

this is a little new york themed cafe down a side street in the south east corner of the cbd. sitting outside is quiet and nice, i had a little work to do and this was a great place to do it. the drinks were all fine, a bit lackluster for melbourne, but the bagel was very enjoyable

1x small long black
1x small hot chocolate
1x lox bagel
- $28.91 aud

state library

i spent a bunch of time in the dome to get my laptops charged up and do some more work. power points are plentiful and the location is super cool. the chairs in the dome are a bit uncomfortable and the space somehow amplifies every sneeze or cough.

1x 72 watt hour charge
- $0.00 aud

bench

theres a distinction between a brunch place and a coffee shop and this is definitely the latter. the place is quite small, theres only sitting space for about six people at a bench seat, and if they're full (they were always full) then you have to get a takeaway. the waitstaff gave me a sparkling water for the two minutes it took to pull the shot which is honestly incredible service. the coffee was far and away the best i had in melbourne

1x small long black
- $5.60 aud

whisky den

my hospo friend gave me this recommendation, apparently because it's a bit of a hospo haunt. i had the full intention of going upstairs for some me-time but there was a space at the bar so i chatted to the waitstaff and other patrons for a bit. one was a sommelier who picked my white wine for me (thank you so much). the vibe was super cool and the crowd was fun - i did feel like i'd sort of inserted myself into a friend catch-up but the people next to me seemed very happy to talk. the waitstaff were super knowledgeable but not that conversational past things related to liquor

1x nikka single malt (15 years i think)
1x an white wine
- $40.00 aud

shujinko elizabeth

i wanted food late at night and this was one of the few ramen spots open past 10pm. the vibe of this spot was really nice, full izakaya with quite a few patrons. i kept getting bumped by people wanting to walk past me, which i count as a positive. the ramen itself was just fine and the waitstaff didn't know what oi ocha was and i had to point to it in the menu

1x shujinko (signature) ramen
1x oi ocha canned green tea
- $24.84 aud

lune

i asked some of the whisky den patrons about the best spot for french pastry in the city and this is where they pointed me. it's got a bit of a touristy reputation, with lines regularly going out the door and up the street. the prices are frankly insane, and while the quality of the croissants is top notch, i think you're paying quite a lot for the image. still totally worth it for a one off, especially if you can get in early (they open at 7.30 and i got there at 8, the line was only three or four people long and i got more order more or less immediately)

1x ham and gruyere croissant
- $10.91 (!) aud

vacation coffee

i came here with my stupid little lune croissant bag in hand for a liquid accompaniment. the location was much more consistent with a "nice" coffee shop experience in the rest of australia. the coffee itself was fine, better than bowery to williamsburg, worse than bench. i didn't stay inside but it looks like it would be a nice spot to start your day

1x small long black
- $4.50 aud

treasury and fitzroy gardens

these were my next morning stops to get slightly out of the vehicle fumes for my breakfast. they're similar to a botanic garden but with each section separated by big stretches of lawn. not very biodiverse of you. i get the feeling this would be an amazing summer picnic spot but it is not summer and there were no picnic-ers. i did some writing on a park bench and my fingers went a little numb - i should have gone to the conservatory which was lovely and warm

1x homeless-friendly bench
- $0.00 aud

cibi

i went here with a friend and got the whole story of the place - it apparently has a sister location in japan, with each location having staff and gifts from the other country. how nifty! i had natto for the first time ever here and bought a cute plate for my housemate

1x ultimate breakfast plate
1x small long black
1x oat latte
- ~$40.00 aud (my friend paid for this)

stefanino panino

this was the second spot my friend wanted to show me so we continued our brunch into elevenses. i've been to a couple of panini places and while i love the simplicity of a really nice bit of bread with some nice cheese and mortadella, the price always smarts a little. everything tasted good though, the cannoli was potentially the best i've ever had

1x bologna panini
1x custard cannoli
2x san pelegrino chinotto
- $31.54 aud

market lane coffee (collins st)

this spot has the potential to have some incredible coffee, but the filters we got were a bit insipid and boring. the location was absolutely lovely though, the outside seating is a perfectly balanced amount of enough street traffic to be interesting, but not so much that it's annoying or distracting

2x brazilian single origin filter coffees
- $15.00 aud

11 inch pizza

i was craving italian, but didn't want to go to a full on big deal serious business restaurant, and this pizza place was nestled in a little side alley. the pizza itself was lovely with a combo of mozzarella and goats cheese, but the crust was quite crunchy which i normally don't care for (personal preference i suppose). the vibe was very nice, watching the delivery guy out the front doing a cleaning job on all of the bikes before the dinner rush started to roll in

1x "salami" pizza
1x fancy organic chinotto
- $34.00 aud

mork

this was a hot chocolate spot opposite 11 inch pizza. it seems to attract big crowds but i didn't find it particularly exceptional

1x original dark hot chocolate
- $7.10 aud