Brunch at Squisito Bar in QV

Sometimes when we go out to eat, we don’t have a plan for where to go so we just walk around aimlessly. Squisito Bar is one of those places that you’re likely to come across when you’re wandering around the city, because of its convenient location in the QV precinct. Despite being called a “bar” it’s actually only open ’til late on Saturdays; on weekdays it’s a brunch cafe, with the breakfast/brunch menu available from 7am-2:30pm and the lunch menu from 11am-2:30pm.

The service we received at Squisito was mixed; the waitress who served us wasn’t warm/friendly, but she was polite. In contrast the woman who helped us at the cash register was very friendly. The menu had many dishes to choose from including some pretty tasty sounding lunch options, but we ended up ordering from the brunch menu because we are brunch addicts.

‘Big V’ fresh juice – orange, apple, pineapple and carrot ($6.5)

Seven Seeds – Brunch near Unimelb

With limited time to grab brunch before class, we found ourselves visiting Seven Seeds Specialty Coffee near Unimelb. When we arrived just after noon the place was packed, so we had to wait about 10 minutes or so for a table. Not a problem, we just grabbed a menu and started deciding what to order! It always takes us ages to order, no matter where we go, because we see all the options on the menu and think… “I want to eat ALL the things!” First world problems.

Chai latte ($4) and Mörk hot chocolate served with a piece of Whittaker’s chocolate ($4.50)

Obviously it makes sense to go to “Seven Seeds Specialty Coffee” and order a coffee, but you’ve probably noticed we’re not big coffee drinkers by the large amount of chai lattes and hot chocolates we drink.

Brunch at Operator25

Operator25 is just a couple of blocks away from Melbourne Central, in a quiet street off La Trobe Street. They serve mostly brunch food, as well as a few lunch items which cost more. We stuck to the brunch menu but a few people near us ordered the pulled pork burger, and it looked tasty enough that it might be worth the $20 price.

Operator25 has been open for about a year and a half so it’s a relatively new café. The decor is modern and the service is quite friendly.

More of North Melbourne: Brunch at Twenty & Six Espresso, then cake at Beatrix

Twenty & Six Espresso

We visited this cafe in North Melbourne on Tuesday around lunch time. It seemed quiet because we had the front seating area all to ourselves, but this was because most of the customers had chosen to sit at the back. Twenty & Six’s menu is updated seasonally, and we were presented with the new Spring menu.

Smoothie special with banana, passionfruit and more ($7)

Ani: This was a fresh tasting smoothie; it was not overly sweet and had a smooth texture

Stovetop (part 2: poached eggs) and gelato at Helados Jauja

Stovetop 

After our visit to Stovetop last week we couldn’t wait to come back to try more things on their menu. This time we ordered three different poached egg dishes: the sweet potato & amaranth hash, the wild mushroom ragout and the citrus cured salmon. Overall, the food wasn’t quite as tasty as what we ordered last week… but it was still made with quality ingredients and was beautifully presented on the plate.

Cappuccino ($3.70)

Hot chocolate ($4)

We ordered a chai latte again like last week, as well as a cappuccino and a hot chocolate.