Green Refectory
On Sydney Road
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Sydney Road is one of the many perfect places in Melbourne to take a stroll and drink some of the best coffee you'll find. During the week, it's bustling with indie university design students on their lunch break from RMIT, shopping at second hand op shops and buying cheap fabric to create their fashion and textile design projects. I know this because I was once one of them, but enough about me!
Stretching 24km, Sydney Road is home to some of the best shops and restaurants in town, with a rich lebonese culture fused with classic Melbourne styled foodie spots and vibing bars and coffee shops. My number 1 go to being the quirky little cafe that's nicknamed "Green".
From the outside, a tiny little shop window that you barely notice walking by, but as soon as you walk in, you're bombarded with an overwhelming variety of cakes and pastries that smack you in the face and leave you with sensation overload. Be prepared.
With all day breakfast, hearty lunches, light snacks, salads, muffins, pies and quiches in the window, and even a range of sushi, there is literally something for everyone. Don't even get me started on the size of the cakes.
A little community of Brunswick locals sit outside in the long stretched courtyard and catch up with their friends or work on their laptops whilst enjoying, well, anything you could think of. Also, who's not a sucker for hanging plants everywhere??
Inside, there are a couple different rooms to explore, being that it's actually the bottom of the owner's house, who lives above this hustle and bustle all day every day and night (they shut around 9pm). With mismatched furniture and rustic statement pieces, Green is truly unique.
The food is all completely homemade and so generously portioned for the price of peanuts. How they do it is beyond me. The bill would be at least half of what you'd pay at any surrounding trendy cafes, which just makes it that much more enjoyable. They also do delicious freshly squeezed juices from the ingredients of your choice, at $5 AUD for a big glass. (To put it into context you'd usually pay around $8-$9 for a fresh juice anywhere else and it would be half the size).
Breakfast Stack - $12.00 AUD
Did I mention the food is also DELICIOUS??
Eggs Benedict - $10.00 AUD
For more things to do in Melbourne, see my guide "The most beautiful spots of Victoria". Thanks for the read!