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Nice little cafe with good coffees and foccacias. Good place for a workday lunch or morning coffee run.

Not so bad when you first walk in, but the food tastes like it was fried in month old rancid lard. Felt ill half an hour afterwards. Coffee is okay, but nothing fantastic. The cafe itself is fine, though commercial blabber radio played in seating area is a bit annoying.

With its comfy lounge seating and spacious interior, Shine is the perfect place to go for a coffee or an off-site work meeting. Think Starbucks, but with style and coffee you’ll actually enjoy.

The coffee is fantastic here, and there’s a great selection of delicious, fresh cakes (recommend the sticky date!). Shine is also great for a breakfast before work, with good cooked breakfasts at reasonable prices.

After hours, Shine transforms into a bar catering to a local crowd.

5 and 2 is a fantastic Korean restaurant in the heart of The Glen. The decor is a cut above the average restaurant layout, and looks as if the place was once a swank bar and the new owners never bothered to change it. Asian pop music and video clips on a high definition television, numerous chandeliers and a floral pattern on the ceiling round out the unique look.

The Korean Hot Pots are amazing and definitely the central draw of this place, probably why they’re on the first page of the menu. Choose between beef, chicken, pork and seafood (spicy) and make sure you get it with egg. Hot Pot always comes with some Kim Chi (spicy cabbage) which is a delicious accompanyment.

Mains begin around $15, and you can BYO.

One of Melbourne’s little hidden gems, Roule Galette is a tiny establishment on Scott Alley (just off Flinders Lane) specialising in galettes, a type of crepe from Brittany in the north of France.

For a hunger buster, the Complete with egg, ham, cheese and butter is unbeatable (great for breakfast too), while for a lighter lunch the Ocean with salmon is terrific.

Follow it up with a chocolate, almond flake and ice cream filled Anne-So crepe for dessert and it’s a perfect meal!

Good coffees and take away available too. Highly recommended!

Great little noodle bar in the middle of Mitcham. The Hot Pot and Char Kwai Teow are awesome. Fast, friendly and cheap (most items around $10). Perfect for a working lunch. Eat in or take away.

Cookie is another one of those Melbourne institutions that only those who live here seem to know about.

From the non-descript entry on Swanston Street which almost defies you to find the place, you go up some equally anonymous stairs and through a small doorway before emerging into the unique interior of Cookie.

Once inside, you’ll be greeted by a well stocked bar with a dark wooden façade that looks like it was stolen from some Swiss chalet and airlifted directly here in one peice, while in the dining area kitschy table cloths, surreal wall murals and other eye candy await to surprise the first time visitor.

The food is billed as “Asian homestyle cooking”, and the menu is peppered with exotic dishes you won’t find on any other Asian menu in town. Of course, the food is absolutely fantastic, and eating here is an absolutely adventure as well as a gastronomic delight.

Somehow the incongruous mix of decor and Asian food blend well, and combined with the great selection of imported beers, friendly wait staff and bustling city crowd, a visit to Cookie is an experience, not just a meal.

Booking recommended, especially Friday and Saturday, and be warned, Cookie gets quite noisy.

Alfio’s is a great place to hang out for a coffee and they do awesome breakfasts - perfect for that Saturday or Sunday reviver.

Pizza, pasta, chicken, burgers and ribs. Delivers locally. The ribs are actually pretty good.

This unassuming little restaurant and take away serves amazing Indian cuisine, at a budget price, and they deliver! You can’t go wrong eating here. Most mains $10 to $12.