Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hardware Societe
(120 Hardware St; mains $13-20; 7.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat & Sun; 19, 57, 59)
Expect to
queue on weekends at this heaving little laneway cafe. Sit outdoors under the awnings or
in the cute interior for breakfasts of baked eggs and chorizo, homemade pastries and fried
brioche.
CAFE
$$
Gazi
GREEK
$$
( 03-9207 7444;
www.gazirestaurant.com.au
; 2 Exhibition St; shared plates from $10, mains $23;
11.30am-11pm; 48, 70, 75)
The lastest offering from George Calombaris of
MasterChef
fame, this rebadged side project to the fancier Press Club (next door) is set in a cavernous
industrial space with a menu inspired by Greek street food. Select from authentic shared
starters and gourmet mini souvlakis filled with prawn or duck to wood-fire-spit mains.
Calombaris also owns the East Brunswick eatery
Hellenic Republic
(
03-9381 1222;
www.hellenicrepublic.com.au
;
434 Lygon St, East Brunswick; mains $16-30;
noon-4pm Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun,
1, 8)
.
5.30pm-late Mon-Sun;
;
Orient East
(
www.orienteast.com.au
;
348 St Kilda Rd; mains from $17; 6.30am-9pm Mon-Fri, 7am-2pm & 5-9pm Sat & Sun;
3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72)
Convenient lunch spot for sightseeers visiting the Shrine and botanic
gardens, Orient East does British-colonial Malay cuisine in a get-up reminiscent of a for-
eign correspondent cafe circa the 1960s. It serves fantastic hawker-style food, including
spicy soft-shell crab buns and yummy laksas.
MALAYSIAN
$$
Trunk
AMERICAN, ITALIAN
$$
(The Diner; 03-9663 7994;
www.trunktown.com.au
;
275 Exhibition St; mains $18-26; 7.30am-10pm Mon-Fri,
from 8am Sat & Sun; City Circle, 24, 30)
Trunk turns into a prime city-centre office-worker wa-
tering hole on Friday nights, but don't let Bryan from the marketing department put you
off. The Italian restaurant's main building is more than a hundred years old and was once
a synagogue. Next door, Trunk's diner has a busy yet relaxed vibe serving dude food such
as hot dogs, burgers and ribs.
Meatball & Wine Bar
AMERICAN, ITALIAN
$$
