To the manor Melbourne
They call it the Paris end of Collins Street - where the boulevards are wide, the boutiques pricey and the cafes all have more than a faint wafting of that ‘you-could-be-in-Europe’ vibe. Take The European, a local institution snuggled between the Princess Theatre and the elegant Windsor Hotel (top-spot for an afternoon tea) on chichi Spring Street. On a sunny Southern Hemisphere December morning our server was grumpy, the brunch was pricey and the teeny tiny outdoor tables and chairs barely able to cope with a couple of coffee cups, let alone two big brekky plates. Not so different, we mused, to Sunday mornings at Café du Trocadero. Who could fail to applaud such authenticity? Certainly the coffee, rich and creamy, is some of the best in the city. So, too, the eggs Benedict, doused in a creamy yellow Hollandaise. But perhaps best of all is the legendary lemon tart, best enjoyed at 3am with a tumbler of whisky and cigar in the Supper Club, located upstairs.
161 Spring St
Melbourne
Tel: + 61 (0)3 9654 0811