The Eastern Bloc

A Minor Place

A Minor Place is the sort of cafe you see as you go by and think "I must try that"; partly because there always seems to be loads of customers outside, on the tables in the street or at the deck round the side, partly because it's essentially an old house turned into a cafe, and partly because it's clearly named after the Bonnie Prince Billy song, which may speak of a certain aesthetic (not quite what's now contemptuously termed "hipster"). Its location in Albion Street, between Sydney Road and Lygon Street, pretty much guarantees it's always busy; inside and out, it's full of nice little touches such as the fresh flowers, potted plants and mini-pictures. The staff were friendly and thankfully not at all cooler-than-though, which I confess I'd expected; when the smallest member of our party ran around boisterously, they offered him a fine selection of jungle animals to settle him down, including a warthog and hippo (hiding in plain sight in one of the pictures below). After perching inside for a little bit, the sun began to show and we went out to the side where there's an unexpected amount of space, long tables, green crates and wooden planters. The coffee was excellent - so good we ordered twice - and my breakfast of pancakes with strawberry yogurt can only be described as sensational. The pancakes were moist and airy and the yogurt had been whipped with strawberries into a mousse-like texture which perfectly complemented the juicy, tender berries strewn across the plate. D's bubble and squeak, served with a potato rosti and egg on top, was also pretty tasty although (unusually for him) he felt there was too much chorizo. The littlest one ate heartily of my pancakes and then devoured a delicious, fresh chocolate muffin. Minor may be the name, but the food was anything but minor and it's now top of the list for a return visit.

Wild Timor Coffee

Wild Timor Coffee is very near the Post Office Hotel on Sydney Road and is a welcome addition to the area, judging by how busy it was on a cold Monday morning. It was established by four ex-soldiers who, while participating in a peace-keeping mission in East Timor, discovered that the coffee grown by the locals was being traded unfairly by middlemen who were taking a huge cut of the profits. Without having any cafe or coffee experience at all, they set up Wild Timor Coffee Co. to bring the coffee to Australia and ensure the farmers received a fair and equitable price for their product. The small-ish interior is nicely decorated with stripped-back brick and wooden shelves, giving it a cozy and welcoming feel, and staff are friendly. The coffee was excellent. I had muesli, which came in a jar with flavoursome thinly sliced strawberries, yogurt and an interestingly textured mix of seeds and grains drizzled with honey. D had the halloumi burger which packed a spicy punch and thankfully was not served in the ubiquitous soggy brioche roll; and our smallest diner had a tasty-looking cheese, ham and tomato toastie which he comprehensively deconstructed to extract the melted cheese and ham. To finish up, we eschewed the collection of excellent looking cakes for a delicious Portuguese egg tart each, which sadly did not last long enough at our table to be photographed, and came away with a bag of Wild Timor coffee beans to try at home. It's a delight to have cafes like this within walking distance and we will definitely be returning.