degraves expresso @ degraves lane, melbourne

I'd been promising my friend KT for over a year (if not more) that I would go visit her whilst she was studying in Melbourne. Last week, I finally managed to get a Friday off and flew with J down to Melbourne to pay a long overdue visit.

Melbourne!

First stop after checking in at the hotel was breakfast @ Degraves Lane. Came here on my last visit and ended up going back to the same cafe that I tried before - Degraves Expresso. They serve up a mighty good coffee and the food is impeccable.

Sat inside this time, right at the back. It was a little crowded (the tables are packed together and J was sitting back to back with the lady in the table behind him). I sat next to the pidgeon hole where food was coming out of the kitchen - it was mesmerising watching the number of pieces of toast which went into the grill - I can not stress how many people come here for breakfast (the stream of people was constant). Love these glass bottles with the fresh cut roses on the table.

I had the French Toast with strawberries and maple syrup. The thick cut brioche in the french toast works wonders - it had just the right amount of egginess to it (unlike when you use thin bread and it soaks up all the egg mixture and leaves the french toast soggy).

J had the Big Breakfast. You can have the eggs cooked to your liking. J thought the bacon could've been fattier. I should've taken a photo when the plate was mostly cleared because J had left most of the non-fatty bacon till last to eat.

Degraves Expresso is a cafe with character. I love the mismatched furniture, the personal touches that the owner has added to but most importantly, the food is superb and the coffee is even better. It's a tight fit if you're dining in a group but it was comfortable enough for the two of us on the Friday morning that we were there. It's arguably the busiest cafe on that laneway and there's every reason for them to be. Get a table when you can!