Eat. @ Lemon, Middle & Orange

25-31 Rokeby Street, Collingwood 3066 ph (03) 9415 1593

Lemon, Middle and Orange is one of my favourite places for brunching.  Never mind that I still can't seem to say their name in the correct order.....(LMAO!).

The cafe is clean, modern yet comfortable, and the staff are always friendly.  We've not had to wait for long for a table fortunately but it can be quite busy on the weekends.

The first time I visited with Hubby, I had just disappointingly missed out on picking up goodies at the Flour Market.  Good opportunity to try a new brunch place though, and their mocha ($4) is wonderful and has the requisite art that we Melbournians must have with our coffees. 

I had the Waffles with caramelized banana puree, Jock's vanilla ice-cream, crispy bacon and banana chips ($15.5).  Whilst some of my friends still find this combo strange, Melbourne cafes have really embraced the bacon + sweet pairing and for one am a big fan.  The banana chips here gives the dish an interesting crunch.

Hubby had The Croquettes of the Day ($16), which changes regularly (I think the one here is corn and coriander).  These are the big lumpy fritters rather than the crispy flat "fritter" ones but are still quite nice with the lovely poached eggs.

I have since been back lots of times with Bubs, as it's on our way to the CBD.  The mochas are always consistently nice.

I've realised I always study their menu intently and have ended up ordering the same dish each time!  Bubs loves his eggies, and the House hot smoked plum cured salmon, served with potato latkes, poached eggs, fennel, horse radish and creme fraiche ($17.5) is a perfect dish for us to share.  The salmon has a very nice smokey flavour, the latkes are a crunchy hit with Bubs, and the fennel adds a fresh and healthy balance to the dish.

There are some nice little cakes, pastries and sweeties in the front display cabinet which I've often picked up on the way out for the kids' Friday after school treats.

On nice days you can sit outside and is a great place for local pet owners and pram pushers to catch up.

And of course the big bonus for me is the Lululemon outlet over in the nearby Rupert Street, perfect for the post brunch retail therapy - buying sports clothing is also healthy for you, right?