Little Cupcakes, CBD

This is the cutest and most decadent and girly cafe ever!! It's a true Melbourne treasure selling possibly the best and most delicious Belgium cupcakes. Once you tried the cupcakes here, you'll set a whole new standard for what cupcakes are suppose to be like. Yap, that's how good they are. Shop 7 Degraves St, Melbourne Vic 3000 http://www.littlecupcakes.com.au (they have another shop in Goldsbrough Lane Melbourne)

"Yum Yum Yum, these has to be the best cupcakes that I've ever tasted. They practically melt in your mouth and the frostings are to die for. They have a pretty big range of flavours to satisfy all sorts of people but that varies depending on the day you visit. Some of the flavours that I remembered are Belgium chocolate, mint, strawberry, white chocolate raspberry, mocha, cream cheese, lemon and others. This small cafe has a lovely ambience and best suited to go with your girlfriends. I wouldn't recommend the hot chocolate here as it was a pretty ordinary drink, other than that, I love it." MICHELLE


"I truly believe little wonderful shops like Little Cupcakes is what makes Melbourne great and it is perfectly situated in a very Melbourne place - in a little alley just a few stores down from Degraves. The BEST cupcakes I have ever tasted and so gorgeous to look at - they have a great range of flavours. The coffee was decent - a bit strong at first but the few sips after were not bad at all. The only bad thing about this place is they have very little seats and not very comfortable either but the decor is very girly and it is really all about the cupcakes here. Whenever I'm in the city I ALWAYS try to drop by to get some of their mini cupcakes. JUST heavenly. All thanks to my lil sister who discovered this little treasure - thanks DH!" TAM

Lindt Chocolate Cafe, CBD

There is finally a Lindt cafe in Melbourne and it is situated appropriately next to the luxurious Tiffany & Co store - what more can a girl want?! Perfect. Good news for those living near Chadstone - the Lindt store is opening in the new wing on the 19th August!! 271 Collins St, Melbourne. www.lindt.com.au (the website has not been updated with the Melbourne store as yet).

"I was jumping up and down when Tam told me that the Lindt cafe in Melbourne was opened. It didn't take us long before we made our way there and the cafe looked good when we arrived. I saw chocolates everywhere and couldn't wait to start ordering. Being the first meal of the day, I didn't want to start off with something sweet and thankfully, they had a breakfast menu and the breakfast panini sounded very appealing. That was delicious, it had ham, egg, mustard and mayo in it and the bread was lovely toasted. My dark hot chocolate was pretty good too. I really liked how they presented it, it came with a small jug of hot milk, a mini jug of dark chocolate and an empty cup. By doing this, it allowed me to control the flavour of the drink and made it to suit my taste buds. Dessert time, I shared with Tam the profiteroles and had a macaroon. The profiteroles looked great but just didn't taste as nice as I thought it would so I only ate one of them. The macaroon on the other hand was the highlight of the meal. The hazelnut flavour was deliously yummy and I could easily pop another few into my mouth. They have a wonderful selection of macaroons there and I couldn't resist and bought myself a box to take home to share with my family. Service there was a bit slow but with any new cafe, that's normal I guess. The ambience was quite nice except that it was freezing cold that day and the door kept opening bringing in the wind. I didn't feel as relaxed there, maybe it's better in the summer time. I'm glad that they're opeing up at Chadstone :)" MICHELLE

"We have been to the Sydney cafe and it was quite nice last time we went (except for the waffles which weren't that great) but we loved the Lindt Ice Chocolate drinks - ahhh memories. The new CBD store in Melbourne is very nice - high ceilings, glass walls but the ambience was a bit cold or was it the cold wintery breeze? Unfortunately for me, the experience at Lindt didnt reach my expectations but it was a pleasant enough visit. I LOVE the size of the standard latte glass here - LARGE!! But my coffee was very strong. Luckily Michelle had leftover frothed up milk in her jug which I used for my coffee which made it just right. Overall I think the CBD Lindt Chocolat Cafe is more of a summer/spring cafe for me. I can see myself escaping here with Michelle for a nice cold drink during a hot day. I would only return to Lindt Cafe for their macaroons or their cakes I think - their macaroons are just so delicious (I've had ones in Paris and these are just AS good!) - I could easily have one of every flavour. I am glad they are opening one in Chadstone as I don't think I would venture all the way out to the city but I will definitely be visiting the Chadstone store frequently for their macaroons and my coffee fix (hopefully it won't be as strong next time). Do try the macaroons and ice chocolate drinks ... SO GOOD!" TAM

Monsieur Truffe, Collingwood

Monsieur Truffe is a wonderful cosy cafe filled with rich dark treasures such as truffles, chocolates, beautiful french pastries and liquid gold. It is located towards the Gertrude St end of Smith St and there is meter parking out front. Monsieur Truffe should be listed on Melbournes top treasures to visit. 90 Smith St, Collingwood. http://monsieurtruffe.wordpress.com/


"J'adore Monsieur Truffe, I think I am in love. That is how much I love this cafe. It is a very simple cosy cafe with beautiful touches such as the Japanese design serving plates and cups. The service is TRES friendly (I have never encountered friendlier service) especially Monsieur Truffe himself (I think it was him) - a wonderful friendly gentleman. I ordered my large latte which looked so beautiful I couldn't help but smile and I loved sipping from the bowl. The pain au chocolat here is SUPERB but I have noticed that they are the first pastries to dissapear - so it is best to come early and try one before they are all gone. Michelle and I are definitely regulars here now - even though we aren't locals. Due to the location and parking and limited tables, I have a feeling it gets quite busy on the weekend so it might be best to go early. Do drop by and visit if you can! P.S Their passionfruit and raspberry truffles are heavenly" TAM




"I REALLY REALLY like this place :) It has a very warm and cosy interior with shelves full of delicious chocolates. This was our second visit and everything was just as good as I remembered. The hot chocolate that came out in a little cup was smooth, chocolatey and delicously yummy. I didn't mind the small size as it left room for me to enjoy other things like their scrumptious looking pastries. Tam and I shared the almond and chocolate croissants, they were flakey and buttery, I enjoyed every bite....yummmm. We couldn't resist and tried out some of their sample truffles and they were really nice with delicate flavours. Of course we couldn't leave empty handed, we bought some nice truffles and other chocolates to take home to enjoy. Looking forward to my next outing here :)" MICHELLE

Espresso Elements, Hampton

Espresso Elements is very popular amongst the locals. It is a small cafe, nestled on the corner right next to the train line - once you walk in you can tell this place is 100% dedicated to coffee (they even repair espresso machines!). 305 Hampton Street, Hampton 3188.

"I frequent here for my takeaway coffees as I don't like to sit down due to the very limited space - it is a bit cramped. But I do like the coffees here - smooth, right amount of milk and not at all watery. When I saw their European Hot Chocolate menu, I knew I had to bring Michelle to test it out. If you are wanting a quick coffee, this is the place to go if you are in the area. Oh and if you have time - do pop over to the raily way tracks to San Sebastien cafe and try their famous vanilla slice. They're pretty good aren't they Michelle?" TAM

"The hot chocolate menu was impressive, I got pretty excited when Tam took me here :) Most places only have the one choice but this cafe had about five or more. I decided to try the original Fraus Hot Chocolate. First sip, not too bad, it was thick, wasn't too sweet and oh very chocolatey. I have to say, this hot chocolate didn't give me the wow factor but it was a lot better than the average hot chocolates out there. If I am ever in the area, I wouldn't mind grabbing a take away from here and trying out the other flavours like hazelnut or mint. Yap, the vanilla slice was pretty good Tam, don't forget to get me one next time you're there :P" MICHELLE