Easily mistaken for a country café (bar the hectic brunch crowd), a counter greets you brimming with fresh sumptuous pastries and other take-away delights, not to mention the smiley wait staff.
Inside, a myriad of rooms merge old-world vintage and charming modern-edge. Leather bench seating, century old French mirrors and decorative antique chandeliers adjoin exposed recycled timbers, white linen and raw rustic brickwork.
Fair to say many a friend has been called on, boutique and artisan producers alike – the eggs, courtesy of Green’s happy chickens; bread, Noisette; organic lamb, Uncle Rod; and many others to craft the wine list, smoke the meats and even paint the walls.
The vast menu, with all-day breakfast, sees favourites ‘eggs benedict’; smashed avocado with thyme buttered mushrooms, combined with lunch bites like toasted piadinis and baguettes; ‘plates’; and salads, not forgetting the nice list of bubbles, vino, house cocktails and boutique beers.
And on Sundays stop by for a spot of afternoon tea served with a little burlesque, opera, or even a single cello concerto.
With quality friends so hard to find, this Friend of Mine is definitely a keeper.
Friends of Mine
506 Swan Street, Richmond 3121
T: (03) 9428 7516