I've had coffee here and toast for a quick break from work up the road. It's basic but a nice little place and the food also looks good (sandwiches, burgers). Big screen TV up the back is a bit distracting. Better to sit and watch the passers by.

Approximate cost: $10

Have been here several times for some very enjoyable lunches. Set above the street, it has a large dining room with big tables. The food is generous and gorgeously presented in pretty bowls and trays. The katsu is tops, and whatever you get there is a baby side salad. The staff are super friendly. I hear they have $5 happy hours mid-morning and afternoon!

Approximate cost: $12

This is a cheerful, spacious cafe with simple options for coffee or lunch. I've just had coffee and raisin toast here. The staff are nice and there's plenty of tables including a mezzanine level above with couches. I like that there are papers and magazines to read, and fun music. You don't feel rushed.

This place is a mixed bag. The pizza is generally very good, with a lot of options and interesting combinations, quality ingredients on a medium-thin base. I love the salads as well (not really salads, with huge bits of chicken and baked potato). The space is casual and cosy - upstairs is better - and there is a private room available for 10-15 around one big table. On the downside, the service is bad - you'll be waiting an age, or will have to fetch them yourself - and you'll be drinking your BYO wine from a tumbler.

Approximate cost: $15

Maybe I should have tried the pizza. I've been here for dinner and shared pasta and a meat dish (schnitzel or steak) with a friend, and was appalled at the food quality. The pasta was soft and overcooked, and the sauce was so sweet it tasted like tinned spaghetti. The other dish was also lacklustre; even the chips. I've been here for regular large group breakfasts a few years ago and those were truly awful - barely cooked white bread toast with a smear of margarine in the middle, bad eggs, you name it. It all reminds me of English cooking. They do have good live music on some nights (Fri-Sat?) which is the only way I can imagine they get customers.

Approximate cost: $15

Badde Manors is always full, not just because of its quirky bohemian vibe. The food is actually surprisingly good. -I've had delicious meals here (this is vegetarian for people who think they don't like vegetarian - yum), desserts (cheesecake, strudel, gelato), as well as coffee and the famous chai tea. They don't have magazines, it's more a place for meeting friends. Best of all, it's open late, for when the need for dessert hits.

Approximate cost: $15

Agree this is a top spot for fish and chips (and salad, if that's your thing). It's not the kind of bulk fish and chip shop where you get it wrapped in paper, but more of a set meal place. I've had the fish burger about 3 times and it's always delicious, with great bread, fish fillet, and salad. The service style is basic, but does the job. The eating area is pretty good for a quick lunch, where you can read a magazine and watch the passers by on Glebe Point Road.

Approximate cost: $7-12

I've had home delivered pizza from here a number of times and it's been good, hot, tasty, pizza. Not traditional and thin (which I also like) but piled with toppings and lots of juicy cheese - not for when dieting! They also have the usual garlic bread and you can get a slice of (very manufactured) cheesecake for dessert. You can also dine in but it's just a few tables next to the counter.

Approximate cost: $15

We had pizzas for lunch here one weekend. The pizza is great - good, sparse, toppings, quality ingredients and flavours. The only issue was our waitress was not fully concentrating when taking our order. We ended up with something slightly different, but that was rectified with a replacement pizza, if somewhat reluctantly. Nice atmosphere, out of the tourist crowds.

Approximate cost: $20

The biggest draw-card for me, apart from location, is the large, quirky space, with interesting furniture, a high-ceiling light-filled space at the back, and a range of art to look at. There are huge serves if you come for breakfast, and good coffee otherwise. If you want something smaller and cheaper to eat, you may be disappointed. Service can also be slow/absent-minded.

Approximate cost: $15