Went here a few years ago and will not return. The owner insists his coffee is so good that you do not need sugar, and in fact tries to stop you 'ruining' his brew with it.

The first time I went in I was a bit stressed which clearly showed. The owner (a man at least 20 years my senior at the time) came around the counter to give me my coffee then grabbed my face and kissed me on the forehead. I found this very disconcerting and awkward, particularly given I had never met him before and had not insinuated or given permission for my personal space to be invaded. I thought this was bizarre and inappropriate, even if he might have thought he was trying to improve my day.

The coffee was average.

I am a regular at this shop. Liz, the owner, is very friendly and remembers your name. You always feel welcome, even if you are just browsing.

You can get a coffee and sit and watch the world go by, or try some of the great clothing ranges available. Many of the designs here are not available anywhere else in Ballarat and are high quality such as Mesop and Desiguale.

There are great gift ideas and cards, beautiful jewellery including Elk, and home furnishings. It is a small shop with a very eclectic mix of things. Always something interesting to look at and a great way to while away some spare time.

This business has only been open in the last year or so with these owners. They have quickly developed a large clientele. It is close to work so many of us pop down for coffee or a quick lunch.

The food is all fresh and made on site on the day. There is a large range of menu options and their home made sausage rolls are almost as good as my mum's. Lovely sweet and savoury scones and the staff are all very friendly and remember your name. You always feel welcome. They easily accommodate sudden rushes of customers without making you wait forever for your order. If they are running behind they tell you.

The coffee has improved since they first opened and is now very consistent. The environment is great and the small outdoor courtyard is a great place for a quiet coffee in the sunshine. Parking is often difficult if you are not coming from a local business, but is worth the walk.

Highly recommend this.

Only down side is the early closing time and not open weekends.

The North Britain Hotel does the best steak in Ballarat. It is cooked perfectly every time. A medium rare is just that, all the way through.

Their dessert menu is full of old classics from childhood and the sago pudding is amazing.

Staff are ALWAYS polite, friendly and helpful. The food is always of a high quality and amount (huge servings). The atmosphere is great. Not too noisy and they are not trying to be 'cool' like most other pubs lately. There are stuffed birds and animal heads on the wall in true 'ye olde English' pub style and a great beer garden out the back near the washing line.

Bookings are recommended, particularly on busy nights.

We have never been disappointed by this pub and visit regularly.

Ballarat has limited maternity options except for Target and KMart (who are decreasing their maternity line). Mum and Bump is fantastic. It is a small shop but the range is huge, and the staff are all extremely knowledgable and able to assist. They do not try and tell you something looks fabulous on you just for the sell, but will find something appropriate.

They are always happy to order stock in for you and give general advice. Always happy for a chat, which sometimes means planning a visit with extra time to accommodate, but this is part of the charm.

Professional, accurate fittings, particularly of bras, is very helpful. Being pregnant is an exciting but also challenging time and this shop is always a positive experience.

Their website is easy to use and helpful too, but I prefer to pop in for the chat.

I LOVE this cafe. The retro decor is well put together without being over the top or trying too hard. The staff are friendly and are able to discuss / explain all the menu options to you. They are also happy to make adjustments for dietary requirements or make suggestions. The food is always fresh and interesting. There are often changes to the menu, but their signature dishes, such as the home made pork dumplings (10/10) never disappear. The coffee is good although occasionally inconsistent, and the cakes and desserts are amazing. A great atmosphere and the dinner menu is one of the best in Ballarat, with a wine list and knowledgable staff to match. Would highly recommend this to others and get there whenever I can. I sometimes take my work in and sit near the window for the afternoon and drink tea and eat lunch. I have never felt pressured to give up the table, even when they are busy. Interesting location near the old cemetery and the lake. Only disappointing thing is their long closure time over Christmas, but understandably the staff need a rest! It pays to book if you are going for lunch mid-week as they can get extremely busy.

I have visited Oscars a number of times, however the last time I went I was very disappointed. They were not overly busy, but service was a little slow. I ended up with what was very likely to be food poisoning at 3 the following morning which affected me for a few days afterwards after eating a chicken parma. The time before I was there with a pre-booked group of 12 and we had specifically asked for a table near the double doors and outdoor area as we had children with us, but we were put into a cramped room with no air-conditioning (it was a hot night at the time) and service was slow. A shame because all of my other experiences there had been positive up to that point. Would not go back now for fear of getting sick again.

Approximate cost: $22

Best coffee in Ballarat. Always consistent and always busy. The menu has expanded recently and has a great range of quick, tasty choices for lunch. The toasties are great and use fresh ingredients. Good location close to movies, shopping centre etc. If only parking was free!

I have been to this cafe numerous times in the last 3 years. The service has often been slow but staff usually friendly and coffee often reasonable. Our usual cafe was closed this morning so I took my husband's parents to Bibo instead. We were served quickly, but waited almost an hour for meals. I enquired as to a rough timeframe after 45 minutes, politely explaining that I realised they were busy but it was a long time to wait. I was told our order was next. My father-in-law was getting grumpy by this stage and rightly so.

Our meals arrived. My mother-in-law was served a single piece of french toast swimming in berry juice (unsure where the actual berries were) and I was given something not representative of the menu description. I ordered tuki sausages on potato rubble with onion jam. What I got was 3 tiny sausages served on a huge mound of salad greens with a few pieces of grilled vegetable, topped with mayonnaise. Firstly, no potato. Secondly, no onion jam. Thirdly, I am pregnant so fresh mayonnaise with raw egg is a no-no.

I mentioned to the waitress that my meal was not what I had ordered and not safe for me to eat. She spoke to the chef/owner who was working a few feet from us. "Where is she?" he asked, then fronted me over the counter. "We've got no potato". I said that was fine, but I wasn't told when I ordered so that I could make another choice. The poor waitress offered me another menu choice but I declined as we had already been there an hour and my guests had to leave. The owner then eye-balled me across the counter and said "What do you want?" to which I replied "I'm fine, thank you anyway but don't worry about it". His response was first to say "Tell me what you want and I'll make something for you" while he scowled. By now other diners were listening and he was clearly annoyed, so when I again declined, smiling and saying thank you, that we had already waited an hour and did not have time, he rolled his eyes, shrugged and said something along the lines of 'whatever, I offered', before returning to his stove. There was no apology, no offer of a free coffee, and we were left to finish up and pay before leaving with still no word from him or the waitress.

This service is totally unacceptable. I don't care how popular your cafe is, how many people you know locally, or if you are stressed / busy / flustered. There is no excuse for poor service, trying to serve up a meal that is not as described and hoping no-one will notice, and then being rude to the customer as if it is their fault and they are ungrateful for you surly offer of a replacement. Too little too late. I will not be going back, and will certainly be telling people about it.

I would say however that the wait staff were very efficient and clearly working under a great deal of pressure, and while they could have advised us of the menu change and long wait, it was not their fault our experience was a negative one. The 2 stars for service are aimed at the experience in general, not the hard working staff.

Approximate cost: $17