Marroo opened only about a week ago but it was full at lunch time - and its obvious why. The food was excellent, the decor all new and the service was very quick.

Marroo is on a lane off Little Collins Street and the restaurant itself is downstairs. We waited probably 15 minutes at lunch time with a party of 5 and they did their best to accommodate us without a booking. The place is pretty small so I'd suggest for groups of more than 10, its probably not going to work.

The menu is limited - it might have 10 things on it but I suspect if it was your thing, the disproportionately large bar will compensate.

I went with the beef & vegies in a hotpot - simple, fresh and tasty. Given I was hungry, my concern was that I would leave the same way but the meal size was spot on - our group all finished theirs and were similarly sated. Meals were just under $10 so for the price and quality, it rated very highly.

Two other things to mention: its a little on the noisy side (call that atmosphere if you like), and they do take-away.

Given how good Korean food in Melbourne is these days, maybe its the new coffee ?

Approximate cost: $10

We purchased some old railway sleepers for the garden from Morikett who we found via their website. Their yard is in Dandenong and office trades out of Ivanhoe.

I found on all measures (I can think of) they were great - pricing, product quality, range and service. The dialog was professional, informative and attentive, and in working things out, nothing was too much trouble.

Much better than Bunnings, The Greenery or Bulleen Art & Garden I found.

Approximate cost: $30

A very fresh, fast meal in an almost, hidden away place. I had the noodles with beef and (lots of) veggies. This was served in a light broth - tasty and healthy.

Kooky's Place is a little hard to find but I think that's an added bonus. There is a few tables inside as well as some outside. On a warm day, its an excellent spot to eat outside and watch the river and passing joggers.

Worth a look !

Approximate cost: $11

Traveling through Goulbourn, we stopped at Paragon Cafe for breakfast. I must have been the only person in the entire place having muesli for breakfast and not eggs and chips. This must be the cardiac arrest capital of the world given the meal compositions but they looked pretty tasty.

On the balance of things, the coffee was just average although the muesli was tasty and fresh.

Staff were very friendly and attentive in a genuine way.

Happy to go back.

Approximate cost: $8

A couple of mornings spent in this area herded us to the Coffee Club in Castle Hill.

Our group had a lunch, and we did a few sets of coffees/breakfasts.

The coffee was solid and the meals were generous/adequate. I didnt find the menu all that extensive from a food perspective but there seemed to be something for everyone (if your fallback position is chips). The kids had variations on hot chocolates (including a white chocolate) which they inhaled.

I dont like those huge cups that are standard fare Coffee Clubs but that would be my only negative.

Solid experience.

Approximate cost: $4

On two visits over a long weekend, I sampled the sausage rolls, coffee and the nenish tarts.

The sausage rolls were great and tasted like they had been made by a baker - not by some robot in a giant factory.

Coffee was average - again, made by a baker in a country town, not a barista that does a million an hour.

Nenish tarts were sensational. It reminded me of those that my grandmother might have bought years ago. Fresh cream and pastry, and not those giant ones that go straight to the hips (I know, I know...).

Provender's was full whilst the take-away shop next door was completely empty - that summed it up for me.

I didnt get a chance to try the pies but they proudly show off their awards in the window so I figure they stack up also.

Worth re-routing your journey to this town just for the Nenish tarts.

Approximate cost: $4

We went with a group of 25 on a Monday night during the Christmas holidays - possibly the biggest earner of the year based on the lack of other patrons.

Inside the bistro was very tidy and spacious, with the room having some divider system that might turn it into smaller rooms if required.

I had the Thai beef salad which was disappointing. Soaked in some dressing but drained of flavour. Its not that hard to make and for $20-something dollars, I had expected better. My wife had the garlic prawns and I feared for the outcome - it was pretty good though and despite a fairly sizable price, the quantity and freshness were both up to scratch. The kids had some sort of value meal which included chips/nuggets and the obligatory frog-in-a-pond. At $10, this seemed the best value of all.

All our meals came out quickly, including a couple of 'roast-of-the-days'. We didnt particularly care for the wait staff hurrying us due to the pending kitchen closure - surely getting a few customers in should rate above leaving five minutes early ?

All up, it was OK - on the expensive side, solid but unspectacular.

Approximate cost: $24

I havent been to Cafe Burgundy in quite a while - there are lots of competitors and they all do pretty well.

Firstly I am grateful that Cafe Burgundy was open on New Years Day. Trying to get a coffee (as a desperado) was pretty tricky !

We went for an afternoon coffee over the Christmas holidays as a bit of a change. Both coffees were wrong but the owner (in a good natured way) suggested we had ordered differently. Hmmm... that should have been the signal to run. The cakes we had were very nice - compliments all around. Coffee, despite being wrong was OK - happy to return on that basis.

Going New Years Day was something out of a movie. There was a queue of people from about 10.30am when I went. No logical queuing method, just a lot of disgruntled people standing around. The guy (I suspect the owner) was working behind the coffee machine and looked completely overwhelmed. Coffees coming out every five minutes, mixed up, arguments over who ordered what, etc. Customers sitting down at the tables had no service or food and the staff were running around ineffectively. Fawlty Towers comes to mind.

Appreciating that it was busy, I waited about 30 minutes for mine. Both Mattos and Scintillas would have had them out in 10 minutes given they have competent staff and baristas.

Laughably, the two I ordered (latte and soy latte) were Fawlty Towers wrong - two soys, one cold, one scorching hot, and the cold one with no coffee in it! I didnt dare take it back for fear they would offer to replace it.

The lessons for me were: 1. this business cant scale, 2. competition has provided some good coffee shops here but this isnt one of them, 3. There is good business to be had on Christmas and New Years day by a competent operator.

Not going back - new owners likely !

Approximate cost: $3.50

Our work (Rowbust) had Christmas lunch here - and left very satisfied !

Its not one of those rush in & out places, so pacing the meal was a bit of a treat.

I went with the 3-course special and am pleased that I did. Course 1 was a variation on a Greek salad, course 2 a risotto, and for dessert, a creamy pavlova & berries arrangement which was great ! Serving sizes were excellent and meant that each dish could be enjoyed. Others on our table had creative-looking dishes and were also similarly impressed.

The physical appearance inside is a bit odd in that it looks a bit like a portable classroom that had been turned into a restaurant, but was appropriately cozy/spacious. Staff were knowledgeable, attentive and pleasant which is the service trifecta for mine.

Without drinks, it was approximately $40 a head which I thought was good value.

Given the additional benefit that Olinda is such a pretty place, its worth the drive to have lunch or dinner here.

Approximate cost: $30

Second most expensive coffee I"ve ever come across behind the Westin in Melbourne - $5 for a small latte, $5.80 for a small soy. Wow - thats best practice.

Having said that, the coffee was of a good quality and the service very pleasant. The cafe was also well presented (read clean), so I deduce that the extra dollars were going to staff and profits.

Given the number of places in shopping centres that do bad coffee (heightened at Christmas), I think its a trade-off worth making.

Approximate cost: $5.50