I lived in Hong Kong for several years in my teens, and City BBQ is a perfect recreation of the restaurants there. The food is pretty spot-on Hong Kong, as is the somewhat less than attentive service and the staff chattering away to themselves in Cantonese. Try the sweet and sour pork and the delicious roast duck - you won't be disappointed!

Approximate cost: $15-20

Filou's is a bit too far away from my home for me to consider it my 'local' bakery, but I try to stop in whenever I can. The quiches and pies are great for an easy weekend lunch, and the sweets are delectable. The staff are cheerful and friendly, especially important when it's way too early in the morning and you're looking for that first sugar hit of the day.

We came here a few months back with a friend from out of town. We ordered a Moroccan claypot, which was delicious, as well as a large crispy John Dory. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked, unfortunately, the prep chef needs to be more conscientious about removing scales as my friend nearly choked on some. The bar is also excellent, try the Jules and Jim - addictive!

Gelobar is just down the street from me, and we've been here several times. It is incredibly popular, having been one of the first places to serve gelato in Melbourne, and summer nights see long queues snake out of the door well into the night. The gelato is delicious and the flavours and texture very authentic and similar to what I've eaten in Italy. Having said all that, this place isn't my favourite in Melbourne, but certainly up there.

I've been to Miss Marples on several occasions, and have enjoyed it thoroughly every time. The servers are genuinely friendly and helpful. The mains are well prepared and the desserts are simply delicious - the Belgian Waffles they were running as a special the last two times I was there are some of the best waffles I've eaten outside of home. I have to admit that having grown up in England, the fluffy cake-like scones they serve don't appeal to me (I'm told that these are so-called lemonade scones, a speciality of the area), but otherwise, a lovely meal on a day out driving.

My boyfriend and I stopped in here to pick up some ice cream up on the way home from work. I was shocked at how light the litre of ice cream we bought was - a sure sign of high overrun, where manufacturers whip the ice cream full of air. We had the mint ice cream with chocolate swirl - really pedestrian in flavour. It was cheap, but we might as well have bought something from the supermarket - it would've been more satisfying.

I've not eaten at St. Ali, but I adore their coffees! We use only their beans at work - anything else is a compromise for us. I'm told that the food is just as good. The next time I'm in the area, I am going to make it a point to drop by so that I can perhaps comment on the food too.

Edited to add: I've now eaten at St. Ali several times, and the food is excellent! Service is always friendly and efficient, and the staff are always happy to share their expertise on what coffee to try.

I love stopping by the Koko Black window to see what they're displaying, or what the chocolatiers are up to. What I like best about this outlet is that the staff are uniformly and genuinely happy to serve you, and very well informed about their products. The manager (whose name escapes me) was most helpful in helping me choose a chocolate which would complement the fillings for the moulded chocolates I was making.

I've been to Brunetti several times and love the vast array of cakes and tasties in the window, but think that it's all right. I'll agree that it's lovely to sit down there to have a coffee or one of their delicious thick Italian Hot Chocolates, but I think that the quality of the cakes is very variable. Having said that, I'm a pastry chef myself and have a pretty hard-to-please palate. The prices are what I'd expect for a place with such a famous name.

This outlet of Koko Black doesn't have the same charisma as the Royal Arcade store, nor do you get to ogle the chocolatier in the window, but hey, for a quality chocolate hit, you can't go past these guys. We stopped by for hot chocolates one cold afternoon this Winter, and were seduced by the selection of chocolates to bring home. The service was warm, and the staff were helpful as we made our selections.