Rosenharts is one of those great places that is a real local icon and which you have to hope never goes out of business. My mum remembers being young and living in Ballarat and being sent down the lane on numerous occasions to buy half a dozen date scones from this lovely shop, and that would have been 50 years ago. Today it still has that lovely homey feel, and on a recent visit to Ballarat I had a most delicious cottage pie (even if it did start to fall apart half way through), and a pretty good peppermint slice to follow. The prices of their cakes and slices are especially good, compared with what you might find in a more upmarket looking place. But why go for fancy when you can have quality at half the price? Definitely worth dropping in here when you next want a quick and easy lunch, or maybe to pick up something to share with guests. Great little bakery.

I came here for a friend's 30th and it was a fantastic night. The venue itself is just oozing with beauty and elegance, especially the period furniture and the stunning artistic glass chandeliers. It's the perfect environment for getting dressed up and enjoying a few cocktails, and there was a pretty decent selection of beverages too. A classier than crowd although, as with anywhere in the Valley, it started to get a bit rowdy around midnight and the area at the front (which was sectioned off for our private function) started to get random people coming and going who hadn't noticed the sign that indicated we were a group. But in part that's to do with the set up - it isn't very obvious that it's a separate area. If you particularly want a private function then I would ask about the upstairs bar. Otherwise it's still a great venue for a night out.

At the beginning of 2011, Dan took over from Kate as the business owner and main teacher at The Yoga Den, and I really enjoy his classes and get a lot out of them. Dan's teaching is not specific to any one style of yoga but he incorporates various elements, philosophies and poses to his classes. For the early risers there are morning classes which really get the body working first thing, or the evening classes are a bit less intense but still leave you feeling like you've worked some muscles. However, he likes to mix up what he does each week depending on the phases of the moon, so some weeks will naturally be lower energy than others. Every class begins and ends with a period of meditation, and I really benefit from the clear-headed and relaxed feeling that accompanies me following a good practice. Dan is also great at working with beginners and explaining things, and makes you feel totally comfortable if you're new to yoga.

Approximate cost: $15 per class ($12 concession), multi-class passes available

The first thing you notice about this place when you walk in is that they're award-winning. Really, you can't miss it. I dare say every trophy, ribbon, plaque or certificate they've ever won is on display in the front of the shop. Call me crazy, but if you're going to make your past achievements that well-known to potential customers, then you at least need to live up to the reputation!

I gather that most of the accolades were actually for their meat pies, but I wasn't sure if that meant an order beef pie or applied to their other varieties as well. I had a Ned Kelly pie - beef, bacon, tomato, cheese and an egg. It was OK in terms of flavour, and the pastry was light and flaky (although I think I've had better), but structurally it started to fall apart early on since the bottom of it was a little on the soft side. The vanilla slice - my personal litmus test for a good bakery - fared a little better, but still wasn't quite as good as I've experienced elsewhere.

Ultimately, for a suburban bakery, this place is adequate - maybe even a step up from adequate. But as patisseries go, Paris it is not.

Approximate cost: $4.50 for a pie, $3.50 for most cakes

"If you ever happen to find yourself in Nunawading..." is how I always begin my recommendation of Station Street Cafe to the many friends I've told about it. Well, I'm not sure how many people just happen to find themselves in Nunawading (I don't!), but this place is definitely worthy of a special trip. Great food EVERY time, without exception, and a varied menu that always has something interesting on it. I really like that they're not afraid of throwing in some unconventional options now and again - it's really not like every other cafe. The staff are genuinely lovely and really pride themselves on running a great place that people will keep coming back to. And I'm not a coffee drinker, but all the coffee addicts I've brought here rave about their experience. Totally worth a visit.

When I worked in the area this was where I'd get my car serviced. It was so convenient, especially as they would be happy to drop me at work after I'd left my car there, and then pick me up again at the end of the day so I could collect it. Bless Nola! She was lovely and always happy to have a chat when she did the car runs for customers. As for the servicing of my car, they were always efficient and well-priced - and wouldn't give me a long list of things to "fix" on my car if there was nothing really wrong with it. If only all mechanics were like these guys! The only reason I don't go there any more is due to changing jobs, and this would be a long way for me to travel now.

This was my favourite place to grab lunch when I used to work in the area. The service can be slow at peak times, although we used to phone through an order and go down to pick it up and they were always fine with that. The toasted sandwiches made with their freshly baked bread were always a great option, and good value too since the loaves were pretty big - my favourite order was a chicken, cheese, avocado, mayo and pineapple toasted sandwich on wholemeal. Delicious! (Good with ham instead of chicken too). And they never batted an eyelid at me asking for weird combinations. Some of their fresh sandwich choices are great too, all named after mountains in SE Qld.

Approximate cost: $5-7 for a pretty decent sandwich

Quickly becoming a favourite dinner spot, especially if we can grab a table out the back (low tables that you sit at cross legged, but elevated off the floor). I've had both a beautiful curry and a somewhat ordinary curry here, so I think the food can be slightly hit and miss depending on what you're into. Many of the vegetarian options are a bit nicer than some of the meat ones. But the bread and dipping sauce is particularly yummy. Just resist the temptation to fill up on it, otherwise you won't be able to eat the rest of the delicious food put in front of you! I've walked out with a pleasantly full belly on several occasions.

Approximate cost: $15-20 for most mains

I think this is probably my favourite cafe in Brisbane, especially for breakfast or lunch. Such a great variety of food and nothing is overpriced in my opinion. The staff are lovely too, and the atmosphere both fun and relaxed. I always try to sit outside if there's a table free - just a shame that it's usually so busy, but then there's a reason for that! Worth trying for lunch during the week if you're not a Mon-Fri nine-to-five-r.

Approximate cost: $15-20 for breakfast/lunch, including a coffee

I was dancing here for about a year and generally had an enjoyable night, but compared with dance studios I've attended elsewhere, Orchards doesn't have quite what I'm looking for. I don't consider myself an "advanced" dancer (only about 2-3 years ballroom/salsa experience), and yet I did the advanced social classes every time I went and really didn't learn much more than a new set of steps each week. Sometimes this was still helpful, but I would have liked to see more technique taught without having to commit to an ongoing series of medal classes which I'm not particularly interested in. I love dancing and I enjoy improving, but I have no desire to complete an exam or start competing. So it was frustrating that even doing the advanced classes I rarely felt like I was extending myself. The social on a Monday and Friday is also interspersed with the teaching aspects, which means you can't just skip the class but then come later for an evening of social dancing (which is what my previous studio in Melbourne offered, and quite successfully). However, the people I met here were always lovely, and I do still think about going back sometimes. But until there's a really good ballroom school in Brisbane I'm currently getting my dancing fun in other styles and locations.