Having been to many of the cafes in the Bayside area over the years, I was excited to try Galanti cafe because it is located so close to where we live. Unfortunately, the experience was nothing to be excited about! When we came in, the atmosphere seemed cold and sterile. We were told to order and pay at the counter (in advance, which means you can't relax and order other items as you go) and that we could get our own bottle of water from a table over in the corner(!!!)

Once you've paid, the service becomes close to non-existent. We ordered one normal and one skim latte and received two normal (and the waitress took it back, but not until after trying to tell us that we ordered two normal ones). Once we got the right coffees, they tasted average and certainly weren't anything to write home about. My husband asked for some tomato sauce and didn't get it until he had almost finished his meal.

The menu is limited, and there is a little note that states that you don't "need" to make changes to any dishes, "trust us!" When I asked for poached eggs instead of fried eggs for my big breakfast, I was told that it would be better with fried eggs and that it "wouldn't work" with poached eggs. Clearly they were wrong, because the fried eggs were overcooked and greasy; the hash brown and tiny sausage were also overcooked. The food was definitely overpriced for what you got.

This place is only new, and perhaps they're having teething problems, but we won't waste our time and money giving them the benefit of the doubt when there are other places we know are good and would rather return to.

Approximate cost: $18

I'm quite disappointed with my experience at Crystal Nails. When I first approached the store to ask for a quote on a mani and pedi, the woman at the counter seemed pretty uninterested in my business. After scouring the entire shopping centre and not being able to find another place with availability, I went back there. The girl who did my nails did an OK job. It wasn't the best mani and pedi I've had but it wasn't terrible. She also seemed completely uninterested in doing the job and didn't smile or make small talk (but she did manage to talk to her colleague the entire time). What really got to me was that when another lady (who was obviously a regular customer) came in, she dropped what she was doing with me (one of my nails was literally half painted) so that she could see to the woman, get her some tea, make sure the water in her foot bath was OK, etc. Nobody offered any of that to me and I was getting (and paying for!) the same thing. Then, to top it off, when I went to pay they charged me more than they originally quoted. When I raised the issue of the quote I was given, I was given a bunch of excuses as to why the price was what it was. Legally, I'm sure they have to charge you what they quote you, but I wasn't going to waste any more time there arguing about it - I simply won't go back there ever again!

Approximate cost: $60

This is a great shop to visit if you're looking for Southern African specialties. My husband and I stopped in to see if we could find some of the things we loved from our travels in South Africa. The store has a great variety of products and the prices are very reasonable. We will definitely be back!

I had brunch with a friend at the Kazbah restaurant in Darling Harbour while visiting in Sydney over the Easter long weekend. It was great to finally find a breakfast venue that didn't just have the same old dishes on the menu. Everything was different and interesting - which made choosing very hard! All of the dishes have a Middle Eastern flavour to them, and the food was really yummy. The Lemon & Rose frappe is especially good! I would definitely come here again, just to try some of the other dishes on the menu. The wait staff were attentive without being overbearing and the prices were reasonable too. A really good find!

Bluff Road Fish & Chips is a good old traditional fish & chips shop. It's not glamorous to look at, but it is clean and tidy, it's based in a convenient location, and the food is great! My husband loves their chips and potato cakes, which he would eat every day if he could. The first time I went a few weeks ago I had a steak sandwich which was quite tasty; the steak wasn't chewy or stringy and the other ingredients were fresh and tasty too. Everything is cooked fresh and it tastes great. It's not flash but it's consistent. A great little local!

Kristy did my hair and makeup for my wedding in January 2011. I can't even begin to gush about what a fantastic job she did. She arrived at my hotel room on time for a super early 6am start and did both mine and my bridesmaid's hair and makeup. The job was impeccable. My hair was even better than the pictures I had shown her and her recommendation to use airbrush makeup was right on the money - it didn't run or smudge at all despite torrential rain and lots of happy tears! (Plus it looked fantastic!)

Kristy communicated with me regularly in the lead up to the wedding, and knew exactly what I wanted when I explained the styling I was looking for. She also made time to see me before the wedding to do a makeup test. She made me feel relaxed and comfortable the whole time and I knew I could trust in her advice and abilities 100%.

I have since visited Kristy at the Goka Hair Salon in Elwood to get my haircut. She is an absolute professional and did an awesome job. I highly recommend her!

Visited the restaurant on a Friday night. It was pretty quiet and the service was unspectacular considering the number of diners. The decor is nice and welcoming. The menu wasn't huge; there were only two steak dishes listed (it's labelled as a "steakhouse" which is why we went) and there wasn't much variety. Side dishes and entrees were very overpriced for what they were ($10 for garlic bread!!!) They did give us a complimentary espresso cup of sweet corn soup at the start of our meal, which was nice.

I think the core issue is that the restaurant is trying to be something that it isn't. The meals were nice but not outstanding (especially at $30+ per main) and the dessert menu was so uninspiring that we didn't even order anything from it (which is amazing for us!) Having a list of Grange wines (priced at $700 bottle!) does not automatically put you up there with the best fine dining establishments. There are too many other restaurants in Melbourne, we probably won't visit Grange again unless they seriously revisit their menu and pricing.

Approximate cost: $30

I've been taking my dog and two cats to see Dr Crosby at Beverly Hills Animal Hospital for several years. He is truly amazing. While my pets do hate going to the vet (as all animals seem to!) the minute they're in his hands they become completely relaxed and know that they are safe. He has done everything for my pets from desexing, to vaccinations, to boarding when I've been away. The staff are all really friendly, and the follow up is great too. He treats every pet as if they were his own and you can tell he really loves his job! You'd be hard pressed to find a better vet!

My husband and I have tried pizza from most of the pizza places in the Bayside area, but this is our new favourite. We tried it out a few weeks ago and haven't been anywhere else since. The gourmet pizzas are delicious (my favourite is the gourmet vegetarian, yum!) They also do pasta, ribs and chicken wings. We really like the chicken wings!

The only negative is that they can be a little slow. When they quote 20 minutes for pick up, my husband usually ends up waiting another 10-15mins at the shop. It's okay though, because the taste is worth it!

Roti Boti is one of mine and my husband's favourite Indian restaurants and we've been eating food from there for years. The food always tastes great (granted we always end up ordering the exact same thing every time!) and we're always happy with it. My suggestion would be to stick to takeaway rather than eating in. The portion sizes for takeaway are larger (they're small and not quite enough to share when you eat in) and therefore better value. Also, it's quicker getting takeaway - the service has seemed slow and disorganised the few times that we've eaten in the restaurant.