Gorski and Jones is probably best known as a dinner venue but the restaurant also does a seriously good brunch.  Slap bang on Smith street Gorski and Jones has that very Melbourne mix of vintage and industrial down pat with exposed brick walls, subway style white tiling and huge green metal lampshades hanging low over the long bar.  If it’s nice weather it’s worth walking straight through the restaurant to lounge around in the sunny rear courtyard to read the papers and get in on some serious brunch action.

My favourite dish on the menu is the baked eggs ($18).  The eggs are cooked in a rich tomato, zucchini and pepper sauce which is perfect for mopping up with hunks of Gorksi and Jone’s amazing ciabatta bread.  However the standard poached eggs ($18) served with bacon, sausage and hash brown is also pretty satisfying stuff.  You can see the quality of the produce here in the Italian cotechino sausage used and the homemade hash browns.  It’s pretty much brunch nivarna.

Breakfast pretty much with the lot – including homemade hash browns and cotechino

Essentials
Details: Gorski and Jones, 304 Smith Street  Collingwood 3066 (Ph 03 9417 7779) Wed – Fri 8am -3pm, 5pm – 11pm, Sat -Sun 8am – 4pm, Sat – 5pm -11pm.
Damage: Reasonable
9/10



2.  Proud Mary
It’s all about the coffee at Proud Mary.  There’s a syphon bar, a range of grinders, a roaster and a monster of a six-group custom-made Synesso espresso machine all taking up counter space in this converted warehouse.  The serious coffee equipment shows through in the brew which results in an oh so smooth and velvety latte.

Avocado, fetta and heirloom tomatoes on toast

That’s not to say the food isn’t also worth your while.  The heirloom tomatoes and avocados on toast is the perfect vegetarian breakfast complete with crusty toasted bread and creamy fetta.  It’s the sort of thing you could probably easily make at home but why would you bother when the folks at Proud Mary can do such a good job of it.  The toasties are also legendary and change on a daily basis.

Latte perfection

Yes the place is packed with hipper than hip hipsters and yes there are queues at popular times like Saturday and Sunday mornings but the staff are lovely and manage the queues pretty well so don’t let either of those things put you off going.

Essentials
Details: Proud Mary, 172 Oxford Street  Collingwood 3066 (Ph 03 9417 5930) Monday-Friday 7am-4pm; Weekends 8am-4pm
Damage: Reasonable
8/10



3.  Cibi
Cibi is where I go when I want a brunch that is a little bit different.  It’s a little slice of Tokyo in Collingwood and serves up Japanese style brunch options alongside Japanese pottery and other goodies to buy.  Set in an airy converted warehouse on a quiet Collingwood back street Cibi is a great place to while away an hour or so with the papers at the communal table or making the most of any sunshine at some of the kerbside seats.

Brunch Japanese style at Cibi

The Japanese brunch special is only weekends and includes miso soup with carrot, tofu and seaweed, followed by rice, a salt cured grilled salmon called shiozake with potato salad, green beans and perfectly formed ovals of tamago (egg roll).  It’s sensational and a great change from standard brunch offerings.  The coffee is, as you would expect, also excellent.  This is Collingwood after all.

Essentials
Details: Cibi, 45 Keele Street, Collingwood 3066 (Ph +61 3 9077 3941) Mon – Fri: 8am – 4pm,
Sat –  Sun 9am – 4pm
Damage: Reasonable
7/10