Matilda Knowles

Sakura Kaiten Sushi strives to be as recognisable as the cherry blossom for which it is named. The restaurant is low lit, with the white cherry blossom designs against the shiny black walls giving the venue a sleek modern vibe. The space is narrow and almost all of the seating puts you right where you want to be: in front of the sushi train. Any seat gives you a clear view of the kitchen, where you can watch the chefs deftly cut and assemble each dish before placing it on a carriage plate, denoting price bracket in the age-old system of colour coding – at the base end it’s $2.80 for orange and $6.80 for the deluxe red plates. Expect high-quality versions of the classics: the mixed sashimi plate comes with salmon, tuna and kingfish; and the grilled snapper with basil nigiri is a standout for it’s combination of soft fish and tangy seasoning. For the more adventurous, the salmon with sea urchin roll is a mouthful of aquatic luxury, with the intense sea urchin flavour balanced by the cool texture of the salmon. If you’re craving something in particular and are just too impatient to wait for it to appear, you can order extras and hot food via an iPad and have it delivered by express train. It’s also a great place to take those unfamiliar with sushi trains, as each dish is preceded by a handy label, so you know exactly what you’re eating.

There’s nothing better than a train ride with a view, and that goes for sushi trains too. Located on the fourth floor of the Emporium, Tetsujin’s big floor to ceiling windows overlook Caledonian lane, providing a fresh perspective onto some of the city’s laneways. The décor is light and white, with tiled walls and bright train handles adorning the train in the middle of the restaurant. The tracks enclose a cluster of chefs, all working to keep it fully stocked with fresh dishes, removing anything that has had too many rides. There aren’t any surprises on the train or on the iPads from which you can order extras and drinks. Instead, Tetsujin focuses on doing simplicity well. The spicy salmon is dusted with chilli flakes; and the octopus inari sees creamy octopus salad wrapped in sweet bean curd, making for a delicious, if somewhat messy mouthful. Almost all the plates are $3.90, though the sashimi selection is a slightly pricier $8.50. Tetsujin isn’t just a sushi train – it’s also a bar and Japanese barbecue. The bar component means that Tetsujin’s cocktail menu is impressive and inventive. Go for the Mt Fuji Fury, a refreshing mix of grapefruit, orange juice and Nikka whisky.

The first thing you notice about Sakura Kaiten Sushi’s younger, wilder sibling, Sakura Kaiten Sushi II, is the selection of Dragon Ball Z stickers and figurines by the front door. This pocket of pop culture sets the tone for the rest of the venue. Like its counterpart on Little Collins Street, the Lonsdale Street restaurant’s prices are organised by plate colour, there are iPads for ordering, and an express delivery system. Unlike it’s older sibling, the express train is actually a red double-decker bus. The food is bolder too, including fluke fin, muscle and geoduck, a kind of saltwater clam that you should definitely not Google image search before eating. The steamed scallop sushi is a tasty twist on a sushi train mainstay, adding a new texture to the creamy meat. The range seems endless, and there’s never a gap on the train. The food is accompanied by a soundtrack of upbeat jazz and friendly waitstaff. Prices range between $2.80 and $6.80, and for dessert, look out for the green tea mochi ice cream, a glutinous rice cake with matcha flavoured ice cream at its core.

Sushi and Nori is not your average food court sushi train. Positioned near the escalator amidst the Emporium’s packed Café Court, there isn’t a soggy scallop or tired tuna in sight. Instead, complimentary bowls of thick, yellow pickled ginger and packets of wasabi frequently pass by on the train. There’s a serious amount of salmon on offer at Sushi & Nori, so go for the highlight: the grilled teriyaki and chilli salmon steak, which comes served on a bed of smashed avocado. The oysters, served with seaweed salad and topped with roe, are surprisingly fresh flavoured. The ‘chef’s special sauce’ that they’re served with seems to be the traditional ponzu, a soy and citrus dressing that brings out the oysters best qualities. Each new dish is announced in both English and Japanese, and is accompanied by a chorus of ‘hai!’ from the waitstaff. Sushi & Nori does struggle against its location – the bustle of the food court and the long line can make you feel a little rushed. The prices are also a little higher than other sushi trains, at $4.5 and $8.50 for deluxe plates.

Hole-in-the-wall charm does not mean sub-par coffee. They’re using the Pony blend from Clement (of the Sensory Lab, Market Lane and ST ALi family) so you’re guaranteed a milk coffee with a caramel apple flavour. All black coffees are made with a Sensory Lab single origin, and the busy baristas are happy to run you through the tasting notes of whatever’s on offer. Despite the constant queue, the team at Tom Thumb are always smiling. There is a small spot to sit in, hidden away upstairs where you can enjoy a Reuben bagel and watch the foot traffic of Flinders Lane wander past, but Tom Thumb’s real game is takeaway. The price is pretty standard for Melbourne coffee – a black brew is $4, a white espresso variety is $4.50, and the filters are $3.50 (but it’s worth the extra dollar for a large). There’s a 50 cent BYO cup discount, and the brand Tom Thumb recommend and sell (Frank Green) has a neat bluetooth device you can sync to your bank so you don’t even need to bring your wallet. In terms of snacks, there’s no better afternoon pick me up than the Butterbings, two brownie cookies with thick buttery cream in between.

The subway between Degraves and Flinders Street Station is an underground treasure trove. There’s Sticky Institute, Melbourne’s one and only independent zine co-op; nature-inspired jewellery from Corky St Claire; and Cup of Truth, a true hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. Cup of Truth serves commuters and laneway wanderers from their tiny, sleek black-tiled café that comes complete with a neon sign and Melbourne decal stickers. The blokes behind the machines are always up for a yarn, whether it be about coffee or just about how your day’s going. Using Axil roasted beans, the baristas can make the smoothest flat white you’ve ever tasted. All coffees, from lattes to cold drips, are $4 for a small. Matt Forbes provides the snacks, and you can’t go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie.

From Woolloomooloo to Flinders Lane, and New York to Panama, Toby’s Estate has an international brand and a global reputation for quality coffee. The Melbourne branch is a bright, airy affair inside Customs House. The staff are cheery and it helps that they’re subject matter experts; Toby’s Estate owns its own bean farm, Finca Santa Teresa in Panama, so they’re personally familiar with every part of the coffee making process. All the coffee ranges between $3.40 (short blacks and piccolos) and $5.50 (for the V60 filter). There’s also a 20 cent BYO cup discount for those environmentally conscious folk. Our pick is the $5 business + pleasure: an espresso and a flat white made with single origin beans. It’s an excellent way to experience the difference milk makes to a brew, gauge the full flavour profile of the beans, and secure your caffeine hit. They have a full café menu, but the standout snack is the rare beef baguette with caramelised onion, radish cream, spinach and cheddar.

Everyday Midtown is the CBD branch of Fitzroy’s Everyday Coffee, and a massive boon for city-dwellers. The shop, just up Little Collins from Swanston, is mostly designed for swift takeaway service, but there is a comfortable minimalist set-up and American diner-style cups to wrap your hands around if you choose to sit in. Every day, Midtown roast their own beans in a Melbourne warehouse, and their All Day seasonal blend is a creamy chocolate Colombian mix that’s perfect with milk. The black coffee is always single origin and always delicious. While the menu simply says ‘black’, ‘white’, ‘batch’ and ‘pour over’, ordering a flat white or a cappuccino results in a perfect cup and no judgement from the friendly baristas. Even the fanciest cup of joe will only set you back $5, and there’s a 50 cent BYO cup discount (it doesn’t just apply to Keep Cups – any office mug can net you savings). Bakery partner All Are Welcome supply the chocolate almond croissants that along with a flat white are the best way start to your Monday, or, you know – every day.

The house speciality here is their cold drip. The slow extraction method combined with the house-roasted single origin beans results in a fruity, rich, and slightly acidic cup of coffee. The filter range is equally impressive, with exotic tasting notes like ‘pineapple, green melon, and coriander’ for the Indonesian Wahana Estate. The house blend, a full bodied, four-bean mix, medium roast with toffee notes, is silky smooth with or without milk. At $4, it’s hardly Melbourne’s most expensive coffee, and there’s no extra charge for single origin beans, but it’s worth bringing your own cup for that sweet 30 cent discount. They also supply fizzy water on tap to cleanse your palate. The staff are polite and efficient, and the cool metallic fixtures and newspapers pinned to the walls make for a businesslike atmosphere. The sweet treats on offer are from Cobb Lane, because if you’re going to have croissants and coffee for breakfast they should both be top notch.

Two shipping containers and some AstroTurf don’t automatically make you think café, but come now: this is Melbourne. Brunswick roasters and coffee educators Padre carved out this oasis from the bustle of the Queen Victoria Markets and recently sold it to coffee pals League of Honest Coffee. Little League still uses Padre’s high quality beans. A coffee is $4, there’s only one size and they sell KeepCups if you’re worried about waste. Of course, there’s a range of filter, pour over and cold drip options, but there’s nothing like a strong milk coffee to perk you up before bargaining with noisy grocers, elbowing your way through the meat hall and perusing the artists’ stalls. Ask the staff what beans they think will go best with your drink of choice, and you’ll end up with a cappuccino full of full sweet, milk chocolate flavours from the mix of Colombian and Indian beans. Add a raspberry dark chocolate muffin, pull up a bright blue stool and savour the peace before you dive back into the shopping chaos.

Taking inspiration from Rome’s coffee bars and giving it a Melbourne twist, Sbriga Espresso Bar is all about excellent coffee, delicious snacks and cosmopolitan vibes. The standing-room-only venue has a curved, wood-lined wall, a bicycle-adorned ceiling and the daily papers hanging from under the benches. There’s a warm, community feel to the space, made more vibrant by the happy and chatty staff. The beans are from Collingwood roastery Allpress, with the house blend being a malty Supremo made from Brazilian, Colombian and Papua New Guinean beans. A regular latte costs $4, but if you bring your own reusable cup it’s 50 cents off. While there is a tasty cold brew available, embrace the Italian spirit and order an espresso. With a dark roast, a thick crema and a bitter aftertaste, it’s the kick you need to start your day, or night. On the food front, Sbriga does an impressive range of pizzas and paninis for such a small space, but if you can get there on a Friday the snack of choice is the bomba. These small Italian doughnuts are lovingly crafted by Marianna DiBartolo of Dolcetti. Soft, springy pastry filled with vanilla custard? Yes please!

Down an alleyway towards Spencer Street lies LB2 Speciality Coffee (which, surprisingly, is not a rolling coffee droid). They pick the best beans from both Axil and Coffee Cartel to craft the perfect cup of coffee. The baristas check to see what kind of flavours you like in your coffee, how strong you need it, and what way you want it before recommending a blend. LB2’s brew options include the v60 pour over, batch brews and cold drips, plus your regular espresso styles. A small latte will set you back $4, as will a batch brew, though a pour over is usually up around the $6.50 mark, depending on the beans. If you bring your own reusable cup, there’s a 20 cent discount, and if you haven’t got your own reusable cup, LB2 sell KeepCups for $30, first coffee included. Though the single origins rotate, if you can get a long black made from the Riverdale Estate Indian bean, do it. The orange and clove notes make for a medium bodied coffee with a spicy aftertaste. If you’re hungry, nothing goes down better than the eggplant, tomato and Brie croissant.