Parkstone Cafe

Overview

Bringing a slice of inner-city cafe cool to Melbourne's northern suburbs, Parkstone is a lush, creative haunt in Pascoe Vale South.

From part of the team that first brought you nearby George Jones Eatery and Richmond's Cheeky Monkey, the sunny corner cafe teams modern sensibilities with all the approachability of a tried-and-true local gem.

Inside, sage accents, blonde timber and walls of greenery make for a cheery, comfortable setting to match a food offering that straddles the gap between the familiar and the inventive. In the kitchen, Brazilian-born Head Chef Leandro Mello draws on experience from the likes of Longrain and Sake, to deliver a lineup just about everyone can get behind.

Traditionalists will take comfort in additions like the smashed avo — here, with whipped feta, fried basil and heirloom tomatoes — and a classic cheeseburger, while more adventure lies in the likes of a baba french toast, the Middle Eastern spiced lamb with house-made flatbread, or a modern riff on eggs benedict, sporting waffled hash browns and apple cider hollandaise.

Vegans are in excellent company, with bites like barbecue jackfruit tacos and fluffy carrot cake pancakes teamed with coconut ice cream and walnut maple.

To match, there's coffee, smoothies — including a decadent 'lamington' version — and, like all good locals, a tidy selection of beer, wine and breakfast cocktails.

Images: Brodie Chan