Prior

Overview

At a time when Melbourne's hospitality scene was doing it tough, Thornbury welcomed a new kid onto its block: Prior. With owner Ahmed Mekawy's vision to make Prior a go-to neighbourhood spot, the cafe is inviting and comfortable, somewhere you'll want to linger over bottomless cups of coffee (yes, bottomless).

Head inside and you'll first gawk at the sleek minimalist interior, decked out with timber finishings and designed by local architecture firm Ritz & Ghougassian. Once you've settled in into the pastel-hued light-filled space, you'll want to check out the menu.

Headed up by chef Nick Korceba, the food here focuses on fresh produce. If you're a sweet tooth, the decadent salted chocolate crumpets ($21) are served with chocolate custard, berries, manuka honey flakes and peanut crumble. For those who prefer savoury, there's the steak sandwich ($26) with horseradish and beetroot relish, cheese and mustard greens; the Nourish Bowl ($20) with quinoa, broccoli rice, fried cauliflower, snow pea tendrils, whipped avocado purée and a poached egg; and the Eggs Benedict ($22) with brown butter emulsion, air-dried wagyu beef and watercress.

To drink, there are smoothies ($10), juices ($6–7), Two Boys Brew kombucha ($7.5) and, of course, coffee. For the latter, you can go the standard espresso ($4), a coconut milk flat white ($5–5.5) or, if you're planning to stick around for a little while, the bottomless batch brew for just $5.

Images: Pete Dillon