Say what you want about Melbourne's hyped-up cafe culture, but some things just work. And sometimes they work really well — at least, that's the case of Proud Mary. Even though they opened way way back in 2009, Proud Mary still continually has to manage customer lines out the front — even on weekdays.

Since then a lot of cafes have opened (and closed), but this Collingwood fixture still stands tall and proud. Perhaps its the coffee that they roast just around the corner at Aunty Peg's, or maybe it's the solid cafe menu with dishes like spicy creamed corn and ham hock scrambled eggs. Most likely it's the stellar combination of the two. You don't become a Melbourne institution for nothing.