Northcote's Tinker is yet another notch in the belt of the crew behind Convoy, Hi Fi and Terror Twilight. These Melbourne cafes are slinging some of the best brekkie in Melbourne, and Tinker is absolutely no exception.
Come weekends, the few outdoor tables lining High Street are filled with dog owners catching up over coffee, while the large, light-filled indoor space is always buzzing. Head into the courtyard out back, and you'll find even more pups, plus plenty of boozy brunch lovers hitting the bloody marys and Aperol spritzes.
This is all fab, but there are two key things every Melbourne cafe needs to succeed — great coffee and eats. And Tinker's nailing each of these.
Beans come from Inglewood Coffee Roasters, pulled into gorgeous espresso shots at the concrete bar. Baristas are latte-arting the shit out of their milky coffees while also serving up cold brews, cold drips and bottomless batch brews for $6.
Then you have the stars of the show, Tinker's breakfast and brunch dishes. Like any good local neighbourhood cafe, you can opt for classic eggs your own way, porridge and acai bowls. These are for the regular midweek cafe lovers who dine out on the regular.
But it's the more creative dishes that set Tinker apart from other local spots. The eggs benny comes on cornbread waffles instead of your basic crumpets, served with an apple and fennel slaw and sweet potato crisps. Its zucchini and haloumi fritters are made more interesting with the addition of cucumber and mint yoghurt, mango chilli relish and crispy curry leaves. It's a fresh and light take on the somewhat overdone brekkie staple.
And your usual chill scramble is elevated by the addition of pickled shitake mushrooms, Vietnamese mint, fried shallots and a sprinkling of parmesan. It's also huge. In fact, most of the portions here are very generous. No need to order extra toast just to fill up on carbs.
The team running Tinker has managed to create yet another standout cafe in Melbourne, adding to the ever-improving lineup of great places to eat and drink on this stretch of High Street.
