The Thousands

If we’ve learned anything in the last couple of years it’s that the neighbourhood mum-and-dad coffee shop is a recipe for success, and Carolina’s proud proprietors – David Henderson and Melanie Hayes – have used only the finest ingredients.

In the cultural crater of Nicholson Street, in what was once a genuine Italian shoe shop full of genuine Italians and their footwear, Carolina has kept a tasteful amount of its predecessor’s aesthetic, sticking with the original gold leaf window decals and decorating with antique shoe moulds.

The menu is enticing and original without straying too far from suburban staples of eggs, muesli and avocado toast. There are even a couple of items for kids (or unashamed adults) including a soft boiled egg and toast soldier combo – which, paired with the courtyard meets adventure playground, are bound to cause a mid-week, mid-morning pram traffic jam. If family fun is not on your agenda then an 11pm license, a couple of light bar snacks and Seven Seeds coffee should keep you hanging around until after lights-out.