Eclipse

7A/495 Collins St, Melbourne  (entrances on Flinders La)
Score: 27/40
No Twi-hards, this isn’t some sort of Twilight preview, this is a fabulous new inner-city cafe that just has a real sense of class.

Right in the deepest, darkest bowels of the Intercontinental Hotel, new cafe Eclipse has opened in Flinders Lane.

It’s uber-cool and reeks of chic, with exposed brick and an industrial feel. But the real treat here is not in the design, it’s in the food.

On the day we went, panini on offer included zucchini, creme fraiche, mushroom, spinach and another with salami, goats cheese, grilled capsicum and rocket. The menu also includes some fantastic salads and we chose one of broad bean, candied walnuts, dutch carrots and aged balsamic ($11).

On the menu was also a few hot dishes and a large selection of breakfast options which continue until 11am. The chef also occasionally puts a dessert on the menu and we had a taste of a lemonade, pumpkin cheesecake. Watch out for it – a lovely summer refresher.

The coffee here is absolutely fabulous and they take it VERY seriously. There are also some lovely little cupcakes on offer (teensy weensy ones) and if can, try to visit before Christmas, because the mince pies blew my mind.

My only issue with this little gem is with the service. It may just be infant teething issues, but accuracy and speed on the coffee machine could be improved – especially during the morning rush when I’ve sometimes had to wait up to 15 minutes for a takeaway coffee…

But having said that, this is a lovely place to visit for lunch and definitely a cut above most of the lunchtime offers available at this end of the city.

Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
Food: 7/10