I have the privilege of staying a 10-minutes walk from Auction Rooms (and another ten from the biggest brother of Melbourne's cafes but that'll be in another post). There is no reason not to pop by the 'best cafe in North Melbourne' now, is there? Absolutely not, so I did.

The litmus test on whether I would order more than a coffee is surely the coffee itself and the service. If they can't make good coffee, I would presume (often rightly) they can't do their brunch menu properly either. The mocha sails through beautifully, pushing slightly on the acidic boundaries but I like the woody fragrance it has.

I tried ordering their Brulee french toast with a poached rhubarb and glazed strawberries (because strawberries always look photogenic - such is the frivolous decision- making process.) but they ran out of them at twelve noon. I was very surprised - isn't twelve right in the middle of a lunchtime crowd? I looked around, sure, the cafe was packed to the brim with a queue outside.

'Okay,' I said, 'What do you recommend then?'

My mind was contorting in semi-torture because I had finally made my selection after much deliberation and attuned my stomach to crave for that. I kept a poker face anyway. Don't let them know you're hungry.

'Well, our banana and walnut bread (AUD12) is quite popular with the guests here. Do you want to give it a try?' The chirpy waitress answered with a tiny smile.

It sits right at the top of the all-day menu, looking rather plain just by the words alone... but if she said it's good... 'Alright then, I'll get that.'

Cake for lunch. Why not?

Oh boy I was totally not expecting this masterpiece. I have no idea how they make banana cake look so grand, but the touch of orange nasturtium really enhanced the plating. The banana cake was considerably not overly sweet, only slightly moist.The espresso mascarpone and candied walnuts also complemented the delicious cake very much. I haven't tried the other dishes yet but I would say go with this banana cake and you will enjoy your time here.

The iced mocha that Lexi had on our first date here. Cheers to more cafehops!