Mart 130
Nestled behind the Middle Park tram stop, Mart 130 is quaint and irresistibly delicious.
Hidden from the road, this charmingly refurbished station master’s house can be a little tricksy to find. It’s worth persisting though. Decked out with all sorts of vintage maps and knick-knacks, Mart 130 exudes a quiet confidence, that comes from knowing it’s the best café around for miles.
Whether you’re in a granola sort of mood, or up for a full lunch, you can be certain it’s going to be great. They have the usual eggs and sides but also items with a twist– pancakes with berries and vanilla marscapone; nicoise salad with a fresh tuna steak; and a zingy tofu salad (which was a favourite until they sullied it with hefty handfuls of coriander, though really, I know I’m alone in my herb hatred.)
It’s a little pricey, but worth it. Mart is one of those places you take out-of-towners when trying to impress upon them the glory of Melbourne’s café society. It’s one of those places you could very happily visit every weekend and order your regular bircher and flat white, or the sort of place you save for special occasions when you know your friends will be paying.
Not only is the food worthy of reverent hymns, but the gentle, light-filled ambience at Mart puts you in a happy place – perhaps somewhere on the beach, with a fireplace during winter and a hammock in summertime, somewhere free of work stress and children’s swimming lessons and the gloom that lurks in Monday’s socks.
Expect a wait on weekends, but expect a truly fantastic meal to follow it. (Don’t leave your run too late, though. Curiously, the kitchen closes at 3.) And then once you’re truly stuffed, take a stroll around the nearby Albert Park Lake and consider how many special occasions you can create where a trip to Mart 130 is an absolute necessity because I guarantee, one chance at the menu will not be enough.