Popular Cafe Strip

Located off historic Block Arcade, between Collins and Little Collins street, lies one of Melbourne's most popular cafe strips. Block Place is one of the finest examples of Melbourne's cafe culture and laneway dining experience rolled into one.

C&B
Stroll into C & B and it�s hard to imagine that it began as a simple counter-bar that sold C & B� caffe and biscotti. Since its humble beginnings, the caf�/ restaurant has expanded into a groovy space with a warm homely feel. The original brick walls have been left untouched, contrasting with the chic interior.Likewise this mix of old and new is reflected in the eclectic soundtrack ranging from chilled out house to classics by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. C & B is worth a visit if you�re seeking a place to relax with your thoughts.

Cafe Segovia
Named after the late modern classical Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia, the intimate surrounds of Cafe Segovia offer you a cozy nook to warm up in during the chilly winter months. Segovia has a lunch and dinner menu with a hint of Spanish influence, and a variety of signature egg dishes for the morning crowd. Manager Jason is proud of the fact that people come far and wide for a taste of their homemade sticky date pudding. Tying in with the Spanish flavour, Segovia invites live Spanish bands to perform at the shop front from Thursday to Saturday. A lovely twist to a night of dining.

Cafe Cortile
Cortile stands out from other cafes in Block Place with its contemporary design and layout, and a playlist consisting of a mixture of atmospheric ambient, Brazillian and Latino music. Sports fans can catch their favourite games on the huge flat screen TV on the far wall. Cortile's menu is a fusion of modern Australian and Mediterranean dishes. The brekkie crowd pleaser is the corn fritters with poached eggs - an excellent choice if you�re looking for a different start to your day.

Brown Sugar
Eight years and still going strong, Italian inspired espresso bar Brown Sugar has been consistently pouring quality blends of coffee for diehard espresso heads. The cafe retains a traditional touch, with a clientele that seems to enjoy the relaxed jazz and blues music. Definitely the choice for those that love old school d�cor and a strong hit of caffeine.

Hardware Lane - Urban Outdoor Dining

Hardware Lane wins hands down as ‘the’ place for laneway dining in Melbourne. Shaded by a canopy of cafe umbrellas, sip your morning cuppa alfresco-style along a red-cobblestoned pavement and soak up the environment. Life along Hardware doesn't end at noon. After sunset, the stretch transforms into one of Melbourne’s funkier dining venues with the sounds of live jazz echoing off the laneway providing the perfect soundtrack for an intimate dinner.

Dante’s Peak in Melbourne’s ‘Little Street’
Vialetto Ristorante is the eruption of owner Dante�s passion for good wine, food and jazz. Nestled snugly along European styled Hardware Lane, one can almost forget that they are sitting in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. At dinnertime, with its fine modern Italian cuisine complemented with cool jazz music by contemporary jazz group Heliboptor, Vialetto takes outdoor dining to a higher level. This dining spot is the only one along the stretch that provides alfresco dining with live music accompaniment.

Here’s One for You, Miro!
If the late Spanish artist Joan Miro was still alive, he�d definitely be kicking his heels up at Cafe Miro�s eclectic blend of Surrealist art, contemporary jazz and modern Meditarranean food. With colourful murals of Miro�s works stretching across the walls of the cosy cafe and soulful jazz crooning in the background, there is definitely a laidback tempo to the ambience. Every Friday between 5 and 7pm, it�s happy hour, so get down there for some TGIF after work relief.

Veg-out the Healthy Way
Thumbs up to Invita for inviting the vitality back into your life and your tastebuds. The tribe has voted and junk food has been booted off the menu for today�s health-aware people. Replacing processed ingredients with organic produce, Invita invites you to look and feel good after eating. Owner Janaka proudly serves up an array of vegan dishes that draws its flavours from around the globe. The best part? Some of Mom�s recipes are on the menu. Hungry anyone?

Caffe and Biscotti

Stroll into C & B and it’s hard to imagine that it began as a simple counter-bar that sold C & B– caffe and biscotti. Since its humble beginnings, the café/ restaurant has expanded into a groovy space with a warm homely feel. The original brick walls have been left untouched, contrasting with the chic interior.Likewise this mix of old and new is reflected in the eclectic soundtrack ranging from chilled out house to classics by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. C & B is worth a visit if you’re seeking a place to relax with your thoughts.