Cacao, St Kilda

This has been one of our favourite places for hot drinks and pastries for years, so of course we had to add it to our blog site. This cafe is so french and it's croissants are proof of that. Cacao specialises in chocolate but also has a great range of baguettes and pastries. It is nestled on the non-busy side of Fitzroy St (next to Mirka) with meter parking out front but there is free parking about a block away in the residential area. On the weekend, it can get quite busy in the mornings with families who frequent there for breakfast. 52 Fitzroy St, St Kilda 3182 Http://www.cacao.com.au


"I LOVE this cafe! This is because Cacao serves 'French Breakfast - a pastry of your choice and a BOWL of coffee' - that's right - a BOWL! Nothing can be better than sipping a lovely bowl of coffee with a delicious croissant to accompany it - perfect. Enjoying my breakfast slowly and catching up with loved ones at Cacao is a favourite thing to do over the weekend for me. My sister always likes to order the french baguette with butter and jam and my husband loves their baguettes which is lovely toasted. I used to just have my coffees here but after Michelle told me how good their croissants were - I always have a croissant now. I'm so glad Melbourne has Cacao ....". TAM


"No doubt this is one of my favourite places to go for drinks, pastries and cake. The interior and layout makes this place really warm and relaxing. When you walk in, the glass cabinets are filled with lots of yummy chocolates on one side and cakes on another. The pastries are placed in baskets on wall shelves. Just looking at them is enough to make you drool. Today I had the Cacao breakfast which consist of a bowl of hot chocolate and I chose the croissant to accompany it. The hot chocolate here is pretty nice, it's not milky which I like and the texture is smooth and thin but being a real chocolate lover, the drink is not chocolatey enough for me. I think a bowl is too much, next time, I'll stick with their normal size. The croissant is one of the best around, very buttery, I'm sure Tam agrees with me on this one. I highly recommend their ice chocolate, it's my favourite drink here and do try out their biscuits, it's soooo yummy. Actually, try out all their stuff, everything's so appealing :)" MICHELLE

Santiago Tapas, Middle Park

Santiago, this cosy little tapas bar can be easily missed when you're driving pass but once you enter this place, you will discover one of Melbourne's hidden gem for churros and hot chocolate. 14 Armstrong Street, Middle Park 3206. Http://www.santiagotapas.com.au

"This place has set the right ambience for a late night drink and dessert. The dark lighting and candles definitely made the experience a lot more pleasant. When I saw on the board 'Famous Hot chocolate', I Knew I came to the right place. The first sip I had, I went 'Oh My', it's good. The texture was thick and smooth but after a few more sips, it started to get a bit too sweet. I would have preferred it to be less sweeter but being a dessert person, this didn't bother me too much. Oh and the churros, they were simply gorgeous. They were nice and crunchy on the outside with a hint of cinnamon. The dark chocolate dipping sauce that came with it was just right. I love the mini size of them. So when is our next churros date Tam?" MICHELLE

"How about tonight Michelle?!? I remember as Michelle and I sat there taking small bites of our churros and sipping our hot drinks - we knew we had discovered a special place for hot drinks and sweet heavenly churros. We would be regulars (we were back three nights later). The churros were delicate and full of flavour with a crispy outside covered with yummy cinnamon sugar. The coffee is good here and I could have easily had a second cup as the latte glass is a tad smaller than the standard size. At the first sip, it seemed a bit strong but it was good coffee. Not the best but it was good. This is defintely the best place for churros in Melbourne! And the best thing about Santiagos is - they open until late!" TAM

Espresso Elements, Hampton

Espresso Elements is very popular amongst the locals. It is a small cafe, nestled on the corner right next to the train line - once you walk in you can tell this place is 100% dedicated to coffee (they even repair espresso machines!). 305 Hampton Street, Hampton 3188.

"I frequent here for my takeaway coffees as I don't like to sit down due to the very limited space - it is a bit cramped. But I do like the coffees here - smooth, right amount of milk and not at all watery. When I saw their European Hot Chocolate menu, I knew I had to bring Michelle to test it out. If you are wanting a quick coffee, this is the place to go if you are in the area. Oh and if you have time - do pop over to the raily way tracks to San Sebastien cafe and try their famous vanilla slice. They're pretty good aren't they Michelle?" TAM

"The hot chocolate menu was impressive, I got pretty excited when Tam took me here :) Most places only have the one choice but this cafe had about five or more. I decided to try the original Fraus Hot Chocolate. First sip, not too bad, it was thick, wasn't too sweet and oh very chocolatey. I have to say, this hot chocolate didn't give me the wow factor but it was a lot better than the average hot chocolates out there. If I am ever in the area, I wouldn't mind grabbing a take away from here and trying out the other flavours like hazelnut or mint. Yap, the vanilla slice was pretty good Tam, don't forget to get me one next time you're there :P" MICHELLE