The Melbourne Café Collection: Manchester Press

{Smashed avo bagel}

After hearing lots of rave reviews from fellow foodies, the next place to tick off our list was the cool and quirky Manchester Press. Situated down one of Melbourne’s classic city laneways, Rankins Lane, and nestled away from the busy streets of the CBD, Manchester Press is a small, yet groovy place to grab a bite to eat. 

Being only limited in size, tables and chairs are somewhat crowded, exaggerated by the rush of hungry office workers at lunch. Low hanging lights and old school furniture (hello, 80s-style cow hide chairs!) created a moody and industrialised atmosphere, complimented by the use of simple artwork and funky decorator items.

The menu isn’t extensive, with only a handful of unique bagels on offer. From fruit and nut, and maple and bacon, to pulled pork, and smashed avocado, the toppings are thoughtfully and creatively assembled. We opted for two of the ‘open’ bagels (‘closed’ bagels are also available), which were accompanied by a generous dressed garden salad. The coffee was pretty damn good, and arrived at our table within minutes of ordering.

With its trendy feel and urban vibe, Manchester Press is ‘very’ Melbourne indeed; the ultimate brunch spot for any bagel fan or coffee lover!

---

Words: Chloe (Honey & Lulu)

Photos: Bec (Daisy and the Fox)

{Skinny cappucino}

{Chorizo + capsicum bagel}

{Extra hot soy latte}

Lime + Coconut Waffles

Seeing as Melbourne has FINALLY been blessed with some seasonal weather (it’s been a long time coming!), we couldn’t help but start planning some delicious treats for the warmer months. Lime and coconut waffles are a nice nod to the tropics, and are the perfect way to farewell the chillier weather we know all too well. These waffles are super crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and when paired with a luscious lime syrup and Gundowring coconut ice cream, will be sure to be making a regular appearance in our kitchens over the coming summer months!

LIME AND COCONUT WAFFLES WITH LIME SYRUP

Waffles (recipe from here)

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, divided

1 tablespoon lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Preheat waffle maker.

2. Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, butter, vanilla, ½ cup coconut flakes, lime zest and lime juice until well-combined.

3.  In a small fry pan, toast coconut over low-medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4. Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and portion into waffle iron to cook according to waffle iron instructions. Remove from waffle iron and top with toasted coconut for serving.

Lime Syrup

1 cup sugar
½ cup water

1 tablespoon lime zest

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1. Cook sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat; stir in lime zest and lime juice.

3. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Instagram Round Up

You’ll be happy to hear that the semester is finally over, and we’ve both survived our first year of uni! Hooray! Hello, 3 month holiday! So, in celebration of this, and particularly with all this glorious warmer weather on the horizon, there will be some fun recipes and DIY projects coming to the blog really soon.

For the time being, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite Instagram photos from the past few months to share here. Enjoy!

C&S

Homemade Coffee Frappé

One of our favourite things to do after exercising is sitting down to a cool, refreshing drink, whether in the comfort of our own home, or out at a new café. This morning was no exception, and considering Spring has finally got around to showing itself here, a homemade coffee frappé seemed perfect. Super easy to whip up, and really tasty; a post-workout winner in our eyes!

HOMEMADE COFFEE FRAPPÉ

1 tbsp instant coffee

1 tsp hot water

1 ¼ cups light milk

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

Place the coffee and hot water in a blender, and mix until coffee is completely dissolved. Place the milk and ice cream into the blender, and blend until smooth and thick. Serve in a mason jar, with ice and fresh coffee beans.