Where to get your morning coffee when working from the office

These are the new CBD cafes firing up the coffee machine for your return to the office.

Talk about taking a punt.

When the city was empty and the hospitality industry was on its knees, Jackie Middleton and Simon O’Regan on a whim decided to open a new CBD venue.

The Earl Canteen founders hadn’t planned for Dame — an all-day eatery in up-market Collins Place — but the space was too good to pass up.

“Hospo hasn’t had a good two years. All of our Earl sites were closed and we had staff on JobKeeper,” Middleton said.

Jackie Middleton and Simon O'Regan behind the Earl Canteen fame have opened their latest venture, Dame, at Collins Place. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

“It didn’t feel like the right time to take up a new project but the more we thought about it, we realised people were always going to come into the city.”

One year on and the couple is confident in their decision.

The flashy 100-seater has seen a steady trade since workers started returning to the office. “It’s nice seeing customers come in and see their favourite barista again.

Baristas are getting hugged — it’s a great time to be back.”

Breakfast includes the signature Dame Muffuletta club-style sandwich of cured meat, cheese and pickles.

Dame, 35 Collins St

NEW CBD CAFES

Unfortunately timed openings meant these cafes never saw steady trade.

Maverick

95 Little Collins St

7.30am- 3pm, weekdays

Greta

450 Flinders Ln

8am till 3.30pm, Mon-Thu

8am-9pm, Fri

Flywheel Bakery

276 Flinders St

7am to 3pm, weekdays

Morpha

153 Franklin St

7am-2.30pm, weekdays

Puzzle Coffee

133 Swanston St

7.30am to 6pm, Mon to Thu

7.30am-7pm, Fri

Matilda Bay brewer Harry Sexton with his father and Matilda Bay chief executive Phil Sexton. Picture: Ian Currie.

BEER MATCH

If you thought finding love on reality TV was hard, spare a thought for Matilda Bay.

The Yarra Valley brewery took 18 months and 27 attempts at finding ‘the one’ beer recipe for its new original ale.

Phil Sexton and his brewer son Harry narrowed it down to five pours before landing a winner – one that wasn’t too roasty, lager-y, hoppy or, dare we say it, cheesy.

To ensure those lockdown months were not spent in vain, Matilda Bay is releasing the dud beers for everyone to try.

Four near-perfect Rejected Ales will be released for a limited time from Tuesday.

Chief executive Sexton said the rejects were still good, but didn’t fit the Original Ale mould. “My favourite is the actual Owl beer (original ale) because it was what we were trying to do,” he said.

“We wanted to create something with balance and harmony, that’s so much more pleasurable to drink. You see beers that are really hoppy or bitter, and while that gets your attention, they aren’t nice to drink.”

Try one of the Rejected Ales with every six-pack purchase of Original Ale at Ritchie’s stores, receive a mixed four-pack with every case purchase via Matilda Bay’s website or taste a selection at their cellar door.

Moonhouse is the newest project by the Commune Group.

NEW MOON

Hospo behemoth Commune Group behind Tokyo Tina and Hanoi Hannah will open Moonhouse, a modern Chinese bistro, in an old bank on the corner of Carlisle and Nelson streets, Balaclava, in May.

Group director Simon Blacher said: “We want it to be a neighbourhood restaurant that people travel to from all over Melbourne. Chinese food is an exciting cuisine filled with flavours we love and, like all our venues, Moonhouse is not bound by tradition, rather inspired by it.” Executive chef Anthony Choi (Cumulus Inc, Firebird) will lead the kitchen alongside head chef Shirley Summakwan (Tokyo Tina, New Quarter) and group pastry chef Enza Soto (Brae, Baker D. Chirico).

Expect twists on the Hainanese chicken club sandwich, wok-tossed soft shell crab and prawn toast, with an all-Aussie wine, beer and spirit list.

Moonhouse, 282 Carlisle St, Balaclava

Kate Muir is organising a long-table dinner on the steps of Melbourne’s iconic GPO building. Picture: David Caird

LONG DINNER

One week before the Herald Sun’s World’s Longest Lunch kicks off the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival at the Treasury Gardens, another long-table dinner has been planned.

A Good Plan Group director Kate Muir, who spearheaded Postal Lane Markets, is organising Melbourne Moment at the GPO building. Canapes, entree and main curated by Vue de Monde executive chef Hugh Allen, with Burch and Purchese on dessert and Melbourne Gin Company. Cancer Council will benefit from ticket sales, with other fundraising on the night. The event is part of property management fund ISPT’s We Love Melbourne program. Tickets: $358.24 per person.

Melbourne Moment, March 20.

GPO Building, 6pm. Tickets: eventbrite.com.au