In a promising move for CBD confidence, the team behind upscale sandwich chain Earl Canteen has just opened Dame, a sophisticated daytime spot in the atrium entry of Collins Place.

Leaning into "Paris end" connotations, owners Jackie Middleton and Simon O'Regan make an event of breakfast with offerings like the $24 set with avocado and Bloody Mary-spiced tomato on sourdough, yoghurt panna cotta and soft-boiled egg.

Grazing plates feature on the lunch menu: there's baked camembert with grapes, and a king salmon salad with miso-cashew praline.

"It's an elegant spot to have a coffee or a snack, to sit somewhere beautiful for a glass of wine before a film at the Kino, or to come for knock-off drinks," says Middleton.

"It's classic cafe fare, appealing to the eye with a little nostalgia for the '80s and '90s."

Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm (aperitivo evenings starting soon).

Atrium entry, Collins Place, 35 Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 8596 0919, dame.melbourne

• Melbourne's sandwich hall of fame