Cafe Gaia

You’d expect a cafe set on a gently undulating boulevard lined with mansions, a short walk from the Botanic Gardens, to have class. Gaia is that fresh, well-kept type, with a vine-covered terrace, and a solid allegiance to quality. Its tidy breakfast-and-lunch menu is augmented with seasonally salient specials, like kale, spiced cauliflower and taleggio omelette. At lunch, try a toasted sandwich with pork belly, apple and parsley slaw, and beetroot relish; or a delightfully textured chicken with vegetables, seeds, grains and pinenuts in a tangy aged sherry vinaigrette. Sip a perky green smoothie or go to the dark side with an espresso martini.