Pallet Espresso

Defying neat pigeonholing, this dinky cafe in an alley off Collins Street is a little bit Japanese, a little bit Italian and a whole lot Melbourne. Communal tables cunningly crafted from timber pallets provide the decorative motif and the name, while the glass-fronted coolroom delivers menu inspiration. Blackboards declare the kitchen’s dual identity: lamb shank with salsa verde might be chalked alongside grilled salmon bento and teriyaki beef slider. But the runaway hit is Pallet’s karaage burger, featuring fried chicken and coleslaw on a sesame-speckled bun. The day’s muffin might be green tea and chocolate, a surprisingly good match for a Sensory Lab latte.