The Cornershop

Beneath the buzz at Cornershop there's calm- the volume is at a low hubbub, and friendly staff keep their cool. Great plates emerge from behind the gorgeous pressed-tin bar. Breakfast whirls round-the-world from black rice with strawberries and coconut yoghurt to Spanish baked beans to bubble 'n' squeak with Cumberland sausages. Lunch settles somewhere around Turkey. Tomato-braised meatballs are warm with cumin, chilli and cinnamon; a vibrant Lebanese salad bursts with freshness, sharp shanklish and crisp pita, speckled with sumac. Outdoor tables enjoy the charms of Ballarat Street, or there's a spacious courtyard out back.