LEFT FIELD

358 Koornang Road, Carnegie; (03) 9578 2043 leftfieldeatery.com Open seven days for breakfast and lunch

If your idea of a good way to start the day is with something sweet, the cookies-and-cream doughnut sliders with crushed Oreos at this buzzing café are just the ticket. It’s the kind of Instagram bait that has propelled Left Field to the top of the Melbourne café hit parade – no mean feat in postcode 3163 and ample proof that there is life beyond the inner ’burbs. For every Oreo-led trip to the dark side, there’s redress in the new-school Southern Californian-style of brunch fare, such as sautéed greens (hello, kale!) with goat’s cheese, smashed avocado, dukkah and lime. After midday you can get stuck into something heartier, such as the spicy pulled-pork burger. The wait for a table can be long but you’ll hear no complaints from Carnegie, which knows that its brunch-time ship has come in.