Min Lokal

Min Lokal is nestled a few streets back from Brunswick St, which means that you can walk in on a Sunday morning at 11.30am and get a table straight away. At least that was the case for me, although they might have just felt sorry for us because we were splattered with multi-​coloured paint after finishing the Color Run. But I digress.
The courtyard out the back is small, but a nice, calm little spot, and very quiet. There are sunny and shady spots, which is excellent if you’re planning on staying a while. There is also a sort of indoor/​outdoor room with a big communal table, as well as the regular seating inside.
Highlights: the baked eggs with shredded leg ham was incredible. Also the Bloody Mary — the spice and hot-​factor were just right, ice-​cubes were made of a coriander-​cucumber-​salsa concoction; it went down an absolute treat. The coffee was also really good.
Notes: tables out the back are really close together, so if you’re discussing last night’s exploits over brunch, prepare for people to hear you.

Nice and quiet, away from the bustle of Brunswick and Smith St, with ample seating, great coffee and quite an extensive menu. Great for breakfast.

Friendly staff, great food and coffee. I had the pork belly which had just been added to the menu, and it was delicious.

Dare to deviate from the bustling pavement cafes, über-​trendy boutiques and hip interior design shops of Brunswick Street and you will be rewarded with a charming slice of inner-​city suburbia. Yes, there is a healthy smattering of Fitzroy’s trademark street art scene, but picket fence-​lined, flower-​strewn George Street is also home to an adorable brunch spot that is winning the hearts of neighbourhood foodies and coffee fiends from further afield.
Barely distinguishable from the surrounding houses, Min Lokal’s minimal décor manages to be both cosy and cool, treading a fine line between retro chic — note the old-​school American Airlines clock and circa 1970s fondue set proudly displayed on one of the shelves — and kitsch — my deliciously tangy orange and chocolate muffin is served up in a glass pineapple dish. Grab a seat (sorry, Tibetan milking stool if you will) and take your place at one of the large wooden tables, on which sit vases filled with vibrant flowers and sugar in mini milk bottles. Think of it as a visit to your great aunt’s house, that is if your great aunt is the kind of quirky octogenarian that might keep pot plants in her bathtub. Add to that a light and airy backroom with a third communal table and an intimate courtyard for alfresco eating and you can understand why many punters settle in for the afternoon.
Muffin at Min Lokal
So what about the food? The menu is chalked up on a blackboard behind the coffee machine and shines with Spanish and North African flavours — morcilla, seafood paella, Moroccan chicken and date sausage with almond and currant couscous, while salads and sandwiches are peppered with simple, earthy ingredients — pumpkin, haloumi, pancetta and trout. Let’s not forget the deliciously rich rabbit ragu with Swiss brown mushroom and pearl barley. There is a heavy focus on breakfast and brunch dishes and, as you would expect from a place with a Swedish name, the Bircher muesli is excellent. But why be good when there is an utterly indulgent cinnamon brioche with cointreau-​laced summer berries, mascarpone and blueberry coulis on offer, or a peppery Bloody Mary to wash down a plate of Min Lokal’s signature baked eggs? Serving Coffee Supreme (sourced from New Zealand, roasted in Abbotsford) the caffeine hit here is a real highlight; otherwise there are Phoenix Organics soft drinks and a selection of beers and wines.
This down-​to-​earth antidote to achingly cool Brunswick Street is open Tuesday to Friday 7:30am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:30am-4pm

When you see a couple of communal tables and a blackboard full of delightful things to feast on, you know that whether your eggs are poached or baked that they will be extraordinary. Over a couple of months living in Fitzroy in 2010 this establishment soon became My Local.

Nestled away in a more sleepier part of Fitzroy, you’ll find Min Lokal in amongst the houses — yet another café that serves exceptional coffee and a decent offering of food treats too.
As other reviewers have pointed out, it translates to «My Local» in Swedish. But what is Swedish about Min Lokal? Well for starters — the design. The front area is beautifully designed with large oaky communal tables, high ceilings and a nice airy feel. They also do good meatballs. That’s Swedish thing #2. But what perhaps isn’t Swedish is the attitude to time. If you want to unwind and have a long breakfast and catch-​up with friends, then Min Lokal is for you. If you are in a rush, I’d go somewhere else.
In short: Tim and the rest of his staff are really cool, they do very good coffee, the atmosphere is really chilled and the menu offers a few surprises. Check it out!

I used to love this place but the chef moved on and now it kind of hovers somewhere in the nether regions of café ghost lands. Sure, it’s still got great coffee and a pretty good menu (try the sandwiches, they are out of hand) but the ‘specialness’ doesn’t exist and it used to.
For me, breaky out is a bit of a treat and I prefer to sit with the people I intend on talking to. Min Lokal have these large tables that you have to share and it just gets a bit weird sometimes, especially when busy.
That said, I still go there if I’m killing a bit of time or need a caffeine fix and am in the area. And they do have pretty killer soups through winter for a less expensive option for lunch. It is a bit of a café wasteland around there, which works in the place’s favour, but I wouldn’t travel to experience it.

After some consideration of Fitzroy cafés, this is where I took my mum when she came to visit Melbourne. Not because Min Lokal caters specifically to the grey set, but because it’s the quintessential Melbourne terrace-​café experience done cosier than most.
In the minimal front room there are two communal tables large enough for paper-​spreading. Out back, another room acts as a hidden, private dining area for those in the know. Sitting at one of the three tables in the tiny courtyard feels almost like eating brekkie at your neighbour’s place — if your neighbour makes smoked salmon tian with poached eggs, asparagus and smashed avo like this!
Great coffee, too, and the staff really go out of their way to make you (and my mum) feel at home.

Min Lokal means ‘my local’ in Swedish. It is one of my locals and my name is Minh, Minh Lokal… get it? It’s really not that clever.
Located in a converted terrace house in the middle of a residential area, Min Lokal has attracted many regular locals. The owner Tim and his group of workers are all amazing! They are super friendly and create a relaxed atmosphere in the café, something you need on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Whilst the service can be viewed as too slow, I’ve never experienced any problems with the timing of my coffee and food. The coffee is good. The food is tasty. What more can you ask from a café?
If you’re looking for big dishes, don’t go here. The dishes are on the smaller side, which I prefer. Luckily, the food is priced accordingly — anywhere from $ 8-​$ 12 for a dish. I love the baked eggs with taleggio and potatoes and when I’m feeling slightly cheeky, I’ll order a cider with my brunch.