Miss Jackson Café (St. Kilda)

This one’s for real.

There are many reasons to visit Grey Street; quite a few of which are not entirely legal or ethical.  Welcome to the very epicentre of Melbourne’s notorious red light district.  Fortunately, during the daytime things are a little more placid; one can easily peruse the street’s various op shops before or after a visit to a local gem of a café in Miss Jackson.

The lads at the helm of this place: Matt and Steve, boast as much character as the neighbourhood itself.  Become a regular and you will find yourself the target of wry, deprecated but well-meaning humour from the larrikin Steve.  Hearty laughter to accompany equally hearty coffee and even heartier food is the order of the day here.

The beans come by way of Allpress Espresso, a New Zealand company also based in Sydney.  Take the time to enjoy a sit-down coffee; Miss Jackson's strong flat white is up there with Melbourne’s best in terms of full flavour, punch, balance and texture.  Moreover, it is always served at just the right temperature.  I would not be writing this review if it weren’t…

Should you insist upon taking your coffee to go, know this: you are missing out on the experience of sitting in a fantastic space that resembles a quirky student share-house.  The interior is bright, colourful and airy.  If you are visiting the area for the day, there is no more perfect environment in which to while away an hour before getting your St. Kilda (mis)adventures underway.  The rustic, often soaking wet outside area is where the bad kids hang out, myself included, sometimes with a longneck of Coopers Pale Ale in hand.  Boozehounds rejoice!  There is a small but no less comprehensive drinks menu that is perfect for midday imbibing.

If you have time to eat, Miss Jackson offers up one of the most unique breakfast / brunch menus around both the bay area and Melbourne as a whole.  The bacon and egg Piadina (pictured) goes down an absolute storm, especially if you request it to be served with prosciutto.  The freshly made house flat bread is a doughy, savoury delight in itself; indeed, the folks at Miss Jackson are proud purveyors of seasonal, organic, fresh and free-range ingredients.

Slaves to the sweet tooth, fear not!  Chef Adam Owen has got you what you need with the most otherworldly pancakes around (also pictured); fluffy, bready and delightfully immersed beneath toppings of sumptuous fried banana, honeycomb butter and a cream glaze.  The full effect of all this is a brilliant interplay between soft and crunchy caramel textures.  You and your dentist may thank me later.

Miss Jackson is an absolute must for both locals and visitors alike.  There are few better places at which to fuel up, wind down and chill out.

2/19 Grey St  St. Kilda  Victoria

Nearest Tram stop:  St. Kilda Station (Route 96) or the Canterbury Road stop (Routes 3A and 16 - the former of which runs only on weekends)

* It is worth noting that the entrance to Miss Jackson can be found on Jackson Street, hence the café’s name.  If arriving from Fitzroy Street, it is located on the Fitzroy Street side of the road so to speak).

Open 6 Days a week: every day except Mondays.