Mr Tulk

With a name that pays homage to Augustus Henry Tulk the State Library's first Chief Librarian, Mr Tulk is an iconic Melbourne café that is housed in what was formerly the State Library's locker room.

Today it is a spacious contemporary dining hall with a design that appropriately plays on the Reading Room theme. The indoors boast a central communal table with mounted lights, inviting study and laptops or catch-ups over coffee - whilst the high ceilings, wooden tables and arched windows rightly contribute to the antiquarian feel of the locker room-turned-cafe.

The café serves quality breakfast and lunch 7 days a week, with happy hour on Fridays for after-work drinks.

The chicken and silverbeet pie served with red wine sauce is a thing of beauty. Simple yet simply beautiful, this is comfort food at its best. We loved the melt in your mouth pastry and the wonderfully flavoursome filling. Just yum.

For something lighter and perfect for summer, we recommend the broccoli salad – a nutrient dense and delicious amalgamation of broccoli, toasted almond, currant, feta and freekah, all brought together by a refreshing lemon dressing.

For sweet tooths do not go past the Banana Bread. Think fluffy toasted banana bread topped with grilled bananas, lashings of salted caramel and a generous dollop of vanilla whipped ricotta. Amazing.

Melbourne is serious about their coffee, and so is Mr Tulk. The café served coffee beans from Melbourne Coffee Roasters, Madamimadam, which connects with ethical farmers and traders from renowned coffee producing regions. The result is consistent and high quality sustainable coffee beans that create the perfect brew.

Location: State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Phone: 03 8660 5700

Link: www.mrtulk.com.au