Tori’s

Down a quiet laneway off Niagara Lane in Melbourne, Tori's is the sort of bakery and café you stumble on by accident and then keep returning to. It looks unassuming from outside, but step in and it feels homely, with couches, cosy tables and a bit of a vintage touch. It's a favourite for catching up with friends or a relaxed afternoon for two.

Matcha is the big draw here. Locals rave about the sesame cloud matcha, a winter seasonal that one person likened to black sesame tangyuan, and the iced matcha latte gets plenty of love too. The drinks list is wide enough to suit most tastes, with hojicha and genmaicha on offer alongside coffee, and people say the matcha is smooth and not too bitter. They also stock artisan matcha powders if you want to take some home.

On the baking side, the cakes get plenty of praise. The classic cheesecake and the ube cheesecake are the ones people go back for, and the lychee shortcake and lychee rose jelly cake have their fans as well. The butter tteok is a popular order, though opinion is a little mixed on how buttery it tastes. They're also known for pies, and for custom cakes: one local ordered a celebration cake and said it looked beautiful, tasted fresh and was soft, moist and not overly sweet. Cakes can be preordered online as whole cakes or by the slice for pickup.

A couple of practical notes. It gets busy, especially around lunch and on evenings, and seating is limited, so a queue or a wait for a table is common. Many people go takeaway instead, or time their visit for a quieter part of the day. Prices lean towards the higher side, though most feel the quality and the atmosphere justify it. The staff earn a lot of goodwill for being friendly and quick even when the place is packed, and there's self-serve still and sparkling water on hand.

They serve breakfast and coffee, and take cards and mobile payments. They look to be open seven days, but check the hours before you head in.