A place I like to go to hide in the city

Sometimes, when I am stuck on the Latrobe side of the city and I am not in the mood for coffee, I tend to crave strange things. Like waffles and hot chocolates. & a free book to read. & waiting staff who will leave me alone to read, to eat, to drink, to sit as long as I like in the place. A French-style sitting settee and light music in the background always helps.

To that end, and in the spirit of my latest phase i.e. what AC calls the "itchy fingers with camera phone" phase, this place has become a favourite especially for winter even though I have noticed the staff are young and enthusiastic but not really good with science (e.g. combining lemon juice and icing sugar directly on the serving plate instead of a separate bowl means you run the risk of ending up with sugar lumps instead of a lemon sauce):
I tend to go for the lemon and white chocolate sauce waffles. Sometimes, if I am not too full, I will also order a java hot chocolate which is done in the San Churro drinking hot chocolate consistency.

Is it about the waffles or the hot chocolate then, you ask? Well, it really is more about the atmosphere of the place. It is rarely full, thanks to all the other places vying for attention in the area, so one is assured of some temporary peace and quiet away from the hustle & bustle of the city. Sometimes you do need a place like this to relax in, especially on Sundays when you are in the city to do things and you end up wanting a place to rest your feet without the hassled expressions or harried tones that plague weekend hospitality staff.

Sit back, relax, smell the teas and hot chocolates, and sink into a good book...