Turtle Cafe (34 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood)

Turtle is a mandatory stop for Kelly and I on a Sunday afternoon, after rollerblading up and down Beaconsfield Parade. The mere layout of the place is quirky - situated on an oddly shaped intersection so the building looks like a stumpy triangle.

The place is filled with characters straight off Secret Life of Us. I love it. The locals come here alone, just nursing a coffee and reading the paper. Coming here with Kelly is a real treat - she seems to know the entire neighbourhood, so I'm introduced to 10 new people every time we go.

One little gripe I have though (or another quirk of the venue), is every time we go, I wonder if our order has been lost - the coffees seem to take forever to arrive. This is puzzling as the staff appear to be quite frantic and snappy.

That aside, my soy latte is brewed to perfection each time, hot enough to raise my body temperature after an afternoon in the winter sea breeze, and cool enough to enjoy it quickly. Lunch or breakfast here is a real treat too - try the warm winter vegetable salad, or poached eggs with avocado.

A fashionable, local Elwood hangout.

7/10