The Empire Cafe

You'll walk past this place three times before you spot it on Fish Street, but once you're inside, you'll understand why the locals guard it so fiercely. The Empire does everything a proper neighbourhood cafe should: exceptional coffee that doesn't come with a lecture about origin stories, generous portions of food that actually fills you up, and staff who remember your order after the second visit. The menu changes regularly but always hits the sweet spot between comfort and creativity. Their weekend brunch draws a steady stream of regulars who know good value when they see it. It's the kind of place where you can camp out with a laptop on Wednesday afternoon or bring your mum for a proper catch-up on Sunday.