Larsen and Co

Melbourne couldn’t be much further away from Scandinavia, but at Larsen and Co, they bring a taste of Copenhagen and Stockholm to the Victorian capital. Their food evokes the chic and trendy cafes that are to be found all over Denmark and Sweden, with a smorrebrod selection, an exceptional range of coffee and a perpetually stylish environment. You can find them Hampton Street, right in the heart of Hampton and enviably placed to visit the beach at Sandringham. So enviably placed, in fact, that they often get busy: take care of that by booking ahead of time.

The Danes are an achingly stylish people, regularly ranked among the most beautiful and happiest in the world, with the Swedes and Norwegians often coming pretty close to them in the contentment stakes. Aussies, in fairness, don’t come far off the top of the rankings, so if you’re looking for the happiest place on earth (or at least in Melbourne) then drive straight past that Maccas and head straight to Larsen and Co, an uber-sophisticated Scandinavian cafe in Hampton. They’re on Hampton Street – easy enough to remember – so pay them a visit and get stuck into some Scandi delights.

While the focus might be on the food, the coffee is what makes the cafe in Melbourne. In that regard, Larsen and Co in Hampton have nothing to worry about, as their flat white is as good as you’ll get anywhere. Their food combines Scandinavian delicacies such as smorrebrod – rare roast beef, rockling fillet, braised cabbage and plenty of other classics – with Aussie breakfast favourites such as smashed avo and feta, eggs benno on English muffin and a full brekkie, replete with homemade baked beans, sausage, pancetta, fried eggs and roasted tomato. You’ll not be spoiled for choice when you visit Larsen and Co on Hampton Street – unless you find them full. Reserve ahead of time so you can be sure that the only thing that is full is your stomach.