You’re never too old to enjoy a good hideout. Even as an adult, the criteria does not change. It must be peaceful, mysterious and most importantly, it can’t be easy to find. Mine’s on church grounds in the city. Intriguing yes? Well, if you walk down the hill on Flinders Lane towards Swanston Street and don’t turn left at the right time, you’ll miss it. If you are on the other side of Flinders Street, you won’t even know it’s there. This is one allurement of Little King.
Luckily one day, I glanced left and saw a lonely looking seating arrangement which had Fed Square as its distant backdrop… it was quite a sight. Curiously, I headed in that direction. With the autumn leaves at my feet, I passed the archways of St. Paul and was met with the warm glow of a tiny, quaint café.
Operating for many years, Little King changed ownership in 2014 and continues to be one of Melbourne’s best kept café secrets. In the city centre no less. From the moment you walk in and are greeted with the lovely Theodora’s welcoming smile, you’ll feel at home.
The lace curtains, eclectic crockery, cake display and intimate seating work like an electric blanket from the hustle and bustle. The pot of soup on the stove top oven always smells great too!
Today I choose to sit outside on the stools that drew me here. With the comfort of a hot flat white and a tasty choc chip cookie, I relax in my city oasis and listen to the traffic and tram bells in the distance.
There’s a CBD out there somewhere.
Little King is locatedat Shop 4/209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Hours of Business are: Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 3:30pm