Dose Espresso, Willoughby

There's nothing like a good coffee to kick-start the morning! And with the number of people that come to Dose Espresso for their daily dose of caffeine, you can be sure that they serve a good cup.

The cafe is constantly full with streams of people getting takeaway or sitting down and enjoying a long brekkie. The exposed brick, mismatched furniture and bare lightbulbs give an industrial hipster vibe to the cafe - but there's barely a hipster in sight with most of the customers being families, groups of middle-aged friends and young and old couples.

Bacon and egg roll - $10

Mino Sushi & Sake, Willoughby

Although there's no shortage of Japanese restaurants around my area, I still love finding out about new ones. I'd been meaning to try out Mino in Mosman for a while, which offers a very affordable kaiseki 6-course dinner. When I found out that Mino had also opened a restaurant in Willoughby, I went to try it out ASAP.

Mino Sushi and Sake in Willoughby focuses more on a la carte dishes than the multi-course menu that is offered by its sister restaurant. This gave us more choice when ordering, almost too much choice, especially when there were several tapas-style offerings that were available per piece, like a grilled scallop with garlic soy butter ($4), or a yakitori chicken skewer ($3.50).

Large assorted sushi (12pc) - $26

High Street Bistro, Willoughby

It's hard not to be immediately charmed by a local restaurant that has a wheelbarrow full of fresh produce out the front, as well as a 'doggy parking' area complete with water bowls for our four-legged friends. Sir D and I are lunching at High Street Bistro which is packed on a Sunday. A voucher deal for 3 courses for two for only $39 keeps our wallets happy, but the normal prices aren't too steep, with around a $30 average for main courses.

Pancetta wrapped scallops with black pudding and horseradish broth

Pancetta wrapped scallops combines two of my favourite things - scallops and cured pork. The black pudding is a nice dash of saltiness while the horseradish broth (which is actually more like a cream-based sauce) adds some zing to the dish. The scallops are cooked perfectly and the pancetta is wonderfully crisp, so it's great start to the meal.

Pan fried handmade ricotta and basil gnocchi with burnt sage butter and parmesan

It's hard not to like this light-as-air ricotta gnocchi, especially when it's being bathed in a burnt butter and sage sauce. The gnocchi is topped with baby asparagus spears, crispy fried sage leaves and shavings of parmesan.

Fish and chips with tartare sauce