Where the 96 tram line ends in Brunswick East – on a strip that serves mostly as a thoroughfare – is Suntop Plaza, one of the city’s most underappreciated sandwich shops. But that’s all about to change.

Joey Kellock, owner of hatted lasagne restaurant 1800 Lasagne, has snapped up the cafe his old friend Melissa Murphy opened quietly in 2020. With Murphy still on board, and a similar menu of stellar home-style sandwiches and sweets, together they’ve renovated and relaunched it as the cafe it was destined to be.

Gone are the two-tone red-and-white walls, replaced by warm apricot hues and
contrasting florals that light up in the morning sun, better evoking the cafe’s inspiration. In the ’90s, Murphy’s parents owned a cafe in Noosa’s Suntop Plaza strip mall and Kellock says this Melbourne homage is “a Noosa-y, summery haven – a throwback lunch and coffee place,” says Kellock.

The counter is dotted with the day’s house-baked goods on mismatched cake stands: maybe a flaky chicken-and-veg pie or dense flourless chocolate cake, available by the slice, or cakey choc-chip cookies. Coffee is by local roaster Clark St, served in vintage Pyrex glasses. And the team makes rotating cold-pressed juices every day. But what you’re really here for are the sandwiches.

Made to order on Natural Tucker rolls in an open kitchen, what they lack in ease of eating (because they’re so toweringly filled), they more than make up for in deliciousness.

Bless the mess that is the poached chicken, its mayo-y mix and zingy salsa verde
splattering the stainless-steel plate as you take your first bite. The salad sanger (and its vegan counterpart, sans cheddar) is an all-in rainbow of crunchy goodness. And an abundance of sprouts and green tomato pickle give the ham sanger some extra spunk.

“There are a few other items I’ve demanded [go on the menu],” Kellock says, including Murphy’s meatloaf, slapped on a roll with ketchup, tomato and iceberg.

Still in the works are Kellock’s plans for another sandwich shop, Cinque, and live-music bar, Dopolavoro, in Northcote. Both are set to open on High Street later this year.

Open daily 7.30am-4pm, 241 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East, instagram.com/suntop_plaza.