★ The Archway

Melbourne’s laneways have a long-standing reputation for being home to some of the city’s most in-demand eateries, but it’s not often that an entirely new laneway makes a culinary name for itself. Otherwise known as The Archway, Katherine Place is a delicious addition to the city’s laneway culture, with six new dining outlets bringing a new dimension to the west end of the city

5 & Dime Bagels have long been serving Melburnians with authentic, hand crafted, New York-style bagels (made by an authentic New York bagel maker) at Melbourne’s cafes and farmers markets. But at The Archway, the bagelry has found its own home, serving bagel goodness – handrolled, boiled and baked fresh daily. Classic toppings such as cream cheese, and peanut butter and jelly are on the menu, along with more innovative options like horseraddish and scallion and vegan green herbs, and a bagel and soup combo.

Hunters’ Roots provides diners with a clean-eating experience, serving cold-pressed juice, smoothies, and healthy breakfast and lunch options along with healthy sweet treats. The timber-clad décor makes the interior just as light and clean as the food served. Husband and wife duo Kerry and Jeffrey Chew are the brains behind the concept, and they serve big smiles from behind the counter too.

At Delhi Streets, there is not a vindaloo or butter chicken in sight. Instead, they serve traditional Indian street food rarely seen outside of the motherland and a selection of wraps and burgers that are easy to eat on the run. The Pani Puri is a must try – think crispy lentil cracker balls, stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, onions, tamarind and chutney,  dipped spice water and popped whole in the mouth! The menu dessert menu is just as tempting with sweets such as naan bread stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms, and kulfi ice-cream pops.

Dumpling house Mr Huang Jin has relocated to The Archway from Collins Street – and brought with it its special brand of Taiwanese dumplings, filled with a slow-cooked soup. There are also more traditional offerings, such as pan-fried dumplings and special fried rice, and adventurous diners will find their taste buds tingling at the site of the restaurant’s Taiwanese tapas menu.

T by Luxbite follows in the footsteps of Luxbite’s flagship South Yarra store. The twist here is that the entire store is dedicated to tarts – from banana tarte tatin, with pandan and sesame, through to a cookie tart made with white chocolate milkshake mousse, caramel and chocolate tart. Oh, and there is a rainbow of macarons just waiting to be gobbled up.

Speciality coffee brewer Altius serves the caffeinated finale to The Archway offering. Established by two former Market Lane employees, Hannah Alderton and Jarrod Pageot, the duo brews their former employer’s blend, and serves it in ceramic mugs, handmade by Melbourne ceramicist Chris Plumridge. For those with a sweet tooth, Short Stop doughnuts are also on hand.