Vic chip-shop thief takes cash, and lunch

Something fishy went down at a Melbourne fish-and-chip shop when a thief stole a large sum of money before collecting his lunch.

The opportunistic diner asked to use the bathroom before sneaking into an office and snatching the money from an open safe.

The man then casually took his fish and chips and left.

Police say the owners of the Carlton shop did not notice the missing cash until about an hour after the man left the store on Wednesday afternoon.

Detective Senior Constable Brooke Manley said police were shocked by the brazen nature of the crime.

"When you view the (CCTV) footage, he was particularly confident. He wasn't rushing," she said on Friday.

"To obviously be so brazen as to go and collect your order wouldn't generally occur. Offenders would be fairly quick to get out of the area but he hung around and collected his chips."

Police believe the same man, aged in his late 20s, attempted a burglary at a nearby yoghurt shop on May 30, but was thwarted by a locked door.

Det Sen Const Manley said the man stole a significant amount from the fish-and-chip shop.