Fenton

Just a few doors down from the treasured Carlton grocer Tanaka is the same team’s paddock-to-plate cafe and bistro – where almost everything on your plate is grown at the owners’ Gippsland farm.

For breakfast, you’ll find eggs with chakalaka (a rich, chunky South African relish); charred greens from the farm with house-made almond feta; and what the team calls the perfect hangover dish – a potato-rosti number with fried eggs and smoked cheese.

At Fenton’s harvest dinners, expect a seasonal, weekly-changing menu, plenty of booze and local DJs (so far, they’ve welcomed the likes of Sleep D, Zjoso and Disco Mediterranea. Past menus have featured braised fennel with harissa and yoghurt; nettle gnocchi; and tender pressed lamb with farm-pesto risotto and chimichurri.

The wine list – curated by Wiremu Andrews (Rockpool, Smalls Bar) – is all Australian, but mostly Victorian drops. Cocktails are simple – knock off with a Basil Gimlet or a Negroni with walnut liqueur.

The warm, welcoming space has a comforting farm-y feel – with plenty of timber, a bar topped with fence palings, recycled tabletops, bentwood chairs and massive, repurposed barn doors.