Left Field

That Left Field deftly discovered an uncatered-for appetite in this pocket of Carnegie is unsurprising. Its founders – Matt Vero, Hugh Hindle, Steve Rowley, Kerrie Townley and Ryan Lording – already collectively opened a string of hits such as Tall Timber, Touchwood, Rustica Canteen, Marquis of Lorne, Homeslice Pizza and, most recently, Short Straw. Together, they’re a well-oiled machine.

Designed by Fiona Drago and fitted out with custom-made furniture from iamnotmason, Left Field is a series of discrete dining spaces, with significant street-side seating and a little courtyard out back.

Lording, former head chef at Tall Timber, brings a Middle Eastern vibe to the menu, making generous use of tahini and cumin, house-made dukkahs and fresh chermoula. Breakfast might include beetroot-cured ocean trout served with quinoa salad and avocado salad, or a smoked-beef short rib braised in pomegranate and served with spicy black beans, feta and a fried egg on Turkish bread.

Past lunch options have included a pulled-pork burger served on a triple-decker black brioche bun with jalapeno jack cheese, apple, cabbage and chilli slaw, seasoned with fresh coriander and lime. There’s always a nice cacophony of flavours, but the emphasis is on health, too.

If you can’t stay long, there’s Niccolo’s house-blend coffee and a range of single-origins. A liquor licence is somewhere down the track.