The Long Paddock

Anton Eisenmenger and Tanya Bertino are two chefs with many esteemed notches on their career belts, including Vue de Monde, Cumulus Inc. and The Botanical. In 2016 they went out on their own and moved closer to family (Bertino grew up in Lindenow). They struck gold when they came across an old bakery site complete with the original Scotch oven. They cleared out the clutter, kept the Art Deco light fittings, restored the bricks in the oven and gave everything a fresh lick of white paint.

Scones and tea are staples of any country kitchen, and you'll find these in the cafe's renowned cake cabinet, alongside peach Melba pavlova and lemon tart. Patrons tend to browse the desserts first, before deciding how big their lunch should be. Vintage furniture and dainty teacups tie in with the heritage theme, while old-timey tunes filter through the room.

Locals from all over the wide expanse that is Gippsland visit regularly and bring friends from out of town. Melbourne folks should make the trek to appreciate the over-achieving dishes in what is otherwise a sleepy country town. Local produce is at the heart of every dish: vegetables from two doors down, chorizo from Stratford and prawns from Lakes Entrance, which are fashioned into a prawn toast that rivals the best of Chinatown. The weekly Sunday roast is a real treat, too. It's slow-cooked in the 100-year-old woodfired Scotch oven.