When Matteo Giordano was growing up, his grandmother never threw out stale focaccia. Instead she soaked it in tomatoes and added some basil and olive oil to make pappa al pomodoro.

When he opened Pane e Latte in late 2016, the traditional dish found its way onto the menu, updated with fresh bread, charcoal cracker and soft-poached egg.

The cafe is a paean to his upbringing in Gioia del Colle, a small town in southern Italy. Black-and-white family photographs adorn the walls. Simple stoneware plates and Formica tables were sourced from op shops and auctions to mimic the kitchens he grew up in.

The kitchen turns out brunch standards with a twist. There's smoked scamorza and mushroom; tiramisu pancakes; and benedetto (eggs Benedict). Smashed avocado gets a slight tweak with focaccia, buffalo ricotta and passata, and the granola bowl is topped with honey mascarpone.

The mascarpone gets a turn again in the bomboloni, made in-house by Giordano. There are also strawberry jam and nutella options. Lunch favours pasta, seasonal share plates and antipasto. Coffees are dispensed from a gleaming Rocket Espresso Milano machine.