Time & Place

A striking burnt-red exterior and royal-blue umbrellas will grab your attention at Time & Place, an all-day diner in Bentleigh East. Inside, the former dry cleaner is fairly stripped-back, with white walls, Scandinavian-style timber chairs, and a long sky-blue bar down the middle, and out back there’s a bright and airy courtyard.

The menu includes an inventive waffle made of falafel served with tahini yoghurt, avocado, soft herbs, pickled red cabbage, a fried egg and a dollop of spicy, fragrant homemade zhug, a Yemeni condiment made with chilli, garlic, fresh herbs, cumin, cardamom, caraway and other spices. There’s a vegan Bircher made creamy with coconut-milk-soaked oats. It’s served with macerated, dried and fresh berries and purple basil. And the salmon rilette on rye is a textural, zesty, peppery mix of confit, smoked and cured salmon with chipotle, served with pickled onion, shaved fennel, a soft-boiled egg and half a lime.

There are colourful ready-made salads and sandwiches on display and a couple of whole cakes, muffins and vegan desserts. Coffee is by Clark Street.

The small store has shelves of house-made pickled vegetables, chilli jams, spice mixes and granola. There are also dips, roast meats, pork belly and smoked salmon.

Have a boozy brunch with an Aperol spritz or a Bloody Mary, or you can go for a limited selection of Aussie wine and beer, including drops from The Lake House in WA, or Wolf of the Willows in Melbourne.