Alejandro Saravia is the man behind both Farmer’s Daughters, a three-storey love letter to Gippsland at 80 Collins, and Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters, a bar at Fed square that showcases the best of the state’s food, drink and art.

In April this year, Saravia, a Peruvian chef who has lived in Australia since 2006, opened Morena in Sydney, a sophisticated Latin American diner in Martin Place’s 150-year-old GPO building. The chef says he wanted to resurrect the Morena brand, adding that Morena was the name of the now-shuttered first restaurant he opened in Australia.

He’s bringing the concept to Melbourne and will open two Morena venues on Little Collins Street this spring: Morena restaurant, a formal affair with both an à la carte option and set chef’s menu, and Morena Barra, an all-day bar inspired by Latin American cantinas.

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Morena – a term sometimes used to describe brown-haired women in Latin America – “is also an attitude, self-confidence, really showing elegance, but at the same time, cheekiness and sassiness” Saravia tells Broadsheet.

In contrast to Farmer’s Daughters, where at opening, Saravia told Broadsheet that “the only thing Peruvian here [at Farmer’s Daughters] is me – and a small bull figurine that’s part of indigenous Inca culture”, Morena in Melbourne will highlight dishes from Peru and other Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela.

“Each restaurant will have its own identity – each Morena is a different Morena. It’s a different woman. It’s a different person.” The Melbourne Morena will share some dishes with the Sydney outpost, but will have a different feeling and a fit-out inspired by Tulum.

With the restaurant, Saravia says he wants to re-focus the ways that Melburnians engage with Latin American cultures and cuisines. “Latin America is considered one of the gastronomical hubs [of] the world,” he says.

“We want to bring an elevated, refined professional experience that takes our guests on a journey through Latin American flavours and traditions. And we want to stay completely away from all the stereotypes.”

Morena Melbourne and Morena Barra are expected to open at 71 Little Collins Street this spring.