Winter Malvern

Winter Malvern is nothing you haven’t seen before, but that’s kind of the point. Owner Julien Moussi wants diners to come back to Winter for the service, the food and the atmosphere rather than on-trend decor.

It’s a humbler space than his other five venues, which include the design-award winning Bentwood in Fitzroy, Clubhouse Malvern and Stanley in Mount Waverley. Winter has clean white walls, cosy banquettes and custom-made birch tables and chairs to seat 70. The minimal decor plays off against the hum of locals on a busy Saturday morning, with old-school R’n’B tunes playing.

A serve of rich, tender beef ribs are marinated for 24 hours, then slow-cooked for six. They come stacked on top of parmesan polenta next to two poached eggs with chipotle hollandaise. A plate of fluffy chocolate crumpets comes topped with fried banana, strawberries, Nutella and whipped blackberry butter.

There are more health-conscious options too. Chia pudding comes with buckwheat granola, coconut yoghurt, raspberries and mango. The breakfast bowl is loaded with veggies, pita chips, haloumi, cashew pesto and avocado. And a salad of broccolini, sugar snap peas and asparagus arrives with a poached egg, dusted with za’atar.

For kids, mini mango-smoothie bowls, peanut butter and banana on toast, or omelettes on sourdough.

There’s coffee by Moussi’s roastery, Inglewood Coffee Roasters, and tea by Chamellia.