The tone is set as you walk in: the glow of charcoal from the open kitchen, the swift choreography of chefs, hot flashes of capsicum, a cool pool of herbs. Worn brick walls are hung with vintage family photos, there are paper tablecloths and tumblers hold indie Victorian wines (or ouzo), poured by a zippy floor crew. And there’s no simpler menu in Melbourne. It’s about 12 words long, one for each dish: eggplant, lamb, fish, salad.

The brevity creates a mood. You either give all your trust to the kitchen, or build a rapport with your waiter. Eggplant is roasted over coals and mashed with wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano and home-grown parsley. Fava beans are blitzed with caramelised onions.

A ciabatta-focaccia hybrid is laced with bush honey, and grilled lamb fillets come under a shower of herbs with tzatziki. The through-line is fire, salt, lemon, olive oil and love.

Good to know: The owners’ mums make the cakes – our picks are the olive-oil pound cake or bay leaf and ricotta.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.