Townhouse

Toorak. Tractor. Tudor. Trude. The word associations around Melbourne's best postcode roll off the tongue like rooftop honey.

Especially Tudor. Whenever I think of Toorak I picture that strip of pretendy olde England derided by a young Robin Boyd in 1941 as a ''maudlin riot of half timbered, crenulated erections''. In that same strip of Toorak Road remains a remnant of the more austere Georgian-inflected Victorian architecture that Boyd preferred, and in one of those Victorian shopfronts is Townhouse, a newish cafe that has been applauded for finally bringing specialty coffee to Trak.

There's a playful nod to the Village's mock-Tudor styling in the geometric wallpaper and a subtle bit of timber fretwork on the bar in the otherwise white and pale timber space, but there's nothing on the menu that Henry VII or VIII would recognise as breakfast: least of all the breakfast salad with parmesan panna cotta.

It turns out to be a pretty plate of poached eggs with a slab of panna cotta surrounded by a salad of witlof, oak leaf lettuce and beet leaves with slices of pear and a salty dressing. The eggs are nicely runny-yolked, the panna cotta creamy, and its parmesan flavouring more gently umami than full-on cheesy.

Also prettily plated is the smoked salmon on dark rye bread: two neat squares of dense, pumpernickel-style rye draped with the salmon and topped with a poached egg, salmon roe and a slather of preserved-lemon hollandaise. The salmon and eggs play a smoky-eggy duet, the hollandaise adds a little lemony tang and is a creamy foil to the rye - rendering the quenelle of creamy whipped avocado on the plate superfluous.

The stars at lunch include the Townhouse burger, a house-made Angus beef patty with free-range bacon, cheese and pickles on a brioche bun, served on a board with fries; a fish pie; and market fish with Asian coleslaw and yuzu tartare.

A slow-cooked pork roll with kohlrabi kimchi and coriander mayo also came on a board with a toothpick spear to hold it together, which it didn't really need. The limp kimchi was more of a distraction than an enhancement: this sandwich could have used a bit more textural contrast, as in crunch. The Reuben at a neighbouring table looked a better sandwich bet and when I went back for a second visit the pork roll and kohlrabi kimchi had vanished from the menu.

The crowd? Well, there are Ray-Bans and puffer vests, Hermes scarves and elastic-sided boots, but not so much that a preschooler in granddaddy daycare couldn't turn the communal table into a Matchbox car park.

The house-blend Rosso beans are chocolatey and pleasant in a flat white. The specialty bit of the coffee offer is single origins from local roasters: a Colombian Las Margaritas from Maling Room that was rich and lush, or maybe a bright and sweetly fruity Burundi with a toasted finish from Reverence.

Toorak. Tractor. Tudor. Trude. Add another ''T'' for Townhouse.

Do… Leave the cliches at home: this isn't just for ''ladies who lunch''
Don't… Miss the mock-Tudor architecture
Vibe… Relaxed cafe chi-chi
Dish… Smoked salmon on dark rye

The Age Good Cafe Guide 2014 is available in selected bookshops and online at theageshop.com.au for $9.99.