Just Open: The Diplomat, Highett

The Diplomat is a triple threat; business partners Eben Hocking (front of house), Bill Stafilis (coffee) and head chef Russell Kingston are alumni of Bentleigh East's Merchants Guild. This is their first owner-operated venture together, and you can tell they've been practising. Their recently renovated space is long, lean and minimalist with blonde wood benches, hanging shades of green and caramel-coloured glass and plenty of room for prams and highchairs. A pretty good job by Hocking and Stafilis, considering they not only designed the place but built most of it too.

It's hands down the best coffee on the block. A custom La Marzocco pumps out rich espresso to a banging hip hop soundtrack: Padre beans for white coffee and local roasters Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird for black brew. The menu is food intolerance friendly (how diplomatic), with plenty of ways to avoid gluten, nuts or dairy if that's your thing. A hockey-puck sized potato rosti is flanked by excellent house-cured gin-infused salmon (legitimately booze for breakfast) and curly yuzu-dressed kale. Lunch brings a substantial superfood salad of root vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds with a beetroot yoghurt.

We're certain the locals are giddy over this excellent addition to the neighbourhood and, if you have to cross town, you can't beat the location – it's so close to the train station you could literally peg one of their delicious Snickers-flavoured muffins right at it.

The Diplomat, 4 Railway Parade, Highett, 9939 6289, thediplomatcafe.com.au