Essenza Yarra Valley

It could be mistaken for Healesville’s own walk-in pantry: less than two metres wide, Essenza crams in a long wooden pew and tables, a wall of top-shelf comestibles and, at the back, a galley kitchen where brilliant coffee is brewed. Then there’s the food: knotty croissants with Jam Lady jam; terracotta-baked eggs cooked to just-runny rightness with pancetta, fontina and passata; and antipasti boards piled with prosciutto, buffalo fior di latte, aged cheddar, warmed nuts. Lucky staff are welcoming as it’s a close-quarters experience, and once you’ve slotted in, it’s hard to leave - for assistance, there’s always the caffeine-sugar hit of affogato.