Hannah

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141 Chapel Street, St Kilda, 9534 4442

My score: 4/5

I’m all for the ‘I always dreamt of opening a cafe’ passion project but it’s a pleasurable relief to walk into a place that’s professional and poised from day one. That’s the water-glass-half-full vibe at Hannah, a new hangout from Jason Bates, the guy who ran Middle Park’s Mart 130 and St Kilda’s Grocery Bar in its grousest days. The corner cafe is at the base of an apartment development near Carlisle Street – this notch on the latte belt is well supplied but there’s always room for one more cafe if it is really, really good. The corner premises is spacious; pot plants, stucco, watchful elephant figurines and music on vinyl add texture to a clean fit-out. A window bench has delightful views of St Kilda cop shop.

The menu is exciting, quickly covering off build-your-own eggs and extras before moving onto inspired other options. I loved the smoked trout with fresh leaves (witlof, radicchio, spinach), poached egg and salsa made with samphire, a briny coastal succulent plant. It’s a fancy breakfast salad, really, full of honest flavour and varied texture. It’s gluten free, too, but doesn’t make a song and dance about it. Mushrooms for brunch aren’t radical but the Hannah version ’shrooms to the next level with five fungi, poached egg and melty, pungent fontina cheese on toast. A judicious drizzling of truffle oil stitches the elements together. There’s also a highly conceptual ‘Saint Beans’ dish with red, white and black pulses served cassoulet style with toasted breadcrumbs and (optional) shredded ham hock. The serve looks small but packs a hefty punch. When brunch starts to feel like lunch there are a couple of hero sandwiches (a Club with chicken, egg, bacon and anchovy mayo, and a Scotch fillet steak sanger with beetroot remoulade) plus pasta and exuberant salads.

There’s also something ridiculously fabulous: brioche French toast chocolate sandwich. This extravagant, golden, oozy concoction comes with orange parfait and pistachio crumble. How is a person supposed to stay sane when that is going on in their neighbourhood? The coffee is great but the caffeine scene isn’t geeky – a single origin bean is listed on the blackboard but there’s no mad scientist brewing it. The toilets are true restrooms: sparkling and stylish, in keeping with the public zones and further boosting the notion that Hannah is a class act.

More brunch stars:

Cru, 916 Glenferrie Road, Kew, 9818 4366
Brunches are fresh and seasonal and the fruit salad is one of the best in town.

Pillar of Salt, 541 Church Street, Richmond, 9421 1550
Everything sounds good (mango pannacotta, red chilli scrambled eggs) but it’s hard to go past Summer in Paris: half a grapefruit, a croissant and French butter. Ooh la la.

Nabiha, 10 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds, 0400 937 418
It’s a tiny little place but the coffee and the food is whole-hearted. Try fruit toast with ricotta and grilled eggs with chorizo.

First published in The Age, October 6, 2013