Located in the heart of Newport, meet Heart of Hall; the all-in-one cooking school meets cafe meets shop catering to various cooking needs (and wants).

Cold and rainy mornings are best spent on the couch or in bed with a snug throw, piping hot mug of something and a nice book. The same could be said for sitting in the natural light-filled interior of Heart of Hall, with a nice cuppa coffee (Small Batch Roasting Co.) and homey brunch spread while the rain pelts against the windows. At least this was the case for our visit earlier this winter, although I certainly wouldn’t have complained about some warmth and sunshine either...

Menus are updated seasonally, and the mushroom ragout and baked eggs we ordered during our visit were apt for the cold weather, filled to the brim with tasty winter comfort that warmed both the taste buds and soul. And we couldn’t leave without trying one of their baked treats that greeted us upon entry of the cafe, ending our meal with a superbly balanced zesty lemon tart to share; the silky filling rivalling the buttery, melt-in-the-mouth shortness of the pastry. .

Wild mushroom ragout - with carrot crisps, baby spinach on polenta cake.

Baked eggs - with house made baked beans, chorizo, Meredith Dairy marinated goats cheese, with toasted bread.

Lemon tart.

Heart of Hall

17 Hall St,

Newport, Victoria, 3015.

+61 3 9939 5819

https://heartofhall.com.au/

Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Heart of Hall. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.