Sitting back with a coffee and fresh crumpets in an adorable café in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges might well be the best way to start the day.
Lorna Melbourne is the perfect brunch destination for Ferntree Gully locals and Melburnians on a jaunt to the Dandenongs, and it's only a ten-minute drive from the ever-popular 1,000 Steps.
The 90-seat café caters to all kinds of tastes, from the kale and quinoa health bowl with dried cranberries, sweet potato hummus to the fried chicken with cheesy waffles, jalapeño sauce and gremolata.
There are also plenty of lunch options on the menu, like toasties, a Caesar salad and a Miami-style Cuban sandwich filled with roast pork shoulder and pickle relish, a nod to co-owner Omar Viramontes's American heritage. Viramontes co-owns the café with his husband, Josh O'Brien, who have decades of hospitality experience between them.
Executive chef Rob Hawke says the menu has a real emphasis on local ingredients. “With a strong focus on sourcing healthy, local ingredients like native Australian kosho and spirulina we’ve ensured a well-rounded delicious and nutritious menu for all our customers” he says, “There’s also the always-favourite southern fried chicken waffles on the menu, because life’s all about that balance!”
O’Brien and Viramontes also own nearby Maria Café in Upwey and Nancy Eatery in Pakenham. They also have a wholesale bakery, Clementine Lane.
O'Brien says, “We just love what we do. We believe in great coffee, service and delicious, well-sourced food. We love seeing people out brunching again after what seemed like an eternity of shutdowns in the past couple of years.”
