WHAT’S HOT: Since the burger boom of 2015, our appetite for US foods has risen almost as high as our cholesterol levels. Our latest obsession is for the feel-good foods of the ‘50s: stacks of flapjacks, waffles with bacon and crispy potato home fries, all served by an apron-clad waitress named Shelley who calls you “hon”.

WHY: From its red vinyl bar stools to its chrome counters and chequerboard floors, there’s something deeply nostalgic about the American diner. Like a scene in a movie, we want to sit alone and read the newspaper, or slide into a booth and devour burgers with friends. They’re also refreshingly unfussy, and there’s always something on the menu that you’ll like.

TRY IT: JOLLYGOOD DINER, MELBOURNE
JollyGood Diner in Melbourne’s Collingwood is as American as apple pie, which also happens to feature on the menu. The all-day diner serves a build-your-own brekkie sandwich and buttermilk pancake stack in the daytime, before moving on to club sandwiches and cheeseburgers in the evenings. No bookings and communal seating make this the perfect spot for a casual bite or 1950s-style undercover stakeout.

GOOD BURGER, ADELAIDE
The name says it all. Smash burgers come with cheffy upgrades like raclette cheese, cornichons and diced onions. Fans of The Bear can also get their hands around a Chicago-style hot beef sandwich with cheesy fries.

OPERATOR DINER, MELBOURNE
This retro diner is straight out of a TV set, with brown timber veneer panelling, plush booths and branded mugs. We’re calling it for the banana split, which comes with whipped cream, vanilla wafers and maraschino cherries.

VALENTINAS, SYDNEY
Valentinas boasts a slick fit-out of terrazzo counters and red stools, where you could easily sit and sip the bottomless filter coffee all day. Breakfast runs until 3pm – our pick is the Tina Classic: scrambled eggs, home fries and pancakes.

Related news: This new Italian restaurant in The Shire has mastered the art of aperitivo