In a gloriously restored Tudor-fronted ex-service station – the namesake Glover’s Station – you’ll find some of Melbourne’s best daytime eats, cafe staples elevated into the sublime. House-smoked baked beans might come with whipped feta and crunchy nuggets of corn, while excellent Otway ham hock transforms the eggs benedict into a best-ever winner, only bettered by the pulled pork roll served with a slab of cracking crackling alongside. Butter-soft braised ox tongue is served on crusty bread smeared with mustard butter and sweet onion puree, with two chilli-flecked fried eggs. It’s somewhat of a signature dish on Brett Hobbs’ menu that makes the most of the changing seasons and the veggie box out the back.

That Glover’s has been such a hit since opening in March comes as no surprise, given co-owners (along with Hobbs) Jim Marinis and Mary-Jane Daffy (last seen at Bentleigh’s Little Tommy Tucker) are on the floor looking after the bustling 90-seater stylish split-level room with gracious aplomb. Coffee from Dukes is excellent, while a changing roster of single-origin and batch brews take care of the bean geeks, and tea is created with equal care.

Lunch might take the form of a mixed grain superfood salad topped with cured trout for the virtuous, a brilliant corned beef roll with pickles and sharp cheddar for the less so, but whichever way you turn you find restaurant smarts at keen cafe prices. Some of the best eats that will get your motor running, indeed.

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