Between two slices of fluffy soft white bread, a fat crunchy-fried panko puck is filled with deliciously gelatinous pork set with a chicken jus jelly that liquefies and bursts upon first bite, like a soup dumpling.

Meet the pig’s head sanga – Melbourne’s most unlikely snack of the year – served in one of the best-looking under-an-apartment-block restaurants Melbourne’s yet seen.

In the heart of hip Collingwood, Congress nails both the drop-in-for-a-bite and settle-in-for-the-night brief for those living above and around, but it’s the skill and warmth of co-owner Katie McCormack who looks after the floor that elevates Congress into a must-visit for those who don’t call postcode 3066 home.

A menu that’s at once accessible and innovative keeps interest levels high. Kangaroo pastrami served with cultured cream and crunchy shallots is a taste-texture triumph, but so, too, is a plate of roasted brussels sprouts on a swipe of deeply creamy tahini.

Bigger plates such as Hopkins River beef and roasted Milawa chook are elegantly homely, while a Dutch spice cake is a surprisingly light sweet full stop. Wines lean into the non-interventionist winds without being blown away, with McCormack quick to suggest a splash of something that you might not have tried before, but will want to again. On every level, Congress delivers style and substance in spades.