Chef Dave Stewart, former AFL star Shaun Hampson and his partner, model Megan Gale, converted the old milk bar into a thriving cafe in 2014, but only opened it as an after-hours eatery months before the pandemic hit.

The brunch service continues, but come evening and you can expect Euro-inspired small bites, charcuterie plates, pasta and meats thrown over the grill, and if you’ve got room, a homestyle dessert (think salted-caramel Viennetta).

Green leather banquette seats, dark timber tables and a long-stretching bar could be the place to sling back yuzu-spiked cocktails, handsomely shaken by Hampson, or share a bottle of vino while snacking on Japanese sea scallops dotted with whipped cod roe cream and smoked speck.

Or perhaps the paccheri, tubelike pasta drenched in a striking red Aleppo pepper vodka sauce showered in salty pancetta, will do the trick. Whatever the occasion, know the Ascot Food + Wine vision is clear: great food, smart service and all-round good times. 

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