Extracted cafe Maling Road, Kok’n’Bull Boronia, Orchard Bar & Grill Ringwood among best new eateries in the east

Searching for a great coffee, hearty meal or happy hour special this weekend? Check out a grand old dame reimagined on Maling Rd, slow cooked meats in Boronia and steaks and chicken cooked over charcoal in Ringwood.

There’s no shortage of great venues in Melbourne’s east to check out.

Searching for a great coffee, hearty meal or happy hour special this weekend?

Check out our picks for some great venues to check out in the eastern suburbs.

Extracted

206 Canterbury Rd, Canterbury

Extracted is a new cafe operating out of the historic former post office in Maling Rd Canterbury.

A new business has opened in a much loved historic building in Melbourne’s iconic Maling Rd.

Extracted is a new cafe serving up breakfast, brunch and lunch from the newly renovated grand old former post office building on the corner of the popular Canterbury strip.

Steve McGinness, who co-owns the cafe with his business partners Jess and Lemei, said they were excited to open in such an iconic building.

Mr McGinness has been involved with running cafes for more than 20 years, and also runs Extracted cafe in Ivanhoe.

He said they had completed a four-level renovation of the iconic Mailing Rd building, which had become quite rundown.

The beautiful interior.

The whole inside has been repainted, a full commercial kitchen has been installed, and the building can now hold functions, including corporate events and birthday and engagement parties.

“Our brief was to keep the integrity and heritage of the building but also make a contemporary modern cafe at the same time and I think we’ve done a good job of it,” he said.

“We wanted to highlight the beautiful 4.3m ceilings and obviously the stained glass windows on three sides of the building.”

The cafe puts its own twist on some Melbourne brunch classics.

Mr McGinness owns his own coffee roasting factory in Knoxfield, and the cafe serves up different blends and single origin brews.

He said they had a strong team of chefs behind them, headed up by their head chef from Ivanhoe, to serve up Melbourne-style cafe food with their own twist.

Some of the cafe’s most popular items include the Extracted Benedict, featuring panko coated eggs, bacon and sriracha hollandaise served on roti bread.

Pan fried barramundi, and shakshuka, a Middle Eastern style egg baked in homemade tomato and mixed bean sauce, are other popular choices.

“We offer a comfortable space where anyone from teenagers to older people can come and sit down and enjoy a coffee and nice meal in a friendly environment,” Mr McGinness said.

The cafe also has vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.

There are also plenty of slices and cakes baked in-house to choose from.

The cafe is fully licensed and is open every day from 7-3pm.

Kok ‘n Bull

139 Boronia Rd, Boronia

The burgers are a hit at Kok ‘n Bull Boronia.

From families to footy players, this new Boronia restaurant is proving to be a big hit with locals.

Kok ‘n Bull opened in Boronia Rd about five months ago, cooking up slow cooked meats and burgers.

Manager Dean Hunkin said their chef Dave Thomas was passionate about everything he did, which was reflected in the standard of food in the restaurant.

“Everything we do is made in-house, nothing is brought in frozen, everything is fresh, all the burgers are handmade, the chicken parmas are handmade, and the sauces – everything is made in the restaurant,” Mr Hunkin said.

He said the restaurant owner had been involved with restaurants his whole life, and wanted to do what he did best with the new business, and offer something the area didn’t have.

“With our slow roasted meats, nobody in the area really offers anything like it,” Mr Hunkin said.

“We’re striving to be the best around.”

Generous portion sizes are on offer.

Mr Hunkin said they had received a great reaction from customers.

“We have a very broad patronage and we cater for everyone.”

And patrons will soon be able to enjoy a beer with their meal.

“At the moment we’re in the process of getting our liquor licence and hope to have that through soon,” he said.

The restaurant is open seven days from 11.30am to 9-9.30pm.

Orchard Bar and Grill at The Sebel Melbourne Ringwood

98 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

Fresh local produce is on offer at Orchard Bar and Grill.

Located inside The Sebel Melbourne Ringwood hotel, the restaurant recently had a name change to Orchard Bar and Grill, to reflect the fact many of its signature dishes are cooked over charcoal on its legendary Josper Grill.

Head chef Nathan George said the restaurant served rustic Victorian cuisine infused with rich charcoal Josper-grilled flavours.

Mr George’s culinary creations combine modern Australian cuisine with rustic nuances and a touch of Japanese influence.

The menu takes inspiration from the local community and features seasonal dishes that highlight the best offerings from nearby growers, producers, winemakers, and distillers in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges.

The seasonal menu features a lot of fresh produce from the Yarra Valley.

The general public and hotel guests are welcome to enjoy the restaurant every day.

“We get many people who have shopped it up at Eastland across the road, as well as workers from the local businesses and residents,” Mr George said.

“Our restaurant is sophisticated and welcoming and is open for everyone who wants a quality, memorable dining experience.”

New dishes on the menu include camembert baked over charcoal with local honey and fresh figs; kangaroo fillet marinated and grilled over charcoal; and a flame grilled chicken shish.

“This is a favourite of mine,” Mr George said.

“It’s tender chicken and fresh vegies marinated in our secret dry rub, grilled over open flames and served with spicy BBQ sauce.”

The 1.2kg black Angus tomahawk is a must for steak lovers, while for dessert, a layered rose and pistachio cheesecake is sure to leave sweet lovers satisfied.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also recently introduced a new happy hour drinks menu.

It’s available everyday from 4- 6pm and customers can enjoy half price wine by the glass (not bottles), beer, basic spirits (including specific brands), and cocktails (including speciality and non-alcoholic options.

Opening hours: Breakfast: Monday- Friday 6am-10am, Saturday-Sunday, 7am-11am

Lunch: Monday-Friday, 12pm-3pm

Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday, 5.30-10.30pm

All Day Dining: Daily: 12pm-9pm