Roasts, ramen and giant pies: 14 dishes you won’t want to miss this winter

Dry lips and soggy feet are no fun, but slow braises and cosy pastas bring upside to the cooler months. And Melbourne’s chefs are embracing the change of season, seizing on blink-and-you’ll-miss-it seasonal produce, warming spices and richer dishes to fire up our tastebuds. Get ’em while they’re hot.

Aegli: Pork, prunes and chestnuts

Brined then grilled pork loin, bathed in a sauce made with chestnuts, prunes and the Greek red wine xinamavro ($45), is the ultimate winter dish, according to chef Ioannis Kasidokostas. Symbolising wealth and sustenance, fertility and prosperity, it hails from northern Greece and is steeped in culinary traditions that date back to Byzantine times.

226 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, aegli.melbourne

Supernormal: Ramen

This hatted restaurant’s ramen special ($24) has become a winter highlight on par with a Friday night win at the MCG. Bone broth, developed over two days, is further enhanced by dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu and white miso. Prawn and chicken dumplings, grilled chicken, and a soy-marinated egg add heft. Available weekdays only at lunch – and yes, it often sells out.

180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, supernormal.net.au

Ripe: Truffle and cheese toastie

Mad for truffles? This artisanal cheese shop at Queen Victoria Market is, too. Until the end of August, rope a mate into splitting the truffle fondue ($27) with you, scooped from a hollowed baguette; pick up house-made truffled triple cream brie ($22.50); or go the whole hog with Melbourne’s “most truffled toastie” ($29). Oozy mozzarella and cheddar are loaded with 10 grams of fresh Australian truffle and a hit of truffle honey. (A slightly less truffle-heavy version is available on Wednesdays at sibling business Golden cafe on Collins Street).

Shop 61-65, Dairy Hall, Queen Victoria Market, 525 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, ripecheese.com.au

North Fitzroy Arms: Bangers and mash

A fresh interpretation of this pub staple stars house-made beef and pork sausages seasoned with pepper, mace and sage, resting on a generous dollop of extra buttery mash with mustard-spiked onion gravy ($34). No visit to this history-drenched neighbourhood pub is complete without sticky date pudding, dancing on treacle with a hint of spice, topped with house-made malt ice-cream ($17).

296 Rae Street, North Fitzroy, northfitzroyarms.com.au

Elchi: Sigdi machhi

The Northern Indian-inspired fish tikka called sigdi machhi ($26) surfaces at this city restaurant only during the cooler months, with owner-chef Manpreet Sekhon admitting her curries are a tad hotter in winter. “Winter dishes were designed to keep the body warm and healthy, long before people relied on modern medicine,” she says. Chef Sekhon’s comfort dish adds an extra-spicy house-made wari (black peppercorn, whole chilli and lentils) to a traditional sigdi machhi recipe and is served with charred lemon and mint.

72 Flinders Street, Melbourne, elchirestaurant.com.au

Stokehouse Pasta & Bar: Capretto osso buco

Executive chef Jason Staudt didn’t hesitate when Meredith Farm Produce suggested he use their goat meat for a winter special. Sourced from former dairy goats, it’s perfect for braising and roasting. Staudt uses it in a bone-warming osso buco that comes with mushrooms and fregola alongside wood-fired pita, pickled onions and parsley – part of a $60 set menu at the casual downstairs diner at Stokehouse.

30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, stokepastaandbar.com.au

Ciao Cielo: Ravioli with pine mushrooms

“One of my favourite ingredients to work with is the pine mushroom, which tends to have an extremely short season,” says Ciao Cielo executive chef Bryan Nelson, who goes foraging to find the tasty fungi. From July, he will offer a special of goat curd and pine nut ravioli with pine mushrooms, sage and butter. It’ll be here for a good time, not a long time.

115 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, ciaocielo.com.au

Enbarr: Sunday roast

Every Sunday in July, Irish restaurant Enbarr – part of Auntie Annie’s, the pub that opened last year on the former site of The Quiet Man – offers a hearty roast chook feast to share with trimmings such as creamy mash, slow-roasted heirloom carrots, and Brussels sprouts with maple bacon ($55 a head). To finish, a chocolate mousse with Bailey’s Irish Cream and crumble.

271 Racecourse Road, Kensington, enbarrmelbourne.com.au

Reed House: Pie to share

As the days get cooler, this British-inspired, hatted restaurant in a heritage-listed bluestone building shifts into heavier braised meats and seasonal veg for its renowned pies ($80), big enough to share between two, three or even four diners. Dark beer and beef pies made with suet pastry will soon appear, while the kitchen is also working towards a special Christmas in July pie that remains under wraps.

130 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, reedhousemelbourne.com

Jimmy’s Deli: Avgolemono

Chef Eleftheria Amanatidis has fond memories of her yiayia’s avgolemono: a creamy, zesty chicken soup served as a remedy when she was unwell or during winter as a cosy fix-all. At Amanatidis’ homey, takeaway-driven venue, nab one of the few tables to properly savour the small toasted cob loaf that’s carved out for the hearty soup to be poured into ($18).

30 Anderson Street, Yarraville, bio.site/jimmysdeli

Mister Bianco: Gold leaf cannoli

Chef Joseph Vargetto’s golden cannoli ($12 each) – encrusted with edible gold – are making a comeback, an indulgence just in time for grey days and dark nights. “There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the world and this is a way for guests to enjoy something fun and decadent,” says Vargetto, who first created the dessert during the uncertainties of 2020.

26-28 Cotham Road, Kew, misterbianco.com.au

Etta: Laksa

Head chef Lorcan Kan’s curry laksa special ($38) returns for a second year, this time with the addition of chewy alkaline noodles made from scratch. He uses kansui – made from the ash of the restaurant’s oyster shells roasted in fire – for the alkaline powder that gives the noodles their bite. The coconut curry soup is aromatic with lemongrass, galangal, chilli, coriander and tamarind, with spicy sambal and house-made egg tofu headlining. Served every Wednesday until August 26.

60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, ettadining.com.au

Gimlet: Pears Foster

There’s a new tableside dessert at the very glam Gimlet, inspired by the New Orleans classic bananas Foster. Russet-coloured red d’Anjou pears meet brown sugar caramel, cinnamon and a barley and oat crumb, with the whole lot flambéed at the table. Brown butter ice-cream and creme anglaise are the final touches on the late-night treat ($56), available Sunday to Thursday from 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 10pm.

33 Russell Street, Melbourne, gimlet.melbourne

Caterina’s Cucina e Bar: Lasagnella

To owner Caterina Borsato, lasagnella (not lasagne) is the perfect winter dish, a favourite of her nonna’s that uses delicate crespelle (crepes) instead of pasta sheets. At Borsato’s hideaway city restaurant, the dish (from $34.50) comprises four to five layers of crespelle, braised venison from Gippsland, Mount Macedon slippery jack mushrooms, peppery cime di rapa greens, bechamel and extra nutty, large chestnuts sourced from Bright before the season ends in late July.

221 Queen Street, Melbourne, caterinas.com.au