The Penny Drop

The Penny Drop started its life as a little coffee pop-up store in Box Hill. After seeing how popular it was, the penny dropped for the owners and the aptly named The Penny Drop café and all-day eatery was born.

This 100-seater restaurant has a truly inviting space with plenty of natural light streaming through into its open space that boasts high ceilings and muted earthy tones – perfect for those that wish to escape the daily Melbourne grind.

Coffee is (as expected) excellent and the accompanying menu is versatile enough to take you from breakfast to dinner. There are a range of breakfast classics to keep traditionalists happy as well as more unique dishes that have an Asian inspired twist for those who are keen to explore.

We loved every dish we sampled at The Penny Drop.

For something light and wholesome the Steamed Barramundi is a stunner. We loved that the fish has been steamed in a classic combination of ginger, shallot, shaoxing rice wine and white soy. The fluffy lemon pilaf and grilled cauliflower were the perfect accompaniments.

For something heartier the miso gnocchi certainly satisfied. Pan-fried gnocchi is tossed with roasted vegetables in luxurious miso butter and finished with shaved parmesan for good measure.

Whatever you do, do not leave without trying the pancakes here. Think fluffy pancakes adorned with condensed milk mascarpone, boba pearls, Thai tea parfait, almond crunch, bananas brûlée and fresh fruits. It’s truly a thing of beauty.

Location: 913 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill

Phone: (03) 9077 7455

Link: www.thepennydrop.com.au