When the walk to work becomes a battle of the wills between your coat and the wind, the promise of a hot meal can get you through the day. Here’s our guide on where to go when you want to warm the cockles of your heart and get a fire in your belly.

The Soup Place

An oldie but a goodie, The Soup Place is a Centre Place institution. We dare you to walk past the rows of kitsch cauldrons without stopping. When the lids are lifted on the nine different soups a plume of steam rises up and every single time we want to warm our hands and stick our noses in for a sniff. They sell nachos and pulled pork too but it’s hard to pass up chunky beef burgundy or a hearty potato, leak and bacon.

The Town Mouse

The team behind Carlton’s new eatery are happy to criss-cross the culinary map, with chef Dave Verheul given artistic license. If it’s cold outside, skip the Venison Tartare and Bonito Salad in the Raw section, linger on a decadent milk roasted Berkishire pork leg and snack on hay-cooked kipflers. Make sure you save room for dessert; the must-do dish is a Chocolate Tart with Thai Flavours – chilli crumble adds kick to chocolate ganache centre and a peanut and white chocolate shell. It’s the dish that has the foodies talking.  

Dainty Sichuan

If you can feel the cold in your bones, it’s time for a Spicy fish hot pot. South Yarra’s Dainty Sichuan has a menu designed for people who can take the heat. Chicken out and choose items with just one chilli symbol or feel the burn if you’re going with three. The fish hot pot is a jumble of white fish, mushroom, pepper, soy beans and Thai chillies. Tackle as much as you dare because this dish is definitely not for the faint hearted.

The Soup Place
14 Centre Place, Melbourne
T: 0412 553 449

The Town Mouse
Lunch and dinner, Weds-Sunday
312 Drummond St Carlton
T: 03 9347 3312

Dainty Sichuan
76 Toorak Rd, South Yarra
T: (O3) 9078 1686