If you’re after home-style food and history in every bite – head to Grandma’s Little Bakery. On the corner of Collins and O’Riordan streets, this latest addition to Alexandria’s brunch scene comes from the successful Grandma’s Little Bakery in Collector, near Canberra.

When we visited on a rainy winter’s day, we were met at the door by the smell of fresh-baked bread. We fell in love with the classic Shakshuka – an egg and tomato dish served in the pan it was made in, with a side of organic bread and a coriander dip. The morroccan beef casserole with wild rice is also a goer – rich and hearty. As is Grandma Haya’s Borekas – flakey and light pastry pillows filled with spinach and feta. Each of the recipes come from grandparents, harking back to a mixture of European and Middle Eastern origins.

If flicking through the iPad menu, complete with portion-accurate photos of each meal so you can see what you are ordering, isn’t enough to whet your appetite, there is a tasting bar with samples of the sweet and savoury baked treats and the dips available in house. Most dishes are healthy and meet Grandma’s house rules: no deep-frying, no cooking with butter, added cream, sugar or preservatives.

Olives are everywhere here, from the garnish on the dishes to the olive oil for sale in the store at the back of the restaurant. The store also stocks some of the more unusual ingredients used in the cooking here  – like tamarind syrup, chilli jam, carob molasses or giant moghrabieh couscous, so you can try out ‘Grandma’s’ recipes at home.

Where: 42 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria
Phone: 9690 0069
Hours: Open every day 7am-4pm
Details: grandmasbakery.com.au