Name a more anticipated (scrutinised or even unlucky) restaurant opening than Chris Lucas’ Society. Not only has it survived the departure of star couple Martin Benn and Vicki Wild but it also copped a bad run of Covid lockdowns and staff shortages. More than 12 months on and executive chef Luke Headon has shaken most of Benn’s DNA from the menu and is now serving his own spin on first class fare. Society is where you can try things that may otherwise be out of reach: sip Pol Roger or Montrachet by the glass, try $55 caviar martinis made with nori butter washed vodka or take your pick from an impressive cellar boasting back vintages of Romanée Conti and 1945 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes that’ll have you remortgaging the house. That wow-factor extends to the food, namely the silky bluefin tuna lapping in a brilliant egg yolk emulsion with immense depth of flavour and that mind-bending textural celeriac and nashi pear dish. Some larger plates are ho-hum on the yum, while technically correct, but desserts are more delightfully dramatic, especially the chocolate-moulded Metropolis that mirrors 80 Collins’ architecture. Society packs plenty of style and substance for those keen to be seen. 80 Collins St, Melbourne; 80collins.com.au.

The Victor Churchill door handle is a link of sausages, cast in bronze. It’s the first clue this is no ordinary butcher. Inside lies a space that could as easily be a diamond showroom as a meat market. Gleaming vitrines of pies, parfaits and terrines flank the walls. Slabs of premium beef hang like artworks in the curing room, purpose-built with backlit Himalayan salt blocks. It’s worth recalling that when Anthony Puharich opened his first butchery in Sydney in 2009, it was christened “the most beautiful butcher shop in the world” by the late Anthony Bourdain. The capstone of the lavish fit-out is the horseshoe bar, where diners assemble at 12 coveted olive-green leather stools. The menu echoes the decadence of the surrounds. Surrender to it. A ‘cigar’ of wagyu bresaola wrapped over Parmigiano Reggiano is slicked with olive oil, thyme and shallot. Tiny but tremendously satisfying. As is the grill-charred arrow squid on a creamy smudge of ajo blanco (white garlic). Impeccable steaks, such as the charry Rangers Valley Black Market flank, are cherry-red inside and sauced with cafe de Paris butter. Have it with fries and Paris mash, because there’s no such thing as excess here. 953 High St, Armadale; victorchurchill.com.

We’re not cooking with gas at Matilda – instead restaurateur Scott Pickett is playing with fire at his sexy-chic eatery and, in true Aussie style, is giving everything a go on the grill. See it for yourself perched at one of eight ringside seats overlooking the fire-powered kitchen, or find a table in the moody dining room. Head chef Aleksis Kalnins is on the pots and pans, championing the best from land and sea. Make a taco from grill-branded flatbreads slathered in Matilda’s prawn butter and a healthy dose of Fraser Island spanner crab, dressed in creme fraiche and finger lime. You’d be forgiven for thinking staff have made a rare misstep when the Milla Farm dry-aged duck hits the table with two plates, but one is for the breast and one for the pressed leg, each rocking crisp skin and juicy, cherry wood-smoked flesh. Native ingredients make a serious play, seen in the foamy strawberry gum cocktail, saltbush-seasoned lamb ribs or refreshing eucalyptus ice cream. Make a night of it by staying upstairs at boutique hotel United Places. But don’t stray the next day, as Matilda is also open for brunch. What will it be? Croque monsieur or wood-fired waffle s’mores? 159 Domain Rd, South Yarra; matilda159.com.

Scott Pickett’s Euro-bistro is straight out of a Bond film. Step back through time as you enter the historic Normanby Chambers in the heart of the CBD, now home to a slick establishment dripping with opulence. Chancery Lane delivers Pickett’s vision of plating up modern food using classic techniques. There’s a brilliant balance of seafood and meat options against seasonal produce. Peek beyond the green marble bar to catch waiters trading wine secrets about the long-stretching drinks list with the sommelier. Live a little and start with a caviar bump tableside followed by wagyu tartare seasoned with confit celery, tomato, shallot, horseradish and Dijon mustard, artfully dusted in seaweed powder. You can’t skip the sea perch mousseline (cream and egg white sauce) in a warm saffron bisque, dotted with caviar. While the ricotta gnocchi is ever-changing, on this visit the fluffy pillows are drenched in a glossy brown butter and mushroom sauce. The mains are large enough to share, such as the dry-aged duck with cognac and fig. Chancery Lane looks expensive and may be easily pigeonholed as a special-occasion restaurant, but the lavish experience, premiere ingredients and eye for detail is worth every penny, whenever you like. 430 Little Collins St, Melbourne; chancerylane.com.au.

Fire and food are the lifeblood of restaurant king Chris Lucas’s new establishment, Grill Americano. The handsome space beams big New York energy, with dark features and lofty ceilings. Huddle into a clamshell banquette, or sip negronis at the white marble bar for a ringside seat of the kitchen. It’s anchored by a custom-made woodfire oven, stoked by head chef Douglas Keyte. Arancini are golden orbs of rice and bolognese, served with pea puree and showered in reggiano. Confetti-thin octopus carpaccio is tenderised, bunged in the oven for smoke appeal and then wrapped and steamed for melt-in-your-mouth texture. Dressed in olive oil, chilli and parsley, it’s a marvel in flavour and technique. Keyte proves his elite steak skills on the Josper grill with black Angus beef eye fillet – it’s a flavoursome, well-treated cut. You’ll need sides, then just add a glass of something Italian, or a bigger Australian red to counter the meat and you’re set. Cocktails take an Italian lens with negronis aplenty, but the restaurant’s refreshing namesake is a must. End with the apple pie, or tiramisu, whisked out in a massive bowl for a nonna-sized portion to be served tableside. For something special you can’t beat that comfort factor. 112 Flinders Ln, Melbourne; grillamericano.com.

How do you define Gippsland on a plate? That’s the ambitious task executive chef Alejandro Saravia has taken on for his lively city venue, Farmer’s Daughters. Sprawling across three levels inside the 80 Collins precinct, the restaurant highlights the seasonal best of the region with a farm-to-table ethos. Catch a whisper of campfire smoke as you’re ushered through the bustling ground floor deli and up a flight of stairs to the intimate dining room. Here you’ll get a taste of eastern Victoria across six or seven courses with the option of pairing Gippy wines with each. You might try the likes of Lakes Entrance John Dory pan-seared until the skin is super crisp and perfectly charcoaled, propped up by umami-rich oyster mushrooms and bright tomatoes. Peruvian-born Saravia flexes his grill skills with the dry-aged O’Connor rib eye that’s melt-in-your-mouth tender, teamed with ox tongue, roast onion and purple daikon. Farmer’s Daughters is all about honest, regional cooking that puts the ingredients and producers on the map. 95 Exhibition Street, 80 Collins Precinct, Melbourne; farmersdaughters.com.au.