It’s not just the iconic location that sets Bennelong apart from the crowd; from the rock star greeting at the door through to the sleek service and exceptional exploration of native ingredients by chefs Peter Gilmore and Rob Cockerill, Bennelong is a truly fine example of an Australian restaurant. Gilmore and Cockerill collaborate on dishes that showcase the best of Australian seasonal produce, and the strong drinks list favours Australian wines, spirits and beers, repping over 200 small-scale Aussie labels.

The two or three course lunch offering is a steal. Champagne and oysters are a natural place to start. Plump Merimbula rock oysters glistening with brine are served with a lemon and black pepper granita and a glass of Stefano Lubiana, the velvety Tassie sparkling dancing on the tongue alongside the citrus and pepper. Bennelong mussel soup is a clear consommé of mussel brine dotted with shelled mussels and fresh herbs. But a flavour-packed almond and herb butter, camouflaged by the sweet mussel meat, cleverly transforms the soup through a quick stir into a rich pistou-style broth.

Princess Charlotte Bay bugs are encased in a thin dumpling skin flecked with seaweed, then thoughtfully dressed in a nutty brown butter, beads of native finger lime and tender leaves of lightly charred cabbage. It’s texturally complex and extraordinarily well-balanced. A Sunday roast is ‘Australianised’ through thin slices of medium-rare Wagyu rump cap, served with well-roasted cippolini onions, a deliciously nutty buckwheat Yorkshire pudding and a peppery horseradish emulsion.

As always, Gilmore’s desserts delight, and while the signature cherry jam lamington is outstanding, the crème caramel vs. mille feuille is a thrilling play of textures, temperatures and flavours. It’s safe to say that Gilmore is a visionary, and an icon of the Australian food scene himself.

Must eat dish: Bennelong mussel soup