Open two nights a week and seating just 12 people, with its lack of signage, skin contact-y wine list and a no-choice, multi-course, hyper-local menu that changes weekly, Melbourne’s most zeitgeisty restaurant isn’t even found in Melbourne. Leading the charge that’s adding to Ballarat’s newfound wine-dine brio, at Underbar Derek Boath – one-time Per Se chef – shows off the best of the region in technically clever dishes that never forget to be tasty. 

A simple amuse of chicken consomme poured over truffled brown butter might be the comforting opener before a procession of plates that feature found, foraged and freshly picked ingredients at their finest. Late summer fruit from the neighbours’ trees surround pancetta-wrapped chicken ballontine, while blushing lamb on white garlic cream is attended to by peeled tomatoes that positively pop. A multi-textured corn and crab soup is worth the trip alone, and a half pour wine match from here and afar strikes just the right balance. Fine dining without the fuss, Underbar could be Victoria’s trickiest restaurant to secure a reservation at. But it’s worth it.

Must eat dish: Sweet corn and spanner crab