We’ve always loved the culinary circus style of the Bentley Boys – Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt. Colourful flourishes, intriguing ingredients and breathtaking technique on the plate, coupled with quirky and oh-so quaffable drops in a casually serious setting, helped alter our perceptions of how to drink and dine in sin city. Now it’s all grown up, Bentley Restaurant and Bar still exudes that youthful exuberance, but the food has become a little more clean cut, uncomplicated and backed by splendid technique and best-in-class produce.

It’s mature, confident and a sheer pleasure. Shaved watermelon radish, and curls of Victoria plum get a nice lick of acid from camel’s milk curd. House-made pastrami enjoys the interplay with muntries (native berry) relish and fermented saltbush, while cape gooseberries help balance rich, raw Spencer Gulf kingfish. Pickled pumpkin and pepita add earthly sweetness to glistening New Zealand Snapper before olive oil ice cream delivers a grinning and winning moment with freeze-dried and fresh pineapple.

With a neat fit-out that places emphasis on a more intimate experience in the bar, a renewed vigour and a more mature delivery of breaking boundaries while making us feel right at home, The Bentley offers an enticing evening that makes it one of Australia’s best fine diners.

Must-eat dish: Watermelon radish, Camel’s milk curd, Victoria Plum