On chillier nights, diners will find the fire roaring at sophisticated Hunter Valley restaurant Muse. The dimly lit room is effortlessly elegant, waitstaff gliding across the floor like skaters on ice.

Embrace the elegance by beginning with oysters. The night we visit they’re from Port Stephens, and served natural with finger lime or wood-fired with katsuobushi butter; the slightly smoky wood-fired mollusc wins, but both are a treat. Whipped brown butter with macadamia crumb makes it impossible to turn down multiple rounds of house-baked sourdough, and snacks like sushi-style wombok with koshihikari rice and crunchy Mexican cucumber olives are the perfect entry to the meal ahead.

The menu melds local ingredients with Japanese flavours, and a change to the menu structure in recent months makes it more approachable, with dinner offering a set first course and options to select from the following three, plus an additional cheese course. The move away from the lengthy degustation is welcome, and the whole experience feels more relaxed. 

Sweet and sour beetroot is an earthy dish of black garlic, smoked Wagyu fat, pecans and goat’s milk curds and whey; it’s all sorts of delicious. Raw fish is beautifully presented with green tomato, chilli and shiso, plus a citrus kosho that brings in a fresh and vibrant heat. Redgate Farm quail is cooked over fire and served pink and juicy with dashi-poached cauliflower, miso and pear, while slow-cooked suckling lamb is simpler, with Morpeth broccoli, feta, capers and empress of India nasturtium.

The famed Muse coconut will likely never fall out of favour, the deconstructed-Bounty-esque dessert arriving with a chocolate shell and set coconut cream ensemble that looks like half a fresh ‘nut, a scattering of coconut shavings topped with pretty flowers on the side. Sommelier Stephane expertly matches each course, stepping outside the box if you’re willing to let him.

What’s blindingly clear here is that chef Troy Rhoades-Brown shows no signs of resting on his laurels at the Hunter Valley’s sleekest restaurant.

Must eat dish: Raw fish, green tomato, green chilli and citrus kosho