In the wrong hands, a set course menu can be a hard slog rather than a culinary adventure.

Not at Amaru. Owner-chef Clinton McIver appreciates the dynamics of degustation and at his stylish 35-seater in the thick of wedding-gowned Armadale, precisely crafted dishes are sequenced with such care you barely notice you’ve been dining for two, maybe three hours.

Amaru’s classy fitout – all mod curves and groovy chairs – enriches the experience, and with most tables having a view of the open kitchen, you feel connected to the amazing creations being sent out.

First, snacks (a dim sim with black garlic; fermented carrot with smoked duck ham). Then, cracking sourdough and larger dishes. A tile of dry-aged hapuka coddled in fermented honey. Red kangaroo dusted down with salted liquorice. And shimmeringly memorable cheesecake, shaped like a medallion. The cooking – full of wonders and strange tangents – enthrals and McIver, who has an artists’ eye, shapes his many courses into a coherent whole. The cumulative effect is one of escalating deliciousness.

An eclectic wine list supports the Amaru experience. Expert service enriches it. Restaurant manager Gareth Burnett is one of the best in the business and he leads an intuitive team adept at knowing when to hover and when to step back.

Must eat dish: Meredith cheesecake