Whether it’s the choice of jamon brioche or pretzel loaf on which to spread the house-whipped butter, a Valrhona chocolate dessert powered by Jerusalem artichoke, or a cheese course of curd-filled pear served with a shot of ginger-pear juice, it’s clear Scott Pickett’s fine-dining arm to the empire isn’t shy of big-hitting flavours.

That’s not to say they’re brash; rather there’s elegant refinement throughout the seven course degustation that begins with stunning snacks — an avo-filled potato pillow, cured wallaby delivered under a cloche of smoke, earthy and sweet parsnip and apple — and ends with a sherbet dusted petit four. In between, highlights are many: braised kangaroo in a broth of stunning delicacy; pan-fried golden dory teamed with shaved macadamia; and a showstopping two-part pheasant plate with kohlrabi and pickled mushrooms that’s as clever as it is perfectly executed.

The dining room remains one of Melbourne’s sexiest, as moodily dark and handsomely brooding as ever, the palette of charcoal and slate livened with lots of copper in the open kitchen, while service is as sharp as the cooking. ESP keeps getting better.

Must eat dish: pheasant, kohlrabi, mushroom