Overlooking manicured golf greens and wild coastal scrublands, emerging out of the hill, all undulating steel and rust, the new RACV resort is yet another architecturally impressive win for the Mornington Peninsula.

As is young chef Josh Pelham in the kitchen, who’s putting experience gained at London’s two-Michelin-starred The Square and time heading Scott Pickett’s flagship ESP to good use. And it shows: the menu at Cape teams high-end smarts with clever, keenly priced accessibility ($55 for two courses, $75 for three). For all sorts of wow, start with chicken wings, deboned and stuffed with a chicken mousse and served with a rich roasted consommé. It’s an elegant opener that a delicate parsnip veloute with roasted chestnuts rivals in the comfort stakes.

A large, single raviolo filled with scallop and crab mousse served with seafood bisque and a cloud of champange foam sweetly sings of the sea, while kangaroo tartare topped with puffed beef tendon, sticky egg yolk and diced pickled pear is tricksy but tasty.

Brilliant rosemary-salted fat chips are a must next to respectfully treated name-checked steaks from the grill, which the local-leaning, Peninsula-championing wine list matches with class.

Desserts are a highlight. Poached quince surrounded by noodles of chestnut mousse and served with spiced pumpkin plays with earthy, savoury sweetness, while the artful Main Ridge cheesecake with strawberries many ways is as pretty as it is delicious.

With its focus on Victorian produce and Peninsula wine, this restaurant on the green is gold.

Must-eat dish: Stuffed chicken wings