Three years on and Heston Blumenthal’s paean to British gastronomy at Crown Melbourne remains one of Melbourne’s most extraordinary dining experiences.

From the moment you enter the darkly dramatic scent-piped entry, through to the final parting mouthful of Earl Grey-steeped ganache with shortbread, a meal at Dinner is sumptuous, special and sublime.

New desserts nod to the restaurant’s adopted home – Vegemite in alluring ice cream-form with a puffed spelt and sourdough crumble transforms breakfast for Dinner; a take on the classic Cherry Ripe trips down memory lane with class.

Beforehand, smoky, supple slivers of grilled abalone add luxe to a soft, rich and vegetal savoury porridge amped with brilliantly sharp pickled beets, while the salmagundy made up of prized chicken ‘oysters’ with marrow and tender fennel is rich and refined. A spiced parsnip and onion emulsion helps create Australia’s best chicken dish, though snapper swimming in a cider broth of dancing brightness is just as impressive.

Service is some of the very best you’ll find anywhere and makes a meal here a proper joy. An impressive cellar is as extensive as it is expensive, but a huge by-the-glass offering provides a chance to try some of the world’s best.

With a bar shaking some of the city’s best cocktails, a view that shows off Melbourne, a supremely comfortable room that’s quietly opulent and, of course, the famous ‘meat fruit’ that’s a non-negotiable addition to every meal, Dinner remains right up there as one of our very best.

Must eat dish: Ice cream with Vegemite