They could have just called it Masons but by adding the words “of Bendigo”, Nick and Sonia Anthony give their three-year- old diner a strong sense of place. Their placemat menus go further, listing two dozen “passionate local producers’’ whose ingredients find their way into cleverly conceived share dishes.

Nick Anthony waves an Australian flag with flathead tails, corned beef and kangaroo but recasts all three in ingenious ways — the flatties lodged in a wakame salad, the beef decorated with mustard crackers and the ’roo turned into ruby red carpaccio.

Channelling Bendigo’s goldfields history, the kitchen strikes Asian notes too: chicken and ginger steamed dumplings here, Beijing roast duck there. There’s even a mod version of the Chiko roll.

This place is busting with ideas — occasionally a few too many on the one plate — and they hit the bullseye with spit-roasted goat shoulder and wild figs. The wine list at Masons ticks a lot of local boxes, too, its cheeseboard is one of the best around and the dessert tasting plate is irresistible.