Vines and vegetables, olives and art … Montalto is a one-stop shop for all things bright and beautiful on the Mornington Peninsula. But the estate’s rustic restaurant is its number one attraction, and rightly so.

Chef Gerard Phelan’s high-calibre cooking has a farmhouse freshness about it, no surprise given the luxuriant herb and vegetable garden at his disposal, and on our visit two dishes clearly embody his robust, home style. One is a tile of beetroot black pudding ornamented with parsnip, carrot and rapini leaves, the other, dry-aged duck in the company of mandarin and purpling radicchio.

Phelan’s snacks are memorable, too – the mackeral escabeche sandwich is a dazzler – while desserts (especially the whipped chocolate and gingerbread combo) err on the side of luscious.

A concise wine list encourages the drinking of very fine Montalto chardonnays and pinots, and capable staff rarely miss a beat. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Must eat dish: Dry aged duck, radicchio, mandarin