It was a big win for the Surf Coast when chef Matt Germanchis and his partner, front-of-house pro Gemma Gange, upped stumps from Melbourne to open Captain Moonlite.

Germanchis (ex-Pei Modern, Movida) clearly knows what it takes to make a great dish, yet opts to keep it simple here, letting local ingredients – particularly seafood – shine bright with a sense of place in a menu that’s at once cool, casual and classy.

Opening bites might be mini crab and chive-filled doughnuts dusted with celery salt, with bigger moves including a hefty, crumbed pork cutlet, its richness countered with sweet and sour radicchio, or a just-cooked snapper fillet jostling with white beans and greens in a light and lovely calamari broth.

In between, spoon into the creamy comfort of mashed celeriac piled with bouncy local scallops and fried curry leaves.

Like its namesake bushranger, the wines are Victorian, and that unbeatable view from the Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club – plus nearby accommodation in the works – makes this one of the best year-round coastal hangouts.

Must-eat dish: Scallops, celeriac & curry leaf