What a joy it is to find such a celebration of Australia by the banks of the Yarra.

For the past three years, Kelvin and Michelle Shaw — he in the kitchen, Michelle out front — have been bringing more than a touch of the hip to the hippie hamlet of Warrandyte.

For at Altair, their handsomely stylish restaurant, you’ll find cooking world-wise and a menu bang on trend. There’s name-checked olives and tinned anchovies to start, followed by a field of foraged bits and a bush of gathered pieces on Euro dishes with an Asian stopover. Salted river trout might come with a punchy pear and saltbush kimchi, while rich porcini adds depth to black cabbage-wrapped rabbit. A wattleseed take on tartare adds the bush to good beef, while desserts are inventive: see the alluring black garlic jam doughnut.

With a strong focus on the Yarra Valley, the expansive wine list is priced for enjoyment, while sharp service never loses its air of country charm. What a joy indeed.

Must eat dish: black garlic jam doughnut