Is this the prettiest plate in Sydney? Winter vegetables appear as petals around a whipped olive oil dollop of would-be cream that disappears in your mouth. Radishes, romesco, radicchio, broccoli, turnip and green leaves come grilled, pickled and fresh for dipping in. This is the epitome of food at The Bridge Room. Perfect produce cooked perfectly.

Fraser island spanner crab is flaked and arranged in a ring, topped with globe artichokes cut into the thinnest slivers and finished with shaved raw chestnuts. The dish comes slightly chilled, fragrant with verjuice, the crab playing star. But avoid ordering envy and go straight for the steamed scallop pudding with biltong, sweet corn, abalone, butter sauce and mushroom powder. The dish is a masterstroke of texture and flavour – creamy, warm, perfectly wobbly and studded with scallop. The tender abalone is silken on top, a perfect companion to the butter sauce. It’s just so delicious.

Ash-grilled duck, tender and rare, is served with an allspice canelé, reminding us that yes, this is winter and it is good. Seared ocean trout rests on a fallen pillar of eggplant dusted with sesame, and a scroll of grilled rock kelp takes the umami and sea flavours up a notch. It’s perfectly done food to impress a suited crowd at lunch, or a special-occasion evening.

Fine dining is not dead, nor should it be when it’s this good. Invisible hands deliver and take away plates, yet smiles, water refills, and ‘how-is-everything’ all appear when you look for it. The Scandi-lux room is as striking and elegant as chef Ross Lusted’s food, pleasing everyone and begging for a return – not least to order the scallop pudding again.

Must eat dish: Steamed scallop pudding, biltong, sweet corn, abalone, butter sauce and mushroom powder.