Imagine soft, sweet spanner crab, chilli, preserved orange and pangrattato all in a tumble of black spaghetti. Then smoked potato, roasted onions and a rich ragu of local lamb shoulder, or a deep, alluring saffron and fennel-headed bouillabaisse of dory, cuttlefish, prawns and clams. No, you aren’t in Provincial France or regional Italy, you’re in Yass, the sleepy New South Wales town with a tiny population, but one of our very best regional restaurants, Clementine.

Owners Adam Bantock and Brooke Sainsbery have adapted a stunning 1950s weatherboard cottage into the Australian regional bistro of your dreams, where locals visit weekly and visitors detour to get a taste of chef Bantock’s ability to turn local produce into hearty rustic fare. Sit on the verandah and admire the Lovette Chapel beyond the white picket fence across the road or step inside and get cosy by the fire in a dining room with wooden floorboards and classic bistro furnishings. Start with a tipple from a wine list of primarily regional wines, then make sure you order entrée, main and dessert – and maybe try to steal a forkful of your dining companion’s dish, too. Bantock’s bistro-style cuisine is homely, yet backed by strong technique with a big ladle of hearty soul over the top. Think glazed, slow-cooked pork neck with parsnip cream and poached quince, or slow-cooked veal shoulder with sautéed mushrooms and celeriac and chestnuts. You may need to loosen your belt.