Don’t let the artfully lit, oh-so-Melbourne black-and-slate sleek surrounds fool you. Between an opening mouthful of wallaby so dramatically smoky it could have hopped through a bushfire on its way to the plate, through to a deconstructed pavlova with tiny kiwiberries, a meal at Scott Pickett’s flagship fine diner is many things – clever, refined, considered, but most of all, fun.

That’s not to say every moment, every mouthful hasn’t been carefully choreographed. Under head chef Steve Nairn’s guiding hand, a newfound love of vegetables – buttery baby corn smoked over binchotan; tiny potato pearls with pops of salmon roe – brightens the pan-fried sweetbreads that remain a staple on a Pickett menu (hurray!).

Blushing Macedon duck comes with a granola of nuts and a rainbow of beetroots, with a tart of its heart served alongside; while local Maidenii vermouth creates an inspired sauce for cured, smoked and pan-fried rock ling.

A wine list of depth with delicious mid-range drinking (and serious big hitters) served by one of the city’s best sommeliers in James Dossan completes a picture of Melbourne dining on Northcote’s High Street that’s in Ultra HD.

Must eat dish: Baby corn
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