One of the best things to emerge over the last few years is a real connection between chef and producer.

The farm-to-plate ethos means menus are driven by the produce du jour rather than a chef’s ego. Perhaps that’s why we’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Danielle Alvarez (ex-Chez Panisse). Lured by the Merivale Group, Alvarez has much in common with the new wave of Australian dining – it’s the very same approach her former employer, Alice Waters, is renowned for.

Fred’s has a gorgeous facade with inset windows, sharp deco finishes and a lively bar to greet you. Basement bar, Charlie Parker’s, is all about the shaking and stirring of produce-driven cocktails in sultry surrounds. But upstairs is where the real party is.

The light, bright space awash with dusty pinks, browns and lime walls feels almost French Provencal and the open kitchen, where Alvarez and co circumnavigate a large kitchen bench, gives a sense you’re in her home, not a restaurant. Meanwhile, sommelier Caitlyn Rees has procured a wine list that’s not only accessible, but honours leading small batch producers, too.

Alvarez’s food is, for the most part, cooked on freestanding Tuscan grills and a large hearth, and she’s fostered relationships with all the producers she sources from.

The result is simple food, beautifully cooked and deeply satisfying.

Smoked roe and petite onion rings crown wild kingfish crudo given a gentle horseradish kick. Asparagus shines among delicate triangoli pasta lathered in burnt butter. Then a pretty pink Greenvale pork chop finds an ally in wilted spigariello, before Moorlands lamb steals the show. It’s a cutlet and slice of the leg a la ficelle (hanging over fire on a string) with seaweed and broad beans. Fred’s and Alvarez’s food is a complete joy. Just wonderful.