When I think of hotel restaurants – which isn’t often – I get confused by a stream of forgettable experiences. Not bad, just forgettable. The names merge into one, the offerings blur. Functional one-size-fits-all eateries.

But there’s a change happening it seems, with hotels across Australia upping their game. Grain of the Silos is a case in point; amid its modern, light dining room, you’ve got all the hallmarks of today’s restaurant game: an open kitchen, earthy textures and service with a casual edge.

Panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows look towards the Tamar, albeit over a   construction site of mud and sand. But this is work in progress, and no doubt the mud bath isn’t a permanent fixture. The music is at the muzak end of the spectrum; not my taste (is it anyone’s?), but looking around at the lunch crowd of retirees and corporates, it’s not raising any ire.

With Tassie-born chef Massimo Mele at the helm as food director, Grain of the Silos takes its inspo from Mele’s Italian heritage, with the odd detour. Tassie’s wealth of amazing produce doesn’t do the kitchen any harm, either.

There’s a generous serve of baked meatballs, made from pork shoulder and wagyu beef, a proper tomato sauce and a molten square of smoked mozzarella. Take it as a plentiful entrée or a main, A cos heart salad is a fresh respite, with salted cucumber, dill and avocado.

It’s with the gnocchi that Grain of the Silos comes into its own. Fragrant, with wisps of heat, it’s enough that the muzak and impromptu sales conference on the next table are tuned out. The ragu, made from slow-cooked beef shin and pork belly, the comfort you need when you’re on the road. I take pleasure from the little hits of fried sage leaf, as much for texture as taste. The kitchen achieves a surprising lightness in a dish that could so easily be leaden.

I leave lunch well sated, convinced I’ll remember it. Unexpectedly, I return for dinner, with another critic, in just a matter of days. There’s no slipping under the radar on this one, their presence raising the highest alarm. Service is heightened, but the food again is generous, ingredients well sourced, and far from forgettable.