Sustainability, local produce and ethical practices fuel owner and chef Zoe Birch’s multi-course menu. She leads the kitchen, while her partner Lachlan Gardner works the room and rattles off his wine know-how for eight guests at a time inside the cosy cottage restaurant.

Vinyl records set the mood, while handmade ceramic plates and reclaimed wood decorate each table. There is no written menu, rather a procession of small and larger bites reflecting the best of the season. The pair work seamlessly together, with Birch pulling fresh bread out of the oven during service and Gardner decanting wine and explaining ingredients’ origins.

This visit it’s all about mushrooms, which appear in a warming broth and golden-fried schnitzel snack. Other vegetables and fish get a go, with meat proteins used sparingly.

Like a dinner party at your friend’s house, Greasy Zoes is a pleasant, three-hour journey sharing stories of local producers that make your meal possible. You’ll leave with more of an appreciation of where your food comes from.

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