Home to the best business lunch in Canberra (and dinner is just as good), here you may find the odd pollie pitching for a cracker over a languid lunch. Mezzalira is a shining example of premium dining with emphasis on stellar service, meandering through Southern Italy with style and finesse.

Start with burnt-fennel puree and smoked eel, providing a warming umami base for lightly seared scallops. Slide into the house special, smoked duck breast and porcini mushroom pappardelle, but save room for the woodfired suckling pig with Calabrian peperonata – it’s arguably the best Down Under.