Earthy. Refined. Elemental. Those are the words that come to mind as I step into Navi Lounge, in Melbourne’s inner west suburb of Yarraville.

It’s just before 6pm and within minutes, the 18-person lounge is bustling. Diners arrive, unzipping their black puffa jackets and settling into the burnished copper banquette, sitting at the high bar or heading through the concrete archway to Navi’s more formal dining room.

The intimate adjoining restaurant seats 34, but books out within minutes of reservations opening each month, so the lounge is the next best way to get a taste of what makes Navi so popular.

The bar menu is snack sized fine dining – playful and pared back. Dishes change regularly, but two mainstays are the rich black garlic macarons with a crunchy exterior and nougat-esque interior brimming with salty pearls of salmon roe ($10 for two), and the duck-lava – a frisky take on the layered pastry dessert, where braised duck is encased in flaky filo pastry, encrusted with nuts, drizzled with honey and rosewater, and served with a glossy dab of tamarillo jam ($11).

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“It’s like a lovely, fancy sausage roll,” says chef and owner Julian Hills. But it’s so much more.

Hills’ low-waste philosophy drives many of the bar snacks; from using duck necks, legs and wings in the duck-lava, to judiciously poaching, drying and frying rockling skins before dusting them with salt and sherry vinegar powder for an oceanic version of crackling ($5).

Fermented cashews used to make vegan cheese in the restaurant are turned into a creamy dip ringed by crisp radishes and toasted, flaked almonds ($8).

Over at the bar, manager Elise West uses the kitchen’s fruit rinds and poaching syrups in cocktails like the piquant finger lime daiquiri ($22). There’s also more than a passing nod to the seasons, with a golden raft of potato dauphinoise, kangaroo tail and horseradish cream scattered heavily with shaved and ruffled Oak Hill truffles ($11 for two).

While the small snacks are not intended to be a complete meal, Hills says lots of people come in and order everything.

I can understand why. It’s hard not to look across at what others are eating and want some of what they’re having. Just as I’m eyeing off the adjacent table’s mushroom toast with black artichoke ($10), “William” lands in front of me.

It’s not a person, but warm wedges of chunky sourdough bread made from Hills’ 11-year-old starter. Spying how good it looks, the gathering next to us immediately orders a serve too ($10.50).

With its exposed brick walls, concrete curves and black marble tables, Navi Lounge could feel cold and austere, but instead, it’s the opposite.

It’s warm and personable, and great thought and care are taken with everything – from the ingredients and produce to the ceramic plates and tableware (that Hills shyly admits he designs and makes).

Hills is an unassuming chef who lets his dishes speak for him, and each one tells the story of contemporary Australian food that is like Hills – exceptional but effortlessly grounded and refined.

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