The finish is a toffee-topped, semi-frozen cream and matching syrup, flavoured with the spiky fallen branches of a bunya pine tree. As stunning as both are, the remarkable part about lunch at the reimagined Restaurant Botanic is that every one of the nine courses between are their equal.

As a collection, it is the culinary equivalent of listening to a Beatles album. The historic enclosed rotunda at the heart of Adelaide Botanic Garden has been updated, including an open kitchen that juts into the heart of the restaurant like a ship’s prow. This is the stage for a team led by executive chef Justin James (Noma, Eleven Madison Park, Vue de monde) who has added to his repertoire using the natural pantry of the garden, weaving these ingredients into plates that are intricate and inspiring.

Roasted marron tail rests on a puddle of charred cream with splashes of fermented chilli and lemon myrtle oil. A charred paperbark parcel is unwrapped to reveal a whole abalone, neatly dissected and spread to fit a sliver of fresh asparagus between each slice. A fermented asparagus puree and abalone liver butter bring the whole orchestra into play. Locally foraged morel mushroom is skewered kebab-style with a cube of grilled kangaroo and a pickled rose petal.

There are also sorbets, palate cleansers and petit four too complex to be done justice here. For those who care about what they eat, it is a Magical Mystery Tour from start to finish.

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