The signature restaurant of Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, Restaurant Lurleen’s is not one to rely on its picturesque location to draw a crowd.

Instead, chef Mathew Fulford is hard at work in the open kitchen, serving a contemporary and elegant Australian menu dictated by the best of the season’s produce – the majority sourced locally.

Sirromet wines are also at the forefront of culinary decisions, with house glasses carefully matched to each dish. There’s also a smattering of vino from other Australian, New Zealand and French wineries, in addition to a handful of classic cocktails and local and imported beers and spirits.

The veranda enclosed by an expanse of windows at the rear of the lofty, lodge-like space, is the place to be, especially at lunch, as you settle in for a multitude of courses backed by imagination and technique.

Begin, perhaps, with venison, subtly smoked and served alongside a delicately tempura-battered enoki mushroom and celeriac custard set like silken tofu; before moving onto pork medallions laced with sensational crispy fat, alongside parsnip puree and sloe gin-soaked apple spheres.

Desserts can sometimes favour creativity over flavour, so stick to classics like a chocolate fondant.

Lurleen’s is a Queensland icon and with knowledgeable and passionate people on the floor and the culinary ambitions of Fulford in the kitchen, it’s sure to remain one.

Exceptional dish: pork medallions, smoked venison