The first thing that strikes us as we arrive at Such and Such at sundown is the play of colours that refract through a striking sculpture of hand-blown glass tubes by local artist Scott Chaseling. It’s like looking into a kaleidoscope. The new venue by Dash Rumble, Ross McQuinn and Mal Hanslow, the team of titans behind two-hatted Pilot in Ainslie, is located in Constitution Place, near Canberra Theatre.

In styling the interiors, designer Mark Brook of mymymy pays homage to the city’s arty enclave with elements of his bold design adding a sense of drama. Brook’s passion for a bit of bling is reflected in the main dining room, from the pretty pendants to the pops of pink in the floor, a mix of natural stone and a terrazzo confetti of marble, quartz, granite and glass. The modern diner seats 80 and is carved up into the main dining room, which is dotted with art, ceramics and sculptures by local artisans, and a private room cordoned off by theatrical green velvet curtains. A cluster of outdoor tables also add amenity to London Circuit, the precinct that is both corporate and cultural.

Dining at Such and Such feels very civilised thanks to the warm wood tones, bespoke Tassie blackwood tables and shelving, and bottle-green banquettes. And it’s not just a matter of convenience that makes the chic space perfect pre- or post-show at Canberra Theatre. There’s a lot that appeals about this all-day venue as a destination in its own right. Take the ingredient-led menu by executive chef Nick Petersen (ex-Porteno, Sydney), which today features fresh, plump oysters from nearby Narooma and a sensational starter of school prawns crusted in a cashew crumb and doused in 666 – dubbed the devil’s spice – to add wallop. Cucumbers arrive both fresh and pickled in a creamy pond of tahini miso flecked with Bulgarian’s sheep’s feta and garnished with sprigs of dill.

It’s a zippy little salad. But not as zippy as Zippy 2.0. The OG cult salad features on the menu on Pilot and pairs beautifully with a glass of the vibrant Sijnn White Chenin Blanc and Viognier, which is complex, refreshing and fragrant. You can choose wines by the glass from the shortlist of current favourites or dive deeper into the 25+ pages of wines, both of which feature drops from lesser-known regions around the globe.

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Now back to the main act: the food and wine. You’ll want to lick your bowl clean after spooning in your last mouthful of the blue eye cod in crazy water, made memorable for its impeccably sourced fish and mussels served in a beautifully seasoned bone broth with sun-dried tomato and cannellini beans. It’s a satisfying riff on an Italian fish stew prepared with acute attention to detail and reason enough to book a return trip to Canberra. It’s a dish to build a dream on.

Swap out the sweeter and more decadent desserts and go for the kiwi cup, the contents of which have been scooped out and reimagined into an edible scoop of cooling kiwi sorbet cut with kiwi pieces, a dusting of tart black lime and fennel and a delicate shard of white chocolate. It’s more savoury than sweet and perks up when paired with a glass of the Naturale Orange Vermouth.

The term Such and Such refers to something you don’t want to name or say exactly. It’s an apt name for this exciting new eatery, which, like the fine dining Pilot project, is impossible to pigeonhole.

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