Gumnuts tangled in an eucalyptus wreath turn out to be wattleseed choccies, and that outback “roo-shi” isn’t from Japan. And when things start as slam-the-table-good as the macadamia and smoked eel tofu, you know you’re in serious danger of falling head over heels for Melbourne’s bucketlist diner in the clouds.

Wunderchef Hugh Allen is making his mark on a restaurant almost as old as he is, taking your experience to lofty heights beyond Vue’s 55 floors with vision, sophisticated techniques and respect for ingredients – while having a lot of fun in the process.

Maybe Vue’s tableside theatrics will have you weak at the knees, with wattleseed damper flung over coals before your eyes and the cheese trolley which rolls out post dinner. Or perhaps that 6000-plus bottle list is your kryptonite, with $49,000 bottles of Romanee-Conti Burgundy, $28,000 bottles of Bordeaux, or 1906 Seppelt tawny port.

But it’s really everything at Vue de monde, right down to the service, that’ll give you that top-of-the-world feeling. 

To read our full list of reviews for Victoria, head here.