There are only a few things guaranteed in this world. Death, taxes, and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt’s ability to match wine to anything chefs Brent Savage and Aiden Stevens can come up with. Together, what they offer is a lesson in unapologetic taste and style, free-flowing and ever-changing.

Lightly pickled daikon with bluefin tuna, golden kiwifruit and lemon myrtle meets a chenin blanc from the Loire. A deboned chicken wing stuffed with prawn meat, served in a collagenous ham broth is cut with citrusy Tasmanian chardonnay. A snack of smoked eel cream with black brioche and kombu is offset by a dry-yet-fruity German riesling.

Bentley has been a part of the dining conversation for almost two decades. With such strong DNA, there’s the risk of it suffering if there isn’t at least one member of the A-team on deck. On a good day, it’s stupendous. On a not-so-good day? It’s still pretty wonderful.

Best for: Business lunches where taste matters.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.