A handsome restaurant on a nondescript street in sleepy Murbah (as locals call it), Livi glows golden. Step inside and gentle tunes pipe from fancy Pitt & Giblin speakers, while co-owner Nikky Wilson ensures your dining experience is a cosy cocoon of calm.

This former Regional Restaurant of the Year winner has the smooth sophistication of a great wine bar, and you can definitely stop by for a glass of Jura chardonnay alongside a plate of air-dried tuna balanced with a smartly dressed salad, and leave happy. But that would be daft – you’d miss more sharp, clever cooking from Ewen Crawford and Danni Wilson, from coral trout with a sweet-yet-peppery tamarind sauce to a dish of Moreton Bay bug hunks served with crumpet-level-fluffy flatbread to drag through curry butter. The kind of place that makes visitors envious of locals, who get to luxuriate in its splendour on a whim.

Good to know: If you’re riding solo, they’ll do half serves, which makes us love Livi even more.

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