Chauncy
Contemporary$$$
European farmhouse dining meets easygoing Australian hospitality.
Lunch at Chauncy was always a relaxed affair, but with a new all-inclusive set menu, there are zero decisions to be made. Six courses flow serenely, with host Tess Murray’s wine pairings (or exceptional non-alcoholic picks) interwoven with subtle flair. Over four years, she and her partner, chef Louis Naepels, have played with the restaurant’s format.
At its largest, it had 35 seats, then 24, now it’s a perfect 14 across two rooms in an 1854 sandstone building surrounded by a picturesque produce garden. You may start with mussels on homegrown potatoes in a lightly garlicky cream sauce.
There will probably be pasta, perhaps tortellini dyed green with pumpkin leaf, stuffed with soft herbs and ricotta, and settled over chestnut veloute. Poached meringue in rich custard is made possible by the 21 laying hens who strut by the window through late afternoon sunbeams.
Best for: A special occasion that you want to remember forever.
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