Chef Annie Smithers hopes that people leave her homey bistro feeling nurtured – and she delivers in spades. Part of the magic is knowing that Smithers is up at first light harvesting vegetables from her nearby farm, baking bread and working alone in the kitchen to transform that beautiful produce into gorgeously rustic dishes.

Garbure, a Pyrenees vegetable and bean soup flecked with shreds of duck breast, is served at the table with a copper and brass spoon. Just-picked baby leeks and leafy greens are dressed in two beautifully balanced vinaigrettes. Honey-brined Western Plains pork loin is charry while the belly is slow-cooked; both swim in green peppercorn sauce best appreciated with extra bread.

With no second sitting, you can linger over tangy lemon curd rolled in deliciously chewy meringue. Experienced waitstaff match the charms of the snug weatherboard shopfront, and this truly farm-to-table experience.

Good to know: Bookings open at 8am on the first of the month, two months in advance. Be quick.

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