The kitchen garden is the hero from first bite, the muse and the blueprint for a 3D-printed plate rendered in its likeness. It’s perfect for ferrying snacks, including a pie-tee tartlet of petit brassicas. Playful touches like these abound. Alphabet soup spells WICKENS, except this tomato broth is conjured from some 50 varieties.

An ultrafine dice ­of shiitake consomme jelly tickles the tongue, part of a dish of gravity-defying Jerusalem artichoke foam and whimsical mushroom-shaped crackers. Big-ticket items are there, but it’s the unexpected rich pickings - perhaps grilled oyster, saffron and pork jowl retrofitted for a pairing with Sauternes - that prove chef Robin Wickens is pushing the boundaries after 12 years at the helm of this Bond-like hideaway.

Service is as smooth as the gliding motion-sensor door, and tables are strategically positioned to maximise that Grampians view - though wine connoisseurs’ attention will be drawn to the landmark list.­

Good to know: Green thumbs can join a kitchen garden tour on Thu-Sat mornings (the $20 fee is waived for Wickens diners).

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