This provincial-chic restaurant in a weatherboard cottage is the destination of choice for date nights and birthdays in this pocket of the peninsula. Celebrations kick off swiftly, thanks to a set menu and prompt pours of elegant Merricks-grown chardonnay or robust Heathcote syrah.

French onion dip fills a two-bite profiterole, and raw Southern bluefin tuna updates a fish taco no bigger than your pinkie. Lightly bronzed scallops get lift from apple remoulade. Black Angus eye fillet, confidently seared over charcoal, is gutsier. Victorian wine is easy to find on the local-loving list, and good-natured staff are similarly present.

When quince sorbet and lemon curd meet, they are - like the best partners in doubles tennis - a force greater than on their own. Familiar yet polished, generous but refined, Moke cleverly pushes all the right buttons for a broad sweep of diners.

Good to know: The only choice is a set menu but it’s brief - typically five to six courses - and delivered promptly.

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