Cutler & Co

Cutler & Co displays the bravura of a restaurant that's been at the top of the heap for close to five years. The seductively lit dining room has Melbourne's beloved industrial-chic mash-up down pat, with exposed bricks and naked bulbs enhanced by skinny strips of mirror and a sweep of laser-cut metal that hugs the bar. From the chunky Laguiole butter knife to bulbous wine glasses, the details are finely honed. Service can occasionally drift off-course but the food is near faultless. A plump marron tail, pearlescent in the centre, gets a salty hit from wagyu bresaola and whipped cod roe. Caramelised quince and smooth boudin noir add sweet, earthy notes to pink-fleshed roast pigeon; plum sauce and a funky XO play the same support role to tender pork loin and crisped belly. Dessert, too, showcases clever pairing, balancing delicate Earl Grey ice-cream with chocolate ganache, sherry-sloshed prunes and cubes of honey jelly.