Biota Dining

Bowral may be all grand manor houses, log fires and chintzy winter warmth, but here, it's clean-lined Scandi-chic and a thoroughly modern menu. The outer areas of this beautiful Highlands home serve casual tapas and terrific Sunday egg-and-morcilla breakfasts. But the main room weaves creative magic with kitchen-garden vegetables, herbs and flowers, and local meat and fish. Imagination reigns in just-set curd with leaves, salted egg yolk and malt vinegar jelly; or feisty cured mackerel tempered with grape gel, dark-green discs of compressed nashi pear and the pop of finger lime. Here a radish pod, there a camomile frond, a feathery yarrow leaf, wild garlic or purslane. Spatchcock with hazelnut crumbs, spiced pear skin, chestnut porridge and speck is sublime; ditto the cheese course. Dessert? Mead-smoked banana buckwheat cake with corn cream and honeycomb. Of course.