Carlton Wine Room

Lygon Street, Carlton, is one of Melbourne's best-known eat streets, but, paradoxically, most of the area's top restaurants are found in the surrounding streets. Take Carlton Wine Room, which opened in 2011 but already has an air of mature confidence. The deceptively large Victorian corner building sprawls over several levels, including an atmospheric bluestone cellar. The urbane Jay Bessell, one of three partners, guides diners through a wine list peppered with unusual varietals and idiosyncratic tasting notes and a clever, flexible menu that doesn't sacrifice flavour for technique. It kicks off with 'wine food' (antipasti) such as spicy cevapcici sausages, and tomato salad with crisp rice puffs and lush burrata (creamy mozzarella), then moves into dishes sized for pairing and sharing, among them satisfyingly earthy pork belly with white beans and baby turnips. The kitchen seems most at home with savoury dishes, but meringue with berries and a sweet-sharp balsamic syrup offers an excuse to read the wine list to the end.