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Gladioli

Playful, contemporary cooking... Gladioli.
Playful, contemporary cooking... Gladioli.Supplied

Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Modern Australian$$$

A pretty weatherboard restaurant 25 minutes past Geelong has transformed the tiny hamlet of Inverleigh from fuel stop to hotspot. Loads of natural light, soft grey carpet and contemporary artwork provide a comfortable, neutral backdrop for Matt Dempsey’s playful, contemporary cooking. From his kitchen come a series of set dishes, often using conventional ingredients in unconventional ways to highlight texture. Tiles of yielding citrus-cured ocean trout might be plated with pappadum-like chia wafers and crisp foraged sea vegetables; and pork slow-cooked in beer and raw pear slices are half-hidden under pieces of puffed crackling. Draw straws to choose a designated driver – the wine list, featuring top drops from the region and further afield, is worth exploring. Service is gentle and genial without being buttoned-up. Desserts such as chocolate creme dotted with cardamom marshmallows and impaled with rhubarb toffee shards are a highpoint: as delicious as they are Instagram-worthy. 

And … The pretty rear garden is used for weddings, parties, anything.

THE LOW-DOWN
Vibe Chef’s restaurant.
Best bit Forward-looking food.
Worst bit Steep cancellation fee.

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