Koots Salle a Manger

Owner-chef Patrice Repellin may have moved the family to the Mornington Peninsula, but the tree-change hasn't altered his cosy, elegant Gallic restaurant an iota. Expect the same salle a manger (dining room) with traditional touches - napery, upholstered chairs, and chandelier - as well as a warm greeting and attentive, knowledgeable service. Unchanged, too, is the first-class French food, at once classic and contemporary. An entree selection perfectly showcases Repellin's range - perhaps a shot of chilled gazpacho, goat's cheese foam quenelle on brioche, pork and prune terrine, and super-thin yellowfin tuna dressed with ginger, shallot and wasabi mayo. Mains, like roasted milk-fed lamb with stuffed zucchini flower fritters and eggplant relish, follow a more conservative course. A shared dessert platter returns to a joyful marriage of old and new: perhaps caneles bordelais (Bordeaux rum cake cooked for four hours), mango and hazelnut parfait layered with filo and jelly, or armagnac-soaked cherries on almond meringue crumble.