Lark Hill Vineyard Restaurant

Twenty minutes in most directions from the Capital takes you into the heart of the bush, and an increasingly productive part of the region. At Lark Hill, Canberra's only biodynamic winery, you can lunch in a minimalist dining room by the fire or on the deck, where you can practically reach out and pick a grape off lush vines. Under owner and winemaker Chris Carpenter, whose parents bought the winery in 1978 (and whose grandad is the gardener), food is simple and produce-driven. A cleansing gazpacho and great sourdough is followed by a delicate duck pate that is as light as mousse. Ravioli comes as good, bitey pasta filled with root vegetables and served with crisp sage leaves and goat's fetta smothered in burnt butter. Rump steak is a beautiful piece of meat, well handled, sliced and presented simply with beetroot, a dab of chevre and wild rocket, although with rather too much sticky jus. Pear poached in Auslese riesling is an elegant finish.