St Isidore

From Melbourne via Mollymook, chef Alex Delly and his partner Jo have opened their dream restaurant just where the town ends and the rolling paddocks begin. In a grey-green corro hut among flowering bushes, giant gums and a long veranda, Delly conjures up bright, garden-fresh dishes that celebrate their bucolic surrounds. A sunny egg dribbles on to creamy primrose-pale corn, with beetroot, carrots, turnips, baby broad beans and nasturtium leaves, while delicately flavoured spatchcock comes with carrots, brussels sprouts and a speck and sherry jus. Divinely crisp-skinned snapper and mussels with jammy sambal and garlic shoots has great flavour, although the green papaya salad next to it was low on contrasts. Sesame pork and prawn cakes looked the part, but were rather too pink inside. The crisp shell and fluffy filling of a superb warm chocolate tart and salted caramel is a dream in itself. Especially with roasted peanut ice-cream.