Stefano's

Now that Stefano de Pieri has left the kitchen (if not the building), Stefano's is under the tutelage of chef Jim McDougall, who's shrugged off any remaining rustic Italian vestiges in favour of something more urban and complex. Six- or eight-course degustation menus might see yabbies teamed with samphire and duck egg emulsion, an intriguing but successful mix of prosciutto, miso soup and hazelnuts or smoked sheep's cheese-stuffed agnolotti sharing a plate with superb sweetbreads and a red-gum-roasted eggplant puree. It's fancy, sometimes delightful stuff displaying precise cooking, artful plating and an attractive, sophisticated regional focus (gorgeous local rhubarb teamed with sour meringue is a great case in point). Despite the change of direction, the soothing charm of the basement room, with its candlelight and salon-hung art, still makes Stefano's the region's best dining experience.