Vivace

There's a lovely spirit to Vivace - it's a slick, sleek dining room with handsome windows to the street, but there are wild, expressive paintings on the walls and service is warm and friendly while never missing a beat. Start with warm house-made bread, maybe flecked with olive, while you peruse a menu of handmade pastas and excellent seasonal produce. There's a spotlight on quality meat, with a supporting cast of flavours curated with great flair. Start with oysters under a snowfall of melon and vodka granita, or a couple of large, succulent prawns with haricot beans, mint and grapefruit. An entree of terrine might be made with duck, pork and prunes, while a main of perfectly pink Gippsland lamb rump might come with a spicy house-made sausage. Pastas are silken and inspired: herbed gnocchi often comes with slow-cooked meat: perhaps pork, pear cider and broccolini. Mains are generous but you won't regret finishing with petits fours - light, sticky nougat, mini-eclairs and float-away cocoa-rolled truffles.