Taxi Dining Room

A full-immersion Melbourne experience can mean many things. Leaping to catch a hoiked six at the MCG is one. Explaining to visitors that our laneways outgun our so-called tourist attractions is definitely Melbs. And, on recent experience, I'd rank Taxi as essential Melbourne, too. It doesn't have the magnetic qualities of newer restaurants but it's on song and, unlike most, it isn't taking a summer sabbatical.

Its Federation Square perch makes the most of our city's sights, miraculously rendering Flinders Street Station as picturesque as Grand Central and the Yarra as fetching as the Danube. The plush, but unstuffy, dining room is anchored by an open kitchen. Service has shrugged off some formalities and is good overall, although those waiters on the large team who exude excellence highlight the lack of experience of others. Call me a grump, but I didn't appreciate being asked ''How are we travelling?'' half a dozen times.

As it happened, we were travelling well because the food was outstanding. Executive chef Tony Twitchett, a long-time lieutenant of previous kitchen commander Michael Lambie, has been in the role for a year, backed by head chef Perry Schagen. The food is contemporary Australian and Japanese - as it has been since the restaurant opened in 2004 - and there's a dedicated sushi chef, Kenji Ito. Vegetarian and gluten-free degustation dishes are available.

None of us should be eating endangered yellowfin tuna, but I can't deny the extreme succulence of the scrolled sashimi, ruby red and brushed with a konbu (seaweed) dressing so perfectly balanced that it could double as a high-wire act. The cooked meat is the best I've tasted for a while. In the case of both the seared kingfish and five-spice duck, the skin is crunchy and the flesh evenly cooked and ridiculously moist. The fish comes with creamy fennel puree and a perfectly judged aromatic dressing of Madeira, raspberry vinegar and shellfish oil. The duck demonstrates a facility with Chinese flavours; its five-spice dressing is a secret house blend.

Taxi's food isn't perhaps as adventurous as it has been, but the flavours are nicely poised and the cooking expert. It's the right pitch for a restaurant that's popular with out-of-towners, deal-sealers and celebrators. Finding the middle ground between fancy and approachable will ensure people continue to regard it as quintessential Melbourne.

★★★★

Taxi Dining Room
Level 1, Transport Hotel, Federation Square, city, 9654 8808
Licensed AE DC MC V
Daily noon-3pm; 6pm-late (closed today for lunch)
Entrees $18-$53; mains $38-$58; desserts $15.50-$21; degustation $100-$150