Taxi Dining Room

A decade as one of the essential Melbourne dining experiences has not wearied Taxi. The Federation Square glamourpuss remains a destination beloved by city powerbrokers and tourists soaking up views of the river and arts precinct, and chef Tony Twitchett is winning fans with his inventive continent-hopping dishes. An Asian-accented steak tartare - kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and ginger, plus house-made sriracha and fried wontons - strikes a winning blow for fusion; scallops in a crunchy nest of kataifi pastry and smoked chilli mayo exemplify the high-octane appetisers; while raw tuna, earthed by a tangy kombu-flecked, soy and onion-powered dressing, goes back to Taxi's Japanese roots. The signature crisp-skinned Sichuan duck with five-spice caramel has made a welcome reappearance, but you can go classically Western, too, with a textbook rabbit ballotine studded with pistachio, or berries with smooth goat's curd sorbet and strawberry syrup. Staff have a formal aplomb, while the refined room proves good design is timeless.