Mercato @ Daylesford

The evocative pictures of European market scenes are clues to the restaurant's name, Italian for market. It's apt, too, as the reborn weatherboard cottage is just down the road from Daylesford's popular Sunday market, and owner-chef Richard Mee takes pride in selecting the best seasonal produce of the region. The candlelit interior is more spacious than it first appears, with crisp white table linen, upholstered chairs and deft, well-groomed staff adding a touch of formality without stuffiness. To begin, a tempura of zucchini flowers with Meredith goat's cheese, or maybe carpaccio of Romsey emu with shaved percorino. Creatively conceived, finely crafted mains follow. Kangaroo fillet may come on truffled polenta; there might be aged Kyneton Angus eye fillet; rare-breed lamb, and Western Plains pork, perhaps with pickled rhubarb and sweet potato. All dishes are imaginatively garnished, and there are sides for the really ravenous. A dessert plate is sure to include luscious house-made icecreams. This is fine dining with commendable class.