The Deck

This Southgate stalwart moved in 2011, and its new home is so Melbourne: small, narrow, in what almost looks like a leftover corner. Cosy and dark inside, outside there's the eponymous deck itself, which socks it to you with a spectacular city view that you never saw coming. The menu has French inspiration and meals are generous. Duck is a menu favourite - as parfait, it's silky and smooth with clarified butter. A fat duck sausage is beautifully seasoned. Duck breast main is lean, smartly accessorised with an onion tarte tatin, and a pan-fried, but slightly dry, puck of duck 'rillettes'. Moving away from duck, cauliflower soup with a sprinkling of Stilton is liquid velvet. Ocean trout maintains a deep pink, and, with tomatoes and brilliant green soybeans, fish never looked so pretty. You could quibble that a fondant, while delicious, lacks enough oozing chocolate. Creme brulee is perfect, though, and, endearingly, comes with bite-sized jam doughnuts.