Made by Lesley Taylor

Lesley Taylor is a Newie fixture. A protege of the grand old chef of the Hunter, Robert Molines, she has cut a swathe through the city over the years with a number of smart dining rooms, Restaurant Deux and Le Petit Deux among them. Putting her name above the door marks a new direction. a focus on garden produce and a more relaxed Mediterranean approach. It's still smart food, served in a sweet vintage/provencale-inspired dining room. Sauteed duck hearts - little meaty numbers spiced with cumin - are partnered by caramel-edged onions and braised witlof, while blue swimmer crab-filled tortellini is anointed at the table with a deep-flavoured seafood bisque. Roasted snapper with clam veloute, crumbed razor clams and iodine-rich local samphire brings a whiff of sea breeze. Braised beef short rib is richly earthy. Apple sorbet enclosed in a glistening green toffee ball provides a foil for apple fritters and cubes of almond cake on a bed of spiced crumbs.