SlowDown!@Harley Court in St Kilda has a menu and wine list featuring produce and wine sourced from within a 200km radius of Melbourne. Chef Ron O’Bryan develops the menu around what’s in season and what’s available. He uses organic and biodynamic produce wherever possible with a strict policy of only ethically raised meats. Although some ingredients may be brought in from further afield – they don’t scrimp on quality – overall the diner offers a very local, regional experience.

The menu is well-structured with ‘arger dishes, such as the house-made gnochetti with wild slippery jacks and nettles, suitable as mains for one, but if you are in good company pick the ‘dishes for 2,’ known to feature the Meredith lamb stifado with soft polenta, an intense, sticky dish of gelatinous meat and deep rich reduction that sits well against hand-picked green beans with Yarra Valley Persian feta.

The room, while dimly lit, is finished with simple woods and the odd banquette and the walls are dressed with photos of the producers from whom much of SlowDown!@Harley Court’s produce is bought. The wine list maintains the ethos and is smart, well-priced and naturally matches the food.

To top it off? They make their own in-house butter in-house organic cream. Travel a few kilometres to SlowDown!@Harley Court, they've done the hard yards for you.