Corella

European in look and profoundly Australian at heart; Corella is a sophisticated restaurant and wine bar in Braddon where native Australian ingredients are playfully deployed on each exacting plate.

The 30-seat space features eucalypt-green hues and gold accents, and was originally destined to be something more like an intimate cave à vin. But owners Brady Scholes and Wes Heincke (who are also behind new-wave pub Assembly across the street) saw too much potential in the kitchen. Now, Corella is in the conversation with Pilot and Terra around essential dining experiences in the capital.

When you taste head chef Leon Pan's handiwork, you’ll understand why: dried saltbush is sprinkled over focaccia and served with a generous smear of "buttermite". Lemon myrtle ponzu enlivens scallops, and finger lime adds a popping garnish to oysters. Larger dishes might include carrot "tartare" with pickled zucchini – mix through a confit egg yolk and scoop the resulting mess onto a crusty baguette.

It wouldn’t be an Aussie affair without a barbeque present. Thus, a charcoal grill fires mains like Black Onyx hanger, accompanied by a puck of native spice butter. You might also spot ’roo – but in the form of spicy ’nduja tossed with green beans.

The list of cheff-y cocktails doubles down on larrikinism: past hits include Half-Thyme Orange, a play on the mid-match soccer snack, while the house Negroni is an Aussie redux of the classic cocktail thanks to Poor Tom’s Gin, native amaro and Davidson’s Plum. Unsurprisingly, there’s a big lens on Australian winemakers although internationals also get a fair go.