Bistrot Plume is an elegant French-Australian eatery for diners who enjoy the finer things in life. Owners Ben McLachlan and Jackson Fort are well versed in hospitality – they also run Local Geelong and its by-night wine bar, Enoteca. Chef Fort earned his stripes at fine diners like (Tulip, Igni and Cutler & Co.

As the restaurant’s name implies, the food here is mostly French. Fort’s ever-changing menu revolves around produce from high-quality producers like Kinsfolk Farm and Gamekeepers. Standout dishes include blue cheese croquettes; cured kingfish with pickled cucumber, horseradish and cultured cream; roasted duck a l’orange; and a hearty 700g rib eye with cafe de Paris butter that warrants bringing a date along. They can also help you out with the crème brûlée and madeleines with lemon curd.

Plume welcomes drop-ins as much as bookings. You can spend a few hours in the dining room with a delicate French feast. But you can just as easily perch at the bar to try a few appetisers and wines. The wine list is divided into contemporary French and Australian options. You might see Tolpuddle’s pinot noir and Sierra Reed’s nebbioli, alongside drops from French wineries like La Maison Romane, Domaine La Florane and M. Chapoutier.

Black and teal accents and an unfinished brick wall give the otherwise light restaurant a moody finish. A marble bar sits in the front room, in front of glass shelves stacked on bespoke brass poles. Large Renaissance-style food portraits by local photographer Cricket Saleh hang from the walls.