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Annie Smithers

Annie Smithers is the pick of Piper Street, and with good reason. Characterised by unaffected elegance, it displays precision and passion without pretension. The produce – most of it from the kitchen garden – is allowed to speak for itself and does so eloquently: freshly plucked French breakfast radishes, for example, are served simply with butter and salt. Deft handling gives the well-worn pairing of garlic and prawns a new lease of life, while the Western Plains pork is a revelation: charred on the outside and pink in the middle, this brined sirloin is a tutorial in how the other white meat should be cooked. There’s plenty for dessert lovers, too – perhaps a pomme tarte fine with prune and Armagnac ice-cream. Wines are well chosen and include an interesting selection of locals, rounded out with judicious offerings from further afield. Service is crisp and professional but eminently amiable.