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Fino

This modest whitewashed cottage captures rural dining at its smartest. Chef David Swain is quick to translate what’s caught and picked fresh, capturing vitality on the plate without unnecessary interference. A salad of heirloom tomatoes has the rich acidic zing of garden freshness. Plump roast pheasant is teamed with gnocchi to soak up the rich juices. Local produce is celebrated – whole garfish are pan-fried with their spikes intact, almonds add crunch to lamb’s brains with cured pig’s cheek – and desserts are satisfying and in perfect balance. A superb wine list includes a few esteemed McLaren Vale neighbours and also reaches around the world to present textural, lesser-known varietals, from greco to elite sherry. The sum of the parts is an exercise in balance and grace, with the five-course shared menu for $60 a person presenting a very strong argument for reviving long, lazy lunches.