15/20
Contemporary
Athelstane House got a new chef last summer and he has already raised the bar on the Bellarine Peninsula, a region that long lacked a benchmark restaurant. The dining room hasn't changed: simple, almost spare, with white walls, polished floorboards and uncovered blondwood tables. But the room's compactness and proximity to the bar and kitchen keeps austerity at bay and the sharply dressed waitstaff close by. There is a buzz about the place since young chef Tyler Vakidis arrived. His audacious fare displays wide influences; the only consistent ingredient on the menu is ambition. Rich, creamy chicken-liver parfait with crunchy house-made brioche and churned butter is totally decadent but also sublime. Ocean-trout tartare is topped with micro watercress and small piles of wasabi flying-fish roe, and lined by two stripes of 'salt and vinegar' chocolate; presentation is beautiful but the sweet chocolate may seem overbearing. Vegetarian baklava filled with roast beetroot, its flaky pastry sticky with bitter honey, hits the bullseye, while overnight-braised lamb might be a touch dry and is a rare misfire. Desserts maintain the winning standard: from mastic panna cotta to strawberry soup with blueberries and spearmint foam.
Open Sat–Sun noon–3pm; Thurs–Mon 6–9pm
Typical prices E $19 M $35 D $14
Cards AE DC MC V Eftpos
Wine Largely Australian list with heavy focus on local region, plus blackboard of changing specials
Owners Ross Ebbels and Felicity Mackenzie
Chef Tyler Vakidis
Seats 40; outdoor seating; private room; bar 
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