“We currently compost all our food, send our own reusable containers to major suppliers, and use no plastic straws. We recycle all glass and return all cardboard back to the suppliers for reuse. We also work directly with Mossy Willow, an organic, no-till farm. We’re continually improving our systems, aiming to become 100 per cent organic by 2019. Taking on this challenge is difficult but important. Chefs hold a unique power in their opportunity to educate their community.”

Octopus tostada with avocado, serrano chilli, and blood orange; potato causa with peanut ocopa and amaranth; and grilled figs with Israeli schug.

It’s radical – even foolhardy – to change a menu every four months based on a two-week research trip, but young-gun Charlie Carrington has proved up to the challenge. There are constants at Atlas: the flame and smoke that creep elegantly into each dish, the seasoned floor team, the sharp drinks list that swings between countries and continents. It’s a bravura performance all round, the global approach backed by a strong local consciousness.

You may not find beef on the menu, but you will find confident, refined spins from a revolving cast of nations, from the salty Vietnamese fish sauce, gingery clams and charred cauliflower, to the pure Israeli comfort of sweetbreads and toasted challah. Prepare to stamp your culinary passport.

“Buckle up, Melbourne. Atlas Dining is cleared for take-off.” –Roslyn Grundy, goodfood.com.au