“We liaise very closely with small, independent suppliers of farmed organic produce and game meats, and use all aspects of a carcass, be it meat or fish. Being able to source highly seasonal produce allows for wonderful daily specials.”

Slow-roasted duck with fig purée, betel leaf, and dried wild figs; crisp grilled quail wrapped in pancetta with sage, pear tortino, and vincotto; and agnolotti of ricotta and spinach with pumpkin and crostini.

On the surface, Cecconi’s is the corporate European restaurant from central casting, the mostly Italian menu tethered by excellent house-made pasta, including the signature ricotta and spinach agnolotti.

But, beneath the crisp, white linen, award-winning wine list, and a polished team of waiter​s beats the heart of a true trailblazer. This favoured haunt of captains of industry (and sport) was one of the first Melbourne restaurants to adopt a commercial composting system, to build a dry-ageing room for beef, to make its own salumi, and to focus on organic, small-scale producers, including fruit and vegetables from the Bortolotto family farm.

But, really, the Bortolotto family best defines sustainability by having sustained fine Italian dining in Melbourne for thirty years or more.

“Beautiful ingredients, including a weekly selection from the owner’s Surf Coast farm, underpin revived Italian classics.”

goodfood.com.au