Masons of Bendigo

There are few greater champions of the producers of their patch than Nick and Sonia Anthony of Masons of Bendigo.

The goat shoulder.

25 Queen St, Bendigo

[phone]

masonsofbendigo.com.au

There are few greater champions of the producers of their patch than Nick and Sonia Anthony of Masons of Bendigo.

Whether it’s the terrific all-Victorian wine list with its focus on local spirits and beers from within 100 clicks of Victoria’s fourth-largest city, or the extensive list of namechecked producers of the region across the large, peripatetic menu, Masons offers a true celebration of central Victoria.

Terrific smoked miso butter and cracking-crusted sourdough is a smashing opener before a choose-your-own adventure of plates large and small.

Excellent wagyu brisket from Castlemaine’s Oakwood comes teamed with mustard cream with real kick and pickles with real bite, while braised goat comes wrapped in thinly sliced heirloom carrots with wasabi cream cutting through the lot.

Plump, juicy, buttermilk-steeped and rice-flour-battered quail is a dance of black garlic sweetness and wilted radicchio bitterness, while thick, creamy camel milk custard elevates pan-tanned gnocchi pillows tossed through burnt tomato, toasted quinoa, parmesan crisps and ice plant for crunch.

Quietly confident service from a young team brimming with pride and menu knowledge helps elevate the experience, though paper napkins and the cutlery well on tables are at odds with the kitchen’s ambitions.

And while some dishes could do with a few less elements to let that terrific produce shine even brighter, there’s no faulting the generosity or pricing across the menu that provides myriad reasons to return.

Little wonder, then, that bookings are essential.

Must eat dish: Braised goat baked in carrots

Cuisine: Contemporary

Chefs: Nick and Sonia Anthony

Price: $$

Bookings: Yes

BYO: No

Open: Tues-Sat lunch and dinner

Instagram: @masons_of_bendigo