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Matt Moran’s Aria is a fine-dining restaurant of the distinctly Australian kind.

Beyond the multimillion-dollar harbour view, the tweezered tasting menu and the hushed jewel-toned dining room, there is an unpretentious warmth about the place. Broad smiles, gentle guidance and evident passion put diners at ease – whether it’s their first or 50th visit.

Need a hand with the extensive wine list, or the dessert selection? No worries, they’re here to help (and yes, the citrus souffle is a delight). Maybe that’s the secret to Aria’s enduring success.

That, and of course, the food, a medley of Australian produce including spanner crab (creamy, briny and bright, served with cucumber, buttermilk and lovage), jurassic quail (its plump, tender leg dusted with macadamia and puffed wheat) and Meredith Dairy goat’s curd (a lush filling for scallop-edged ravioli, with savoury consomme poured tableside).

Here’s to the next quarter of a century.