Buy the Good Food Guide 2009 online.

Two decades ago Simone's began life in Bright as a modest motel restaurant, described in this Guide as 'Mrs Patrizia Simone's wholesome and generous Italian cooking . . . the best food in the district'.

Simone's is now housed in a charming Victorian residence near the centre of town but the essence of that original review endures. So enticing is the food that these days the family-run restaurant rivals Bright's autumnal splendour as reason enough for a high-country pilgrimage. Fresh local produce is used extensively and the menu is conceived and executed with passion and originality. Baked figs with gorgonzola cream and prosciutto make for a rich start, as do scallops on red wine with grapes and cotechino risotto. Game options include boned roasted quail breast with chestnut; basil-infused rabbit cooked porchetta-style; caramelised duck breast filled – oddly but successfully – with smoked eel; and Umbrian-style guinea fowl.

A dessert favourite is the chocolate plate of cherry-ripe tartlet, baci icecream, chocolate mousse and Sicilian icecream bun. Service may be less reliable, veering from warm and efficient to slow and indifferent, depending on the night.