When you’re sitting outside in the shadow of Parliament House, crowds spilling out from nearby theatres, dinner here can feel like a love letter to Melbourne. But inside is where you really start to feel enamoured.

The dining room, all dark wood and low light, is like a slender train carriage of yesteryear ambling through Europe. The renowned wine list reads like a map, and staff will recommend the perfect stop.

Blini are served fresh off the griddle, capped by a pearl-white cloud of whipped cod roe. Cured swordfish is made sprightly with paper-thin slices of pickled green tomato, while lamb ragu releases cinnamon’s toasty aroma when tossed through broad ribbons of pappardelle.

Amaro and fig semifreddo is a bittersweet knockout. The European ditches the zeitgeist hamster wheel in favour of an enduring approach. Get on board.