Dishes and destinations

The Gourmet Traveller team share where they’ve been and what they’re eating.

Mosconi, Brisbane

Catherine Anders’ cooking is a Mediterranean masterclass in how to make the best produce taste even better. These tender Freemantle octopus tentacles, resting on a simple white bean purée, brightened by a sauce vierge, tastily illustrate her deftness of touch. 164B Arthur St, Fortitude Valley, Qld.

Fiona Donnelly, Qld state editor

Cloudy Bay and East 33’s Natural Wonders tour

With vistas like this, the journey is nearly as delightful as the destination, when you hop aboard a seaplane to visit East 33’s oyster farm at Wallis Lake in NSW. There, you’ll be treated to an oyster-inspired three-course lunch with matching Cloudy Bay wines.

Jordan Kretchmer, writer

El Grotto, Perth

Perth’s favourite beachside cantina pays tribute to the beloved tortas of Mexico via this flank steak, refried black bean and avocado sanger, served in a flat telera wheat roll. An ideal accompaniment to anything El Grotto’s easy-going bartenders throw at you. 5/148 The Esplanade, Scarborough, WA.

Max Veenhuyzen, WA state editor

Institut Polaire, Hobart

Cold climate wines are the drawcard at Institut Polaire, but once you’re inside you’ll be wooed by the bar snacks and chef’s menu. Sea urchin sandwiched between perilla leaves, dipped in tempura batter and lightly fried is just one of the many moreish small bites. 1/7 Murray St, Hobart, Tas.

Alix Davis, contributing editor

P&V, Sydney

I love P&V – it’s fun, flirty and has a revamped menu of restaurant-quality snacks, including this caper-studded beef tartare adorned with crunchy puffed tenderloins. Washed down with a glass of juicy Lamoresca rosato, it’s pure joy. 268 Oxford St, Paddington, NSW.

Georgie Meredith, writer and editorial coordinator