The Conservatory restaurant offers casual coastal dining

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Towards the back of the Queenscliff Hotel, the same building once occupied by city fine diner Mietta’s seaside outpost, there’s a restaurant that could have been the wallflower of this recently renovated grand dame. But its menu is so joyous, so flexible and unassuming, that it threatens to be the star of the show.

Vegetables are treated with respect and creativity, even if they’re not the sole focus. Grilled chicken with sweet potato, leek and preserved lemon sounds straightforward but possesses a fantastic Middle Eastern aura thanks to zaatar. Crowd-pleasing stracciatella with roasted beetroot and orange is made dynamic by its treacle and caraway dressing. Prawns are cooked over wood, juicy and sweet, and laid over house-made hummus with tarragon and crispy garlic.

Booths are tucked behind white arches, the floors are tiled, and a peaked glass ceiling adds both drama and natural light to the room, which hums happily with families, daytrippers, locals and everyone in between.

Must-order: Japanese Slipper, the cocktail which was famously invented at the original Mietta’s in 1984.

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