The Atlantic

Crown Entertainment Complex, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC, Australia

Having previously won plaudits in Australia’s southernmost city before leaving for Hong Kong, Yorkshire-born chef Donovan Cooke – a former protégé of Michel Roux and Marco Pierre White – is now wowing seafood fans at this elegant river-front restaurant. The Atlantic has several options for dining but it’s worth booking a table in the main restaurant for elaborate dishes like spanner crab with oven-roasted tomato, cucumber, corn and parmesan foam, and herb- crusted seared tuna with salmon caviar, pickled vegetables and wasabi mayonnaise. Not just showy assemblies to impress high rollers drifting in from the adjacent casino, they combine the taste and texture of diverse but complementary ingredients supremely well. Fishy though the emphasis may be, there is also wagyu beef – braised cheeks as well as sirloin steaks – while vegetarians are treated to roasted cauliflower risotto with taleggio. Victoria wines feature for every course and the open kitchen with its battery of chefs makes an engaging sight. Maybe only the dark decor leaves room for improvement. AG. 00 61 3 8623 9688, theatlantic.com.au