Olive Tree Restaurant

You're walking down Russell Street in the city centre when you spot the discrete entrance—no fanfare, just an understated door that opens onto something rather special. Inside, the dining room has the warmth of someone's front room if that someone had impeccable taste and a properly stocked wine cellar. The kitchen does classical French technique without the stuffiness; expect dishes that taste like they've been thought about properly, where ingredients are treated with respect rather than dressed up for show. It's the kind of place where you actually want to linger over three hours, and the staff won't rush you.