China Lane

Executive chef Ben Haywood, whose CV includes a stint at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck,  brings a playful sensibility to the Chinese-Cantonese menu at this delightfully kitschy, old Shanghai-themed restaurant tucked in a small cobblestone inner-city laneway. Order a cheekily named cocktail – Slow Boat from China; Mao’s Elixir – while you peruse the comprehensive menu. Assertive spices infuse dishes such as five spice “drunken” lamb and swordfish jungle curry, but there are plenty of less feisty options as well, like delicate prawn, snow pea and water chestnut dumplings. There are also banquet menus available for groups, an impressive list of vegetarian offerings and a private dining room that seats 10 people.