After a leisurely drive to Heathcote one very hot Sunday, recently, for some fabulous wines from Condie Wines (see review), the gorgeous Rosanne, recommended Annie Smithers' Bistrot for lunch, as I was starving (as usual). After a little trouble finding it, as it's away from the bustling end of Piper Street, we were greeted by a really happy, blonde lady who sat us down, & promptly brought us some iced water to cool down. It's a beautifully furnished old building, that may have been stables 100 years ago, with this fantastic garden out the back where I think they get some of their produce. I loved that there is a stool beside each table to place your handbag; nice touch. The food was beautiful & being so hot we decided to just do a main & dessert. Hubby had the duck which was beautifully cooked, & I ordered lamb, of which they were out of racks, so I got a fillet instead; still beautifully cooked & served with my absolute favourite veg, beetroot, fresh from the garden I'd say because I could've eaten 10 kilos of it. Then came dessert! What a triumph! Next time we visit, I'll be having 3 courses, a main & TWO desserts. We chose the peach...poached in lemon verbena & served with white chocolate mousse, raspberries. fresh & pureed, & this fantastic little pistachio meringue-y 'thing'. I'm not usually a fan of white chocolate but a massive fan of all the other components which is why I ordered it. This dessert is the "Queen" of dessert for me. Everything on that plate was perfectly matched & exquisitely made. Even the mousse! it was like a little dollop of 'cloud'. I love the gorgeous paper straws you get with your soft drink; that really took me back to my childhood. Even a trip to the restrooms was a treat, with beautiful Murchison Hume liquid hand soap, if I remember that correctly, & absolutely SPOTLESSLY clean!! Considering the exceptional quality of the produce, this represents excellent value dining. Everything about this restaurant is quality, the décor, the food, the staff, the garden & that adorable pup.

Approximate cost: $36