Inside a nondescript little cottage set back from the main street of Willunga is one of South Australia’s classiest and most enjoyable dining experiences.

Fino – a small and, on first appearances, unremarkable restaurant – has been wowing diners for years with fine local produce cooked to perfection and served in an uncomplicated fashion.

Arriving on a bitterly cold Saturday night, we were taken to our table in the middle of the dining area. A serving window offered a glimpse into the theatre of the kitchen, where two chefs worked calmly and quietly.

The cottage-cum-restaurant has a snug homely feel; still-life paintings of fruit and vegetables stand in stark contrast to white-washed walls and hard floors. Wooden chairs and tables are set smartly yet sparsely.

On this night it wasn’t overly busy and the staff took time explaining the ins and outs of the shopping-list-style menu, which included the heralded return of the interestingly named “Trott” Pie.

There is also a five-dish-$65 sharing menu available for groups, however we settled on the a la carte menu which, with prices for entrees at about $20 and mains about $30, looked too good to pass by.

To start was a perfectly charred Berkshire chorizo sitting on a bed of flat beans. The house-made chorizo was deliciously moist and flavoursome, the beans providing a smooth texture to the coarse meat with a delicate bitterness of saffron rounding it off.

Another entrée of chèvre, beetroot, brussel sprouts and lentils was a colourful contrast of salty and sweet and soft and crunchy, with the earthy beetroot and crisp sprouts shining though.

During this time the service was fantastic – the small team knows the menu back-to-front, which is no mean feat considering it changes daily, and the suggestion of a previously-unheard-of Spanish white was spot-on.

For mains, a melt-in-the-mouth fillet of veal was served with chickpeas and feta. The veal, sliced equally, was seared and pink at heart, well rested and amazingly soft. The firm chickpeas were a nice touch, but the combination of the rich meat, salty feta and the iron of some baby spinach was the real highlight.

The Trott Pie. Photo: Fino restaurant

The Trott Pie is as rustic as a pie gets. Deep dish and golden brown, thick buttery pastry encases large chunks of lamb and slices of olives. Rich shiraz-based gravy and roasted parsnips complete an outstanding dish. The pie is named after local Wirra Wirra winemaker Greg Trott and apparently was the brainchild of Fino chef David Swain when he worked at the Salopian Inn in the early 2000s.

The dish was well worth the 40-minute wait. It is always pleasing to see a pie fully encased in pastry rather than a ramekin topped with a pastry lid.

For dessert, a Crema Catalana (Spain’s take on the classic crème brûlée) and a slice of Roquefort washed down with a 1980s sherry was the perfect closer to the meal.

All the dishes make stars out of locally sourced produce. The chorizo uses SchuAm Pork from the Barossa; the veal is from Clelands in Mt Compass; the chèvre is from Woodside.

Fino’s website says the restaurant “loves real food that tastes like real food” – which couldn’t be closer to the truth.

There are no tricks, there are no pointless flourishes and there is no illusion. It is all about honest local produce prepared expertly and served in the simplest yet most stylish of ways.

If you’re looking for something removed from the hustle and bustle of city dining, take the nice drive down to Willunga. Fino will not disappoint you.

Four-point-five out of five.

Fino