Has this anticipated restaurant lived up to expectations?

It's hard not to be impressed by the first glimpse of the Terry Ring and Associates-designed building, made of local timber and stone; it's almost barn-like, here on the farm. I hadn't seen it lit up before and by night it sparkles.

Just when you're wondering whether to push or pull the massive copper-coloured door, it's opened by a friendly staff member, sommelier Tom Blakely (perhaps he's on door duty because he's the only one muscular enough to manoeuvre it?) setting the tone for service all night. It's friendly without being intrusive, a little casual in tone, but highly efficient.

It's an impressive room, floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, full of natural textures and tones. But it's also surprisingly intimate. A place where a special dinner for two could take place next to larger tables full of families and everyone is happy with the view out to the truffle orchard.

And so to the food. Have the team from the Armada Collective met the brief Beltana Farm owners Alice and Doug O'Mara gave them, wanting a pared-back classic menu that had a connection to the land?

The simple answer is yes they have. Should we have ever doubted the likes of chef John Leverink and manager James Souter, the masterminds behind the award-winning The Boat House, Margot Bar and Canteen?

Beltana Farm is only a few months in, but it already feels so grounded.

Which is a terrible segue into the choice of menus. The "Unearthed" tasting menu is $110pp, offers up 10 plates, with a choice of three substantial mains. It's incredibly good value.

But we're ordering a la carte. Mainly because I want another serve of the potato and carrot galette with buttermilk and sage ($24). It comes mid-dinner but I'll get it out of the way here. I love it. There's been an addition of mustard since I last tried it, and that makes it even better. Strips of tender potato and carrot, rolled into small galettes, baked until golden and crispy on the edges. It's a treat.

But back to the beginning. First up are some Wallis Lake oysters, plump and salty, served with a pepperberry mignonette ($8 each). They're a nice reminder that native ingredients can be used subtly and that's the case through the whole menu.

Next is the potato damper with macadamia dukkah ($10) and the whipped brie and burnt onion, served with little radishes and cucumbers ($12). They're a good pairing; you can either feel virtuous and use the vegetables to dip in the brie, or scoop it up with the tender damper. The dukkah is great, salty and relatively chunky with pieces of macadamia of various sizes. The brie is great, light and fluffy and something I'm keen to try at home. Like a really posh French onion dip.

A new dish on the menu is the mushrooms with buffalo curd and black garlic ($27). The oyster mushrooms are from Mussett Holdings in the Southern Highlands, there's still a little bite to them, served with tangy buffalo curd with the umami touch of black garlic. The dish is a reminder the seasons are changing and new produce will always be available to mix the offerings up.

For mains we go for a bay smoked lamb rump ($48). It's served with a burnt apple puree made from apples from Jonathan Banks just down Beltana Road at number 10, and topped with some blistered shisito peppers which look like they should have some heat, but they're sweet and a nice touch. The lamb is cooked perfectly, pink and tender, a generous portion, served in thick slices.

It's not often you're impressed by a simple bowl of lettuce leaves but the farm leaves with verjuice vinaigrette ($16) is very refreshing. The vinaigrette is sweet and delicate. A good reset before dessert.

Here we go for a burnt white chocolate cremeux with coffee, mascarpone and fudge brownie ($22). Our waiter tells us Leverink is known for his domes. You learn something every day. This one is great. It looks like a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream on a brownie crumble, but crack it open and it's full of creamy, coffee-tinged mascarpone. I don't usually like coffee-based desserts, or even coffee in a cup, but here there was only the slightest hint of flavour.

The other dessert is gorgeous to look at. It's an Anzac biscuit cheesecake with honey from the estate, whiskey and local raspberries ($22). It's deconstructed in a sense, the biscuit base crumbled up, with that familiar Anzac bikkie flavour. The cheesy component is creamy and tangy, the raspberries sweet. It's topped with a delicate honeycombed wafer of sorts with little bubbles of honey. So pretty, so tasty.

As we walk back up the driveway at the end of the night, I'm almost skipping with joy that this place, one of the most anticipated Canberra openings of 2024, has exceeded my expectations. I'm keen to see how it continues to grow, paying homage to the changing seasons, and just wait until those truffles come in.

Address: 14 Beltana Road, Pialligo

Phone: 6202 1130

Website: beltanafarm.au

Hours: Lunch, Thursday to Sunday; Dinner, Thursday to Saturday

Chef: John Leverink

Noise: No problem

Dietary: Mention when booking