Here's how I would spend $1889 on a Canberra dinner

The Nationals senator spent a bit of time grilling Airservices Australia CEO Jason Harfield at Senate estimates this week about a $1889 dinner.

The dinner was for 11 people. That's roughly $171 a head. Pretty easy to spend that kind of money these days.

If I was Mr Harfield, with his office on Constitution Avenue, I would have ducked across London Circuit and taken the team to Such and Such, named as one of Australia's best new restaurants.

Particularly if I liked the colleague we were farewelling.

There's a beaut private dining area that sits up to 20 people.

The two-hour set menu there is $105. And with big groups it's always fun to try a 1500mL magnum of something (and really, it's an economical bean-counter pleasing option).

A nice little late-release Austrian riesling from Nikolaihof Federspiel adds another $395 to the bill.

For the red drinkers, a nice Vanguardist MVG grenache would pair well with the duck on the crown with fish sauce caramel and quince.

That's another $585. So the set menu and effectively four bottles of wine for 11 people comes to $2135.

Or perhaps I would have suggested Natural Nine at Casino Canberra.

Close enough to walk back to work. The food and the ambience here is great and the $89 per head banquet is excellent value.

Throw in a cocktail for everyone, perhaps a Queen of Hearts (here's to you, Bridget), with vodka, chambord, strawberry syrup and lime.

At $20 each, times 11, the bill is already at $1199, with food. Two bottles of local Clonakilla O'Riada comes in at $220. Total so far is $1419. Put the remaining $470 on red and you might even come out of the dinner ahead.

Sure, there's the whole idea of "it being on the taxpayers' money", but it's still money well spent in Canberra's hospitality scene.

If Senator McKenzie is ever keen to join me for dinner, she should let me know. Maybe we could invite Mr Harfield, too.

Nothing like a nice meal and a glass, or three, of wine to solve differences.