Sunday lunch: The Good Table, Castlemaine

ALEXANDER PERRY, born and bred in Castlemaine, went to Melbourne to earn his stripes and returned to his home town a few months ago to open up his own smart eatery in a gracious old corner pub.

Some 150 years ago, Castlemaine came into its own when gold was found at Specimen Gully. More than 30,000 miners flocked to these parts to seek their fortune. There was a hotel on every corner and several in between - the Council Club Hotel remained a popular watering hole until the 1970s.

Today, as The Good Table, the high-ceiling space is welcoming, with arcaded windows, polished floorboards, bentwood chairs at timber tables set with linen napkins.

The menu lists ''small'' dishes and ''larger'' dishes, all designed to share. We choose a few of each: a smooth, rich duck liver pate with superb shiraz jelly and thin toast slices ($12), home-grown zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, lemon and olive ($4 each) and, fried in the lightest batter, tangy and melt-in-the-mouth kingfish ceviche with pink peppercorns ($16) and pickled octopus with green pepper and chardonnay vinegar ($11).

Both ''larger'' dishes are just the right size and packed with individual flavour. The handmade ravioli filled with gorgonzola, confit pear and burnt sage butter ($20) is a triumph, as are the pan-fried fillets of Tuki trout with roasted almost-caramelised cherry tomatoes and basil. The latter is from a special autumn central Victorian lunch menu offer of main course and dessert for $22, featuring the best regional produce - some literally grown right at their back door.

Reviewed by Tricia Welsh who was hosted by Goldfields Tourism.

The Good Table, corner of Templeton and Barker streets, Castlemaine, 5472 4400. Open Thursday-Sunday, noon-11pm. See www.thegoodtable.com.au. To stay: nearby options are the Empyre Boutique Hotel, www.empyre.com.au; The Midland Hotel, www.themidland.com.au; MillDuck StrawBale B&B, www.millduck.com.au.