Having already conquered the French bistro, hospo trio Dan Pepperell, Michael Clift and Andy Tyson have turned their attention to the tratt. Their latest locale, Pellegrino 2000, is our number one spot for fresh pasta, focaccia, fritto misto and more. Located in a two-storey former terrace, you’ll want to book well in advance if you’re to score a spot in the retro-inspired dining room, or better yet, the candle-lit dine-in wine cellar downstairs. But surprisingly, some of the best seats are out on the street. A dedicated wine window is the perfect place to stop for a sangiovese and snack. 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW. pellegrino2000.com.

After naming his first restaurant Arthur, after his grandfather, chef Tristan Rosier has followed up with eatery Jane, after his grandmother. If Arthur is the more formal of the two, Jane is more of a good-time gal, serving elegant yet un-fussed fare suited to a more casual style of dining. The stunning restaurant is no plain Jane, rather a sleek retro inspired brasserie, with corduroy banquettes and polished dark timber tables. The menu is beautifully handwritten by Jane herself – with all the elegant loops and tails of the age. Start with the Moreton Bay bugs, which come swimming in a tarragon beurre blanc like little lobster thermidor. No booking? No worries. Jane welcomes walk-ins with open arms. 478 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW. janesurryhills.com

Bastardo. Is it a reference to the management? A characterisation of the service? A call-out to the type of patron the team favours? No, nulla, niente. It’s actually a nod to the menu being a “bastardisation” of Italian food. Serving garlic bread with the wagyu meatballs in red sauce might be considered eccentrico by traditionalists, but they’ll love it nevertheless. Bastardisation? Bring it on. 50 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW. porteno.com.au

Cooking over flames is hot on the international fine-dining circuit. And in Australia, no one does it better than Lennox Hastie. Even before an appearance on Netflix’s Chef’s Table made scoring a table here a competitive sport, Firedoor had become renowned for fire-fuelled cooking of unexpected delicacy. In the open kitchen that forms the smouldering heart of the venue, Hastie calmly supervises the wood-fired grills. From flame to plate, there’s nowhere to hide in Hastie’s kitchen. It’s dinner theatre acted out by a team firing on all cylinders. 23-33 Mary St, Surry Hills NSW. firedoor.com.au

More meals should start with shawarma, especially if it’s anything like the version at Nour – charry chicken and magenta-toned pickled cabbage rolled up in a strip of house-made flatbread and devoured in no more than four bites. It’s an unorthodox way to start a dinner out but it’s undeniably fun. This sense of fun is something Nour dishes out liberally. It’s a big restaurant but still manages to feel intimate. There’s music, energy and liveliness but you can clearly hear your table companions (how often have you had to lip-read in a bustling dining room?) – a useful thing at a restaurant like this where each dish begs to be handed back and forth, spoonfuls shared and last bites fought over. 3/490 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW. noursydney.com

Chefs Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate, along with partners Sarah Doyle and Joe Valore, will forever be the rockabilly quartet who introduced Sydney to the charms of Argentinian parrilla (barbecue). A relationship with top Australian butchers and farmers sustains an ever-changing steak menu featuring grain- and grass-fed cuts ranging from the manageable (300g) to the behemoth (1kg-plus), seared over eucalyptus charcoal. The nuanced wine list includes bolshie Argentinian malbecs that cry out for a good steak. Twelve years in and counting, Porteño has proven it’s here for a good time as well as a long time. 50 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW. porteno.com.au

There’s only one problem with Poly: there are just too many good things on the menu. The hip, inner-city sister to Chippendale’s Ester has well and truly moved out of its sibling’s shadow. Located on the basement level of Paramount House Hotel, the sexy, subterranean space offers the perfect place for drinks, snacks or dinner, or preferably all three. The industrial-inspired interiors manage to feel both modern and organic at once, with raw brick and polished concrete softened by honey timber and crimson banquettes. With so much to choose from, your best course of action might be to get one of everything. 74-76 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW. polysurryhills.com.au

Courtesy of a fire and the pandemic, Nomad has had a tumultuous few years, but these days the space is just as inviting as ever. Although head chef Jacqui Challinor moved to Melbourne with the opening of Nomad’s sister restaurant this year, the Sydney original shows no sign of decline. The puffy wood-fired flatbread rivals more famous Sydney versions, the inclusion of Persian lime and wattleseed za’atar contributing in part to this status. For a feast, the dry-aged pork cutlet is a theatrical 600g serving, rich and succulent, with pickled radicchio, spiced prunes and pepitas – and, yes, you can take any leftovers home (along with a full belly and the scent of fire). 16 Foster St, Surry Hills; nomad.sydney.

What takes your fancy? If it’s a snack, small or more substantial, head to the corner public bar or the sunny terrace above. The Italian menu runs from ‘proper sandwiches’ such as Tokyo-style egg mayo and the ‘pitza pocket’ stuffed with meatballs, parmesan and a lavish amount of Caesar dressing, through salads and pasta to a line-up of pizzas that equally qualify as ‘proper’, the thin, blistered bases bearing well-chosen traditional-style toppings. In an old Surry Hills pub revamped by renowned restaurateur Maurice Terzini in 2016 with seamless graffiti-like design throughout, The Dolphin is dedicated to fun in food and vibe – see the wildly popular aperitivo hour. You’re in for a good time whatever you fancy. 412 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW. dolphinhotel.com.au