On Flinders Lane, populated by the cool and the cutting edge (and those up for queuing for them), proudly sits Cecconi’s, a bastion of high-end Italian hospitality where business is clinched and milestones are celebrated over bottles from the motherland, France and Oz.

The family-run establishment has notched up a decade since its move from Crown, the basement space cosy and classy despite its vastness.

Menu-wise, dishes lean to traditional, but are light and modern where they need to be. Open with paper-thin beef carpaccio enlivened by honey-roasted carrots and truffled pecorino, or seared scallops, things of beauty, earthed with a beetroot puree.

Get pasta as an entree or main. The pappardelle with beef and pork ragu was a rich, soothing tumble but the pasta needed another minute. Faultless were the John Dory fillets, arriving precisely cooked and simply draped over sauteed shiitake mushrooms and asparagus.

For dessert, order the lemon mousse or the chocolate pudding with fior di latte gelato and regret nothing.

Service can start slowly and feel disjointed with a procession of waiters, but Cecconi’s is still an authentic, alluring experience.

Must eat dish: John Dory