Is it a sign of age? Needing an antidote to the Emperor’s New Clothes. A hasty Instagram snap can’t truly capture good dining; a vibe, dare I say an energy that radiates from a restaurant whether it’s humming or in the slow idyll of a Monday lunch service. Everything aligns: company, hospitality and a level of thought that stretches further than branding and de rigueur aprons. Balthazar harks back to classic dining, with the benefit of new blood. It’s antidote and then some.

Known for No Mafia, their casual Northbridge wine bar, Emma Ferguson and Dan Morris have now gambled on a different end of town, literally and figuratively. Whilst others are jumping ship, they’ve steered a course through the headwinds of old school dining and it looks like they’ve found safe waters.

From the pavement, at the foot of the art deco Lawson Building I’m already getting the vibe. A push on the solid wooden door, with its patina of ten thousand lunches and my seasoned dining companion greets me. He’s already into his Martini, advanced in conversation with our waitress come bartender. They’ve worked out my order, so as I slip onto the bar stool there’s no taxing decisions, just a glass soon at hand. Could there be a better start?

Ferguson and Morris are well versed in putting together a kick-ass wine list and running to 99 bottles this is no exception. It’s a skill to sell a special of any kind. You’ve got to make the customer want it, give them a reason to throw aside their normal drop. A funky volcanic red from the Atlantic, windswept Canary Islands, is the offer. It doesn’t disappoint. While I’m all for going local, letting your palate travel to new shores is never a bad thing.

Skye Faithfull, stepping up from Sous to Head Chef, makes the cut with a menu that’s refined yet fun. Tartare is one of my go-to dishes and Faithfull’s lamb rendition ticks my boxes, with rich duck yolk and piquant harissa. As our waitress says “it looks lovely on the plate, but best smashed up”. Not wrong. Mains are on point for three courses: not so big that I can’t prise in a dessert, but equally it’s not diminutive degustation fare. Pork belly delivers its crisp, salty and savoury promise, with a salsa verde that cuts the heavier elements of the dish. Market fish is generous and gets the thumbs up from the old boy. I’d tell you I’m over doughnuts for dessert, they’re everywhere these days. But seriously who am I kidding. Freshly made, served in a pool of chia and a good scoop of almond ice cream it’s a playful sugar hit.

A couple of hours in and we’re the last table. It would seem rude to just cut and run, and so it’s grappa time, and coffee, and a coffee with a shot of grappa. What can I say: old school dining, old school rules.