Great views, fab food and decent value might be hospitality’s elusive triple threat, but the upstairs restaurant at The Baths Middle Brighton makes good on all fronts. 

Its glass elevation takes in those unimpeded bay and city views, and with a new chef installed, menu tweaks have enlivened the seafood-skewed mod Oz menu that’s full of Euro technique. 

Take the cod cheek starter, the firm flesh teamed with deboned confit chicken wings. The nuggets of protein, tender but still with bite, unified by a creamy avocado puree. Seared scallops with prosciutto, and classic beer-battered fish and chips fly the flag for comfort as well as value compared with other eateries along the St Kilda to Brighton stretch of sand.

The kitchen backs it up with solid desserts, too. There’s a chocolate fondant oozy and rich as it should be, but lighter options, such as pineapple carpaccio simply topped with raspberries, pistachios and coconut sorbet, are an uncomplicated summer hit. 

A smart-casual approach somewhere between board shorts and fine dining gives a sense of occasion without the fuss, and a good kids’ menu makes family dining here an easy win, as do wines priced for celebrating or just drinking in the view. 

Must Eat Dish: Seared scallops with creamy mash and crispy prosciutto