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.

For a more refined offering, the Wine Room, in a slender space on street level, sees the likes of charcoal octopus with ’nduja and smoked almonds or gnocchi and spanner crab served alongside an unsurprisingly broad wine list that shows no special loyalty to Italy.

If it’s the full restaurant experience you’re after, the Dining Room is your answer. A light white-on-white high-ceilinged space, it’s a smart-casual affair in both look and carte. Cured kingfish follows the less-is-more brief, needing no more than fermented chilli and sweet-and-sour red pepper for the nicely briny flesh to shine.

Bucatini with grilled fillets of sardine, pine nuts, raisins, saffron and a spritz of citrus is sweet and salty in all the right places. Braised lamb on white polenta is a no-brainer when it comes to comfort, likewise found in the tangy lemon pudding arriving hot from the wood fire, topped with roasted pistachios and soothing crème fraîche.

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.