Called Eliza Food and Wine, the new corner venue takes over from Fez in Darlinghurst.

Those meandering down Victoria St can peek through the picture frame windows and catch of glimpse of the venue’s stunning new fit-out, which combines salmon pink walls with cognac leather and bottle green tiling.

Despite Bentley’s classical training, the modern Australian menu doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“We try to let the ingredients shine and not mess with them too much,” he said.

The one page menu starts small, with finger food morsels like the pickled Port Lincoln sardine on toasted brioche with a sweet onion escabeche, prawn spring rolls with aerated saffron mayo and the 24 month aged jamon Serrano, tossed with glazed peaches and pork crackers.

The one dish you’ll want to get your snout into is the roast pork belly, which is brined for 24 hours, then hung for 5 days, to draw out the moisture and dry up the skin.

The result is meltingly tender flesh paired juicy fatty bits and shattering crackling, which comes with wilted baby gem lettuce, smoked almost puree and a light jus.

Meanwhile, a dish which features a single carrot is fast becoming the talk of the town.

“We didn’t really expect it, but it’s become our signature dish,” says Bentley.

But this isn’t any old carrot. The roasted root vegetable is served with carrot mousse and a sourdough and pine nut crumble, the sweetness offset with savoury black garlic.

“It sounds a bit like a side dish, but it’s a completely finished dish. You can have it as a main course if you want to,” he said.

Drinks range from carefully curated cocktails to boutique wines, with a focus on South Australian drops from near where Bentley grew up.