Scott Pickett’s new and improved Estelle has added bistro to its name and game and is perfectly pitched at Northcote’s stylish uberclass of creatives. It’s out with the degustation-only menu (that’s popped up next door at his ambitious, and excellent, ESP fine diner) and in with the mix-and-match approach that could be as simple as oysters and charcuterie and a glass of something interesting from the well-curated list while sitting at the bar. Or you could settle into the handsome room and strap in for a five-course ride that takes in a selection of menu highlights (of which there are many).

There’s still a high-end elegance to dishes, but they’re now priced for everyday dining – starters around $20, mains around $30. Gloriously tender octopus comes with rich dollops of tarama and dramatic squid ink, the tentacles topped with nasturtium leaves; an excellent wagyu tartare comes studded with sticky golden yolks; Diamond Valley pork comes with a lovely carrot puree with raisins for sweet pops of interest. There’s fish, great steak, and a fantastic lamb shoulder served with spring veg for two to share that’s almost as good as the pan-tossed, sherry soaked chicken livers served on a cube of charred bread. Wow, what a dish.

Desserts continue the theme of everyday eating with fine-dining finesse – a banana and toffee soufflé, for instance, is the stuff of (sweet) dreams. The warm walnut and exposed brick dining room gives way to a verdant (enclosed) courtyard that’s perfect for a long, lazy Sunday lunch. It’s smart, it’s switched on, and like Northcote itself, casually fabulous. Estelle v2 is a hands down winner.

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