Georges is George’s by any measure. It’s not just that he is and always has been a near-constant presence in his CBD restaurant but also that the hospitable, personable spirit of the place is an almost perfect reflection of the man himself.

Georges has evolved gradually, carefully over the past 20 years. The cooking has expanded from a focus on Italy to a wider view of the Mediterranean, as interpreted by the succession of different chefs. That role now belongs to Cameron Coutts (Jolley’s Boathouse, Chianti) who seems to share Georges’/ George’s ethos that approachable food should still be made with quality ingredients and no shortcuts.

The dollop of whipped ricotta that comes with figs and hazelnuts, for example, is made the old-fashioned way, resulting in a bonus by-product of milky whey that just happens to sing the sweetest of harmonies when streaked with tarragon oil and pooled beneath blushing slices of raw kingfish. Brined pork cutlet benefits from the smoke and scorching of a charcoal grill (a key addition to the kitchen), as well as the sweet/ sour tang of preserved muntries.

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