This much-loved CBD restaurant is a near-perfect reflection of its hospitable owner. But why, oh why, is there no apostrophe? It’s not just the pedantic editor in me speaking here. If ever a business warranted the use of a punctuation mark to signify possession, it would have to be Georges on Waymouth.

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. Watch him now as he works the room, moving between the white-clothed tables, welcoming customers like they are old friends. His recall of faces and past visits is supernatural, the pleasure in these conversations shared equally, it seems, on both sides. Loyalty, integrity and conviviality. They are hallmarks that haven’t gone out of fashion.

It was in November 2002 that George Kasimatis and wife Voula first opened in Waymouth St. Having learnt about hard work and customer service in his family’s milk bar, then honed his management skills in restaurants including The Grange with Cheong Liew, Kasimatis wanted his own name above the door. Georges has evolved gradually, carefully, over the past 20 years. The classic brasserie styling – the heavy metal door, stripped-back rafters and floorboards, proper aprons and napiery – still looks sharp and relevant. The cooking, meanwhile, has expanded from a focus on Italy to a wider view of the Mediterranean, as interpreted by the different chefs who have taken charge in the kitchen. That role now belongs to Cameron Coutts (Jolleys 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. This just happens to sing the sweetest of harmonies when streaked with tarragon oil and pooled beneath Hiramasa kingfish slices of such blushing freshness that they might just make you fall for this most ubiquitous of ingredients all over again.

Given the owner’s Greek heritage, grilled octopus (with hummus, zaatar and prawn oil) seems a no-brainer, but these sections of tentacle have been tenderised/brined/treated to the point that all their natural bounce and perkiness has been destroyed. Whether this is happening at the supply end, or is a choice in kitchens worried about leaving any trace of chewiness, the issue is widespread at the moment. Time for a royal commission.

Everything else is pretty much spot on – generous, bold and coherent flavours, enough flair to keep you engaged. Fried slices of haloumi find a life partner in roasted red grapes and an aged balsamic dressing. 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. The signature parcel of shredded lamb neck, shoulder and shank tucked into a pancetta sleeping bag is transported to the south of the Mediterranean with cauliflower, currants and smoky eggplant puree (baba ghanoush) on the side. Staying longer in this part of the world, a fillet of saltwater barramundi with its skin nicely crisped rests atop a small island of pearl couscous and wilted herbs at the middle of a spiced broth fragrant with saffron. The fish is good, that deeply flavoured soup even better.

And “portokalopita”, a Greek orange syrup cake based on shredded filo pastry rather than flour, is a revelation; its restrained sweetness matched by slices of poached quince on top, with a rosemary crumble and marscapone ice-cream adding even more interest.

Georges will celebrate its 20th birthday in a few months, a remarkable achievement for a restaurant of this calibre. Plenty of time, then, to organise the perfect present: a shiny new piece of punctuation that it so richly deserves.

Related review: This modest restaurant goes hand in Hahndorf with its German village surrounds