It’s the bar snack so good Lennox Hastie named his new wine bar after it. The Gilda, a popular pintxo from the north of Spain, comprises just three ingredients: a Spanish olive, guindilla pepper and Olasagasti anchovy. Slide the skewer into your mouth and brace for an almighty burst of brine that will have you reaching for an ice cold martini. Now, that’s how you start a meal.

Gildas has opened its doors just a smoke-waft away from Lennox Hastie’s flagship fine diner, Firedoor in Surry Hills. The idea is that patrons will double down for drinks and snacks at Gildas followed by a full-blown dinner at Firedoor down the road.

The menu traces its way through Basque Country. It’s familiar territory for Hastie who forged his career in the fire pits of Asador Etxebarri in the Spanish province of Biscay.

Follow up your first Gilda with its fishy sister Grillda. This time around, you get an equally astringent trio of soused blue mackerel, capped with pickled carrot and fresh pops of finger lime. The third and final sibling is the Aussie Matilda, a brochette of charred roo skirted with native lemon and sweet onion slips. It’s the Basque version of what your dad might cook on the barbie.

Forget Firedoor, we’re staying here for the night.

Much of the menu celebrates the humble peasant food of the Basque villages. A simple white bean stew is elevated with plump diamond pipis and a smoky jamon-accented broth. Throw in a serve of the bright red pimentón bread and you’ve got a dish fit for a king.

A bowl of mushrooms tastes of the field, the silky stems singed for extra earthy, woodsy flavour. The crowning glory is the smoked yolk which breaks into a luscious sauce, cleverly binding the whole dish together.

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You won’t find a burnt Basque cheesecake on the dessert menu, but you will find something better – a Spanish-style sundae of smoked buffalo milk soft serve swirled with two toppings, a salty dulce de leche and a fruity Arbequina extra virgin olive oil. It’s hands down the best dessert in Sydney right now. Smoked Buffalo Milk Soft Serve – this is what the restaurant should have been called.

A tarta del dia is set to become a mainstay of the dessert menu, featuring a buttery crust filled with frangipane and sherry-spiked custard, with Lennox swapping out the fruit depending on the season. Tonight, it’s a ruby red arrangement of scorched blood oranges. It’s hard to imagine a better iteration, the brilliant colour and bright, citrussy flavour will be a hard one to beat.

The dining room has all the glamour of the other great Gilda, Hollywood’s golden girl Rita Hayworth, who played the titular character in the 1940s film noir classic of the same name.

The sweeping space has been decked out in green marble and luxe gold finishes, with a shimmering installation of folded fabric on the wall that feels very Hollywood indeed. The hottest seats in the house are at the kitchen table where dishes are handed to diners direct from the chef.

The film references continue with a poker chip with the bill and a box of custom-made matches, emblazoned with Rita’s recognisable figure. It’s a cheeky end to a faultless dinner. Lennox Hastie strikes again.

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