There are things you’ll see at Matteo’s, North Fitzroy’s dapper veteran, that are as rare in 2017 as a restaurant lasting 23 years in the game. An eponymous restaurant run by a restaurateur who greets guests at the door with open arms, for one. Napery, for another. The default offer of tap water, rather than an automatic up-sell, and bread that’s complimentary and offered throughout the meal. Plus a wine list that proves you can drink well – really well – for under $50 a bottle, though also delves into a gloriously curated cellar for the celebrations that are taking place on every other table.

Matteo Pignatelli has an eye for reinvention and the latest guise is delivering timeless pleasures for a new generation.

Exquisite sashimi shows the best suppliers are on speed-dial, while poached veal served with crunchy kohlrabi and miso-tarama shows the kitchen’s peripatetic approach to casting classics anew.

Serves are as generous as they are inventive – roast duck given a Japanese okonomiyaki pancake twist, chicken ballotine stuffed with Chinese sausage, for example, while dramatic desserts, including a show-stopping apple tart, smash the sweet spot with style.

Timeless pleasures for a new generation, while Lo is moving on to New York’s Eleven Madison Park in the new year, long will Matteo’s continue to school the upstarts in hospitality’s fine arts.

Must eat dish: Apple tart
Instagram: @matteosrest