With former Aria head chef Joel Bickford as culinary director and Sixpenny’s Aaron Ward as head chef, the fine diner’s Mediterranean-style menu reveals impressive French technique, as well as fun and creative flavour combinations delivered with flair and flourish.

Oysters are the obvious starter. The Sydney rocks are shucked to order and splashed with a vigorous verjus mignonette and finished with citrusy pops of finger lime. If steak tartare wasn’t already fancy enough, they’ve traded out the capers for caviar and added a silky oyster cream that sings of the sea.

Pastry is clearly a specialty of the kitchen, and the desserts do not disappoint. A baba-not-rum trades out the sugarcane spirit for a dash of apricot brandy. The aerated cake is theatrically sliced at the table, doused with booze, then filled with a floof of whipped cream.

There’s nothing stiff or starchy about the Anna Hewett-designed dining room, which blends tones and styles to create a sophisticated, timeless space. The glass-walled dining room is wrapped by an L-shaped garden terrace, where diners can head out for a digestif on the deck.

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