They got the name right, but perhaps they could lose the ‘at Verandah’. ‘Social’, however, is spot on – the reborn Verandah Bar is a hive of activity. Sure, there’s more straight suits than a poker tournament, but they’ve lost the ties and the place is going off like a bagful of bees.

Once inside, take a sharp left along a glass-encased walkway and you’ll find Social, a small, sleek dining space bathed in natural light with a curved timber bar and the sounds of a more sophisticated end-of-week swill.

There’s a touch of polish and a dash of publican flourish to the service, and the drinks list leans on known Australian staple wines and classic cocktails.

Hotel group Tilley and Wills has teamed up with chef Brad Sloane (he was also at the group’s Riverview Hotel). I’ve always been a fan of Sloane’s ability to create magic in honest pub grub with great produce and crafty technique. And at Social things kick off nicely.

The entrées are harmonious and hard to fault. Tortellini filled with roast pumpkin partners yabby tails in an alluring, deep-flavoured prawn bisque peppered with peas. A slice of king salmon lightly cured with citrus comes crowned with blue swimmer crab, crème fraîche, roe and a refreshing cucumber jelly, while a crostini topped with pickled eggplant and spicy ’nduja has a pleasingly fiery kick.

The main courses, nice as they are, don’t quite match the starters’ star status. Striped trumpeter is a tad overcooked, but works well with Jerusalem artichokes, kipflers and a mustard emulsion. Pink duck breast relishes the wintry ensemble of cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and bacon, and, while it has great flavour, a rare Little Joe’s New York cut is a moo short of lukewarm.

Social, it seems, is making Verandah the local for the inner-city busy bees to wax lyrical about once again.