Seasonal fruit and boiled eggs for breakfast, strong espresso and a lunch-dinner menu that’s restricted to a single page. Clarence and V isn’t reaching for the stars, but in doing so, it lands among them.

Vito Mollica, who in the late ’90s ran cafe Latteria in Darlinghurst, mixes icy negronis, tops up water from silver jugs and pours lo-fi wine with a relaxed air that feels pleasantly old-school, while young-gun Stella Roditis plates dishes made for eating: green beans and late-season tomatoes luxuriating in a warm anchovy dressing; cold whorls of sweet, herb-scented porchetta topped with salted potatoes.

It’s a new fitout, but the details echo Sydney’s CBD in a way that makes the place feel lived-in and real; a Shaun Gladwell projection brings kinetic energy, and flowers and candles bring romance. A restaurant going its own way, and in doing so, slowly charming a city.

Best for: Warmth and low-key comfort in the bustle of the business district.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.