Welcome to Sails on Lavender Bay, but not as you know it. Linen tablecloths? Gone. Fusty off-white interiors? Out of here. Sydney Restaurant Group took the keys to the 1970s-built fixture in 2023, and the dining room is now a quiet riot of pastels, floral upholstery and pink scallop shell sconces.

The commanding Harbour Bridge view is still there of course – plus formal service, oysters and an up-to-scratch creme brulee – and most dishes play it safe with the occasional off-piste flourish. XO-boosted spaghettini, for example, with Moreton Bay bug and a Thai basil oil that doesn’t overstay its welcome, or refreshing silver trevally crudo with cucumber, fennel cream and a restrained use of preserved lemon.

Perfectly fine steaks are on hand if you’re keen to splash out on triple-digit Bordeaux, and the martinis come dry and cold. Certainly worth a lunch if you’re entertaining guests from out of town.

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