At the pointy end of town, Sydney is well into its grill, brasserie and steakhouse era. Is fatigue about to set in? Not at The Charles it isn’t, where a combination of novel ideas and technically assured cooking is keeping it as relevant as ever.

Diners know it, too, lining the marble-topped bar and filling the dining room – all leather and brass and wood and linen – with buzz and a sense of anticipation that reaches its climax when Rhiann Mead’s dessert trolley rolls up, stacked with grapefruit charlotte and crisp chocolate choux.

Chef Billy Hannigan sticks the landing with the rest, from standards like Rangers Valley flatiron grilled hard, rested attentively and served hot, to precise beer-battered abalone and scallop beignets that crackle and crunch, to standard-setting crab and ‘nduja linguine. Waiters’ attention can wane, but the rest is a lesson that consistent execution and an eye for detail will always find a market.

Good to know: The Charles’ wine list is wide and deep, with an extensive offer by Coravin giving a look-in to rare and special drops.

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