“You might want this,” says chef Michael Bacash, tracing his slender dining room, greeting long-time guests while casting a gimlet eye across every table. It’s a steak knife for an entree of lightly grilled calamari lolling on sunny saffron aioli. Yet the whole baby squid is so tender it cuts like butter.

White linen napkins shield silk ties and cashmere from what is arguably Melbourne’s benchmark spaghetti marinara – a glorious, garlicky tangle lavished with top-shelf seafood. Meticulously selected seasonal fillets, offered with fries and tangy housemade tartare or tomato relish, keep the clientele returning, as does a cherished regular special of whole flounder.

Adroit service, plus a globetrotting list that gets wine wonks excited, ensures each table hums right through until the last bite of sable tart topped with tahini cream.

Good to know: Not into seafood? Some diners come just for the duck.

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