Ogee

Follow the jet-black antique doors to find Ogee, a classy 28-seat wine bar from Matt Breen (Sonny, ex-Templo). The intimate space centres around a large wooden island and open kitchen, where chefs noiselessly prepare French- and Italian-inspired share plates.

While the menu changes with the seasons, there’s a year-round focus on house-made pasta and elevated bar snacks – think crudites, bite-sized gildas, and freshly sliced charcuterie. To start, it might be a round of skewered gildas stacked with green olives, octopus, anchovy and pickled guindilla peppers.

Other standouts have included dry-aged raw beef served with pommes dauphine, a delightfully crispy combo of mashed potato and choux pastry. And, for dessert, a decadent finale of creamy brioche ice-cream, churned in-house.

As for drinks, self-taught sommelier Rachelle Guastella has curated a 45-strong wine list, with about a dozen options by the glass. The options lean towards lo-fi bottles from independent producers – mostly from France, Italy and Australia. Guastella might recommend the Anim Field Fizz Pét-Nat by Tasmanian winemaker Max Marriott. Or, if you’re really pushing the boat out, ask for access to the cellar list. A classic Negroni or Aperol Spritz is a solid way to start the night, too.

Breen’s passion and talent have attracted exceptional staff, ensuring attentive yet easygoing service with a sense of humour and a wealth of knowledge; bringing a dish of white asparagus to your table, waitstaff are likely to tell you about the grower’s decade-long labour of love. The ingredients are respected here, perhaps accompanied by a side serve of mussel velouté, toasted buckwheat and peppery wasabi leaves grown in Breen’s backyard.