There are plenty of ways to approach dinner at The Frog Club. You could start with a comté gougère topped with Wagyu bresaola and finish with a cheeseburger. Or you could go all-in on a plateau de fruits de mer before tackling a côte de boeuf. The Windsor restaurant isn’t particularly interested in restraint.

The Frog Club is the first new restaurant in a decade from Gilson’s James McBride, developed over 18 months with business partner Marc Gurman. Where Gilson built its reputation on all-day neighbourhood dining, this is an altogether more nocturnal proposition: a late-night grill, bar and dining room serving until midnight seven nights a week.

Designer Nathan Ruttner’s interiors echo the ethos. White tablecloths sit against warm ochre walls and dark panelling, while an eclectic collection of framed photographs, illustrations and sculptural objects gives the rooms a collected rather than freshly installed feel.

Behind the bar, Matt Linklater continues the classic-with-a-wink approach in a cocktail program that includes theatrically thrown Martinis. Local house producer Prequel handles the soundtrack, moving through jazz, soul, boogie, disco and funk, as well as African and Brazilian rhythms.