Andy Tyson, Mikey Clift and Dan Pepperell are behind some of the city’s best restaurants: Clam Bar, Neptune’s Grotto and Pellegrino 2000. And they each become so almost immediately after opening. Grandfathers, the trio’s Chinese 140-seater in Angel Place, is no different.

Red-shirted floor staff buzz through the loosely L-shaped room, showing you to your booth, bar seat or table, picking out the stars from the menus, ferrying plates back and forth from the hidden kitchen. Red and black carpet zigzags underfoot, and muted lighting keeps everything warm. The space glows red, contrasting with the blue-toned fish tanks decorating the venue.

The menu – led by Clift, who was on the Spice Temple opening team and has Chinese heritage, and Pepperell – heroes the Guangdong and Sichuan regions, with some cameos from the rest of China.

Rock oysters are zinged up with Chinese celery, and meaty slices of raw yellowfin come drenched in a peppery oil. The house pickle plate is a technicolour mix of veggies, and the husband and wife salad comes dressed in mouth-numbing mala chilli oil. The steamed dumpling platter hits the table with four pretty pairs of the day’s dim sum, prawn toast is crowned with almonds, and spring rolls are stuffed with scallops and king prawns. For something larger, there’s whole squab, or a steamed red emperor that arrives in a fragrant broth.

Daily yum cha brings a dedicated dim sum list to the lunch mix, and supper’s served till late on end-of-week evenings.

The wine list, by legendary sommelier Charles Leong, is flush with Kabinett and Spatlese German rieslings – low on booze and slightly sweet, just right for lunchtime dim sum.