Song Bird, Neil Perry’s multi-level Cantonese restaurant in Double Bay’s historic Gaden House, was reportedly one of the most stressful openings of the restaurateur's four-decade career. But you’d never know it. Song Bird has all the serenity and atmosphere of a restaurant that’s been in the neighbourhood for decades.

Perry is an authority on China’s diverse cuisines, demonstrated first at Spice Temple during his tenure, and now at Song Bird. The extensive menu is predominantly Cantonese, and it’s best to come with a large group so you can tackle as many dishes as possible. Think prawn har gow, pipis swimming in XO, Peking duck with mandarin pancakes, and live seafood from the tank.

A seat in the ground-floor dining room – which has its own little bar – keeps you in the Double Bay buzz. But upstairs it’s spacious, with the lazy Susans on level two a nod to classic Cantonese restaurants.