Everything old is new again at this beachside landmark, a makeover returning her breezy good looks to their beautiful best. The room above Port Phillip Bay is airy and open, with white cloths and luxe touches such as marble sills and shiny brass columns. The food, too, is simultaneously more relaxed and polished – a crouton of bresaola with a lively sorbet of bloody mary flavours, or heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella and petite sprigs of basil. Beef tartare is flavoured with capers and cornichons, served with whisker-thin wafers of toasted rye. John Dory fillet, a Stokehouse staple, is crisp-skinned and moist: it might come with ribbons of cuttlefish and tender gnocchi. Considerable craft underpins this apparent simplicity, evident in the truffle-infused jus accompanying slow-cooked wagyu rump. Desserts are often based on seasonal fruit, such as ginger cannoli with cherries. As it's a popular spot for celebrations, noise levels can be high. Smart service wraps a package with amped-up panache.

Open Daily noon–2.30pm, 6–10pm
Typical prices E $27 M $45 D $19.50
Cards DC AE MC V
Wine Long, balanced, elegant list with many landmark domestic and international labels, all at a price
Owners Frank & Sharon van Haandel
Chefs Anthony Musarra & Oliver Gould
Seats 135; outdoor seating; private room; bar

And … Two-way mirrors allow the kitchen to peek out, and at night, diners to peek in.