It’s one of those great Sydney days in early December, when the pre-Christmas buzz mingles with salty harbourside air as warm sunlight filters through lanky palms – that small window when the promise of the festive season glimmers, just before the logistical stress sets in.

A smattering of deep purple jacaranda flowers fall softly on buffed Porsche SUVs, Range Rovers and the like crammed into the coveted parking spots along Guilfoyle Avenue, the narrow strip home to Double Bay’s emerging dining institutions Margaret, Next Door and Baker Bleu.