After a lavish and resonant refit, Scott Pickett has opened Smith St Bistrot in the Collingwood site that previously housed Saint Crispin and Lupo.

Red leather booths sit against soaring walls lined with antique mirrors and live moss, and a wrought iron spiral staircase twirls up to mezzanine dining, evoking an upscale Parisian bistro in the 1888 heritage shopfront.

Head chef Daniel Southern (ex-Bar Margaux) first worked with Pickett at Ondine in the early 2000s with Philippa Sibley and Donovan Cooke.

"Scott and I have a similar philosophy on French food," says Southern.

Smith St Bistrot's classic French menu is designed with an eye to everyday luxury. "We want people to eat there three times a week," says Southern. "You might come for a glass of chardonnay and gruyere cheese bites or settle in with chicken for two, souffle and a couple of bottles of Burgundy."

That fricassee chicken a deux ($72) is a signature. "It's roasted chicken, a classic veloute, pickles to balance the flavour, served in a beautiful Le Creuset [dish]," says Southern. "It's a banger and shows what we're all about: simple flavours and classic French cooking."

Other heritage dishes include salade Lyonnaise, vol-au-vent snails and grilled flounder with sauce gribiche. When stepping up is what the day demands, there's caviar service classique with blini.

The wine list leans French but there are plenty of local bottles, too. Cocktails include the food-friendly SSB with suze (a French herbal aperitif), apricot, bitters and soda served in an etched highball.

The bistrot will be Pickett's seventh Melbourne venue, with Continental Hotel Sorrento soon to make it an even eight.

"French cuisine has been close to my heart since I was an 18-year-old cooking with Philippe Mouchel," says Pickett. "I'm so excited to bring my version of bistro food to Melbourne."

Open from February 14; daily 5.30pm-late.

300 Smith Street, Collingwood, 03 9419 2202, smithstbistrot.com.au.