What makes a pub a pub? Is it the building itself, the history contained within, beacons of conviviality as recognisable as churches? Is it the purpose of the place, the beer and steak and family-friendly vibe?

Aside from the classic versions, it can be hard to say nowadays, given that we have pubs that double as fine-dining restaurants, that house speakeasy-style cocktail bars, or operate basically as low-rent casinos.

All of this to say, I might not have clocked Amphlett House as a pub if its marketing materials hadn't designated it as such. Located on the bottom floor of the Ovolo Laneways hotel on the corner of Little Bourke Street and Amphlett Lane, the space has more in common with a hotel restaurant than an old-school pub, albeit a step above your average airport Ibis.

Blondwood tabletops, leather banquettes and deep velvet couches in the front of the room give it the feel of a casual bistro. There's a wide-ranging beer selection, with 20 of those on tap, plus a mainly pre-batched cocktail list focused on native Australian ingredients from Andrea Gualdi​, co-founder of Sydney bar Maybe Sammy.

It might be the place's functionality that makes it a pub, the fact that you can stop in for a beer and a snack or a full meal. Or it might be that there are fish and chips ($36) and a steak ($38) on the menu.

Those things, while done well, are not nearly the most interesting part of the food offering. The menu is the work of Ian Curley, the chef and owner of French Saloon, as well as the manager of kitchen operations for Ovolo Hotels (which now has outlets in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane, as well as Hong Kong).

What he's attempting at Amphlett House is that elusive balance: make food that's impressive but also easy to execute for a kitchen that's (presumably) also catering to a hotel's worth of room-service demands. Are Curley and his team pulling it off? For the most part, they are.

There are plenty of bread-based snacks to start you off. Crab rarebit ($22) is generous on the crab and less so on the cheesy rarebit sauce, a balance that allows the sweet crab to pleasantly dominate.

Tiny globs of smoked bone marrow are almost impossible to detect atop toast ($22) that also holds capers, mustard, parsley and shallot salad. It's a shame – I can't imagine anyone ordering bone marrow toast without actually wanting to taste the marrow.

Duck liver parfait ($22) is piped onto a brioche bun like fancy icing that's mimicking a hot dog. There's a mild cheese dotting the top of this livery confection, but the parfait itself has an oddly cheesy undertone, too.

Where things start to get exciting are with the mains, in particular a seared beef heart ($34) that wouldn't be out of place in a fine-dining joint. Served over a smear of creamed spinach and a pool of lentils deeply flavoured with an emulsion somewhere between a beurre rouge and a demi-glace, the heart presents like a deeply meaty and lean steak.

Curley is showing off his mastery of classic French cooking, with a topping of British gastropub fare.

Fat mussels are cooked perfectly and piled in a pool of wine, cream and shallots – an absolutely lovely rendition of moules marinieres ($28) that comes with grilled bread and a ramekin of aioli (in case you need richness on top of richness).

The only place where I sensed any kind of deliberate shortcut was a blueberry and almond tart served with Chantilly cream ($12). It probably started out well, its pastry flaky, its eggy sugary filling done properly. But the serving I had was tired, as if it had spent too long on the shelf or had been revived from the freezer.

Service is friendly and knowledgeable, especially about the wine list that is broader and more ambitious than your average pub (or hotel restaurant).

So, is Amphlett House a pub? I'm not sure it matters. It's whatever you want it to be: pub, cocktail bar, bistro, lounge. It's a place you could bring a casual date, or your mum, or the kids, where hearts and marrow comfortably share the stage with steak and chips. I suppose that flexibility is the hallmark of many great pubs. In which case, it's meeting its mark rather well.

Vibe Casual hotel restaurant

Go-to dish Beef heart, $34

Drinks Great beer selection, mid-sized Australian-focused wine list

Cost About $120 for two, plus drinks