It’s been 2½ years since veteran restaurateur Con Christopoulos closed French Saloon, his lofty European bistro and bar on Hardware Lane, and turned it into a function space.

But as of today, it returns to its roots. Diners can once again scale the staircase on a whim to get a taste of celebrated chef Ian Curley’s French-leaning culinary oversight, with the kitchen led by head chef Luke Fraser, of downstairs sibling wine bar Kirk’s.

It’s good news for French Saloon fans, with the team announcing yesterday that it’ll be back to business as usual from Tuesday to Friday with the weekends still reserved for events.

“A lot of people have been coming up to me saying, ‘Thank god!’ ” Curley tells Good Food.

“I love that place like you wouldn’t believe. The fact it’s now open again after everyone went through hell [with COVID shutdowns], the fact we’re sticking our head back up above water, it’s amazing.”

In a loft-like space on the corner of Little Bourke Street, above sibling wine bar Kirk’s, French Saloon built a loyal following and won critical acclaim with steaks, stellar snacks such as smoky ox tongue, and a wine list that lived up to the venue’s name.

Curley promises regulars will find it more or less as it was. “We’ll have Yarra Valley caviar in abundance, Appellation oysters, Hiramasa kingfish – the lot.”

All that – as well as an easy-breezy atmosphere –made it a well-loved member of the Christopoulos stable of venues, which includes Degraves Espresso, The European, Siglo, and, most recently, new pop-up Greek restaurant Kafeneion.

Open Tue-Wed 5.30pm-11pm, Thu-Fri noon-11pm.

Level 1, 46 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, frenchsaloon.com