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With Neil Perry now running Cantonese fine diner Song Bird and basement bar Bobbie’s nearby, you might think the chef would put his flagship on autopilot for a minute. Not so.

Margaret’s paean to wild-caught seafood is as strong as it’s ever been, from perfect oysters, to the heightened flavour of confit bigeye tuna twirled through refreshing seaweed noodles, to a rare sighting of North Queensland cattle-dog cod, beautifully grilled by kitchen co-lead Richard Purdue and fragrant with curry leaf vinaigrette.

More aged semillon? Yes please. But highlights extend far beyond the sea, such as the gold-standard rotisserie Sommerlad chicken, to at least eight different steaks from the best Australian beef farmers in the business.

Sure, the fit-out might have cost a few million, but Marg’ still feels like a modest family-run bistro, with the kind of we-really-care hospitality (and serious cellar) for any occasion.