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Restaurants make a lot of noise about food waste and nose-to-tail practices, but the waste of demolishing an existing fit-out and creating a newbie from scratch is unedifying.

Hearty congratulations, then, to celebrity chef Matt Moran for resisting the urge to make too many changes to what was L’Americano from Coco Republic, or the sandwich bar next door (which Moran also now operates as & Sando – try the tuna fish).

The refresh creates a moodier feel, with curved wicker lightshades and a very open kitchen. Steaks are the big order, although if the custom-made flat grill isn’t raging, your cut – a Little Joe scotch fillet, say – could have minimal crust and few juices.

With supporting crowd-pleasers, however, such as lightly cooked Abrolhos Island scallops, cacio e pepe mac-and-cheese, and Moran Family Farm salami with pickles and crisp grissini, Compa has more than Moran’s name going for it.