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Look, I have questions. Why is kangaroo schnitzel not a staple of the Australian diet? Why has no one ever dumped their tuna tartare atop a bag of salt and vinegar chips before? And also: How good are pubs? (That one’s easy – they are very good.)

It was these questions, along with others, that arose while I ate at the newly reopened Punters Club in Fitzroy. The original Punters, which closed in 2002, was a stalwart of the inner north’s music scene, and part of what made Brunswick Street the main drag it is today.

More recently, the space had become a different kind of archetype for what the street has become, a massive fun-times venue with sticky floors, run-down pool tables (last time I was there I tried to play but found that none of the cues had tips), questionable food and drink, and smoke-machine-filled dance rooms.

It was much more useful to the kids who packed the streets on weekend nights and far less appealing to the grumpy local residents, who steered clear of this part of Fitzroy from 4pm on Friday until noon on Sunday (looking at, uh, me).

All these factors point to why the revival of the Punters, and its return to its original function as a neighbourhood pub and music venue, is so exciting.

It feels new and also like it’s been here forever.

Now owned by Jason Cameron, who also runs Near and Far bar across the street, the space has lost all the ick factor that built up there over the years, replaced by a classic vibe in wood tones, with big circular booths, a pool room (with cues that actually have tips), and an upstairs band room that can accommodate 100. It feels new and also like it’s been here forever, which tracks because both things are true.

Drinks are pub-appropriate but with better wine. Cocktails stick to basics (like, really basic; I wasn’t able to get a dirty martini, for instance), and there’s a margarita on tap that’s a bit sweet and watery.

But the beer selection is great, and it really is nice to be able to get a bottle of decent chenin blanc from France to go with this food from chef Dylan Marshall, which is mostly beer-drinking grub, but is absolutely wine-friendly, too, if you’re in that kind of mood.

You’re going to find me at this bar pretty often, eating that tuna tartare ($21) served over an open bag of Smith’s salt and vinegar chips, the assertive acidity of the chips setting off the supple fish beautifully. It’s the perfect blend of snackage and something more substantial.

There are fat dim sims ($6 each), the size of baseballs, the meat filling straining against their golden exterior, served with crunchy chilli oil. Hot and numbing fried chicken wings ($18) are crispy rather than saucy, dusted in Sichuan peppercorns.

The grass-fed cheeseburger ($18) is a paragon of the fast-food-goes-upscale form – it is exactly what you want when you’re looking for burger simplicity, with two thin patties cooked to a lovely medium with melty cheese and pickles. Nothing too overwrought, just a very good burger.

And that kangaroo schnitzel ($28) – an ode to a similar dish Marshall used to serve at the Scenic pub in Adelaide Hills – is an instant classic, meaty and greasy in all the right ways, served over mash with a deeply flavoured pepper sauce.

The dessert menu nods to another Fitzroy icon, Lune, by using their croissants for a bread and butter pudding ($16), served with Pidapipo gelato. Those kinds of details seem small but speak to the community-building that’s at the heart of any great pub.

Which brings me back to one of my original questions: How good are pubs? I can’t stress enough how lucky we are to live in a city with the variety and quality we have.

As someone who lived without Melbourne pubs for a good portion of my life while living overseas, I don’t understand how I survived without them.

Where did I go on a Wednesday night when I didn’t feel like cooking? Where did I meet people when I needed a space that was welcoming to all, kids, oldies, and in-between? Where did I live my life when my living room was too small, when I craved community, when I needed a casual drink in the sunshine? I barely remember, and I hope I never have to find out again.

But even in a city (and a postcode) with so many fantastic pub options, the new Punters feels like a triumph, and a return to the heart of what made Fitzroy one of the world’s great neighbourhoods.