Cutler & Co

When the FOMO (fear of missing out) flock dictates that a restaurant is, like, over within months of launching, it speaks volumes for Cutler & Co’s pulling power that it consistently achieves a full house after more than five years. Recent renovations have flipped the space, bringing the open kitchen literally to the fore. Bar stools and low tables provide front-row viewing. Further back, the lighting is kinder and the atmosphere calmer, all the better to focus on assured dishes showcasing unusual ingredients and refined techniques. You might open with kimchi butter spread on puffy pork scratching before continuing with well-seasoned steak tartare, daubed with creme fraiche and draped with paper-thin slices of candy-striped beetroot. Later, there's chicken with buttermilk mash or crisp-skinned flathead given an umami boost with shiitakes and seaweed. To finish, lemon granita with almond cake and parsnip crisps mines the vegetable-as-dessert trend.

And … Bring three friends to share roasted suckling pig (quarter of a beast, with sides, $220).

THE LOW-DOWN
Vibe Clubrooms for the smart set.
Best Bit Unexpected extras, such as pre-desserts.
Worst Bit Service can be aloof.