Collins Quarter

You can come at Collins Quarter from all angles: this revamped pub - previously the Courtyard Tavern - lobs back a winning shot every time. I've treated it like a hidden bar - plunged down Pink Alley, off Little Collins Street, in search of vodka, and struck Collins Quarter's rear-end, the Blind Alley bar, which feels like a tarted-up waiting room. But head upstairs to RA cocktail bar and the staircase deposits you in the top corner, a brilliant spunk-spotting vantage over the steel-and-glass room.

RA is my pick for the city's swishest bar.

Back on the ground, Blind Alley looks onto Magnolia Courtyard. With its retractable roof and stripling magnolia tree, the courtyard is a good spot for a calm-the-nerves whisky after slamming the credit card at the Paris End. It also flies for a post-work bitch about the boss. The courtyard links the bars to Colin's Pub, which still feels like a pub but there's a spry grandeur to the place; this is a venue with clout, not a cutesy fancy.

Chef Marty King's menu is flexible and fresh. Light bites such as crumbed mozzarella or harissa chicken skewers are balanced by knife-and-fork fare like sirloin steak or chicken saltimbocca. Despite the presence of gorgonzola, mirin, sumac and pate on the menu, there's a cohesion to the offerings, a nimble elegance in keeping with the ambience. We tried dense, smooth mushroom pate with a frisky lick of pinot jelly. Spaghetti tossed with an outstanding rich tomato sofrito came with chorizo and mussels. Dish of the day was cous cous, mixed with almonds, mint and chilli, served with roast pumpkin and beetroot; a thrilling dish magicked out of the prosaic.

The four-page wine list jaunts from easygoing grog to haloed heroes. There are 10 beers on tap and 26 by the bottle. Service was very good - cheerful, competent - until we became invisible come coffee and card-swiping time. The owners of Collins Quarter are Vernon Chalker, the man who brought us Gin Palace and Madame Brussels, and Ian Hicks. Architects Jackson Clements Burrows did the refurb. They've delivered a gorgeous venue that attends to its different elements with rigour and enthusiasm. I haven't been this excited about a new city eatery for ages.