Just Open: Dog's Bar, St Kilda

Old dog, new tricks. The cliche fits well for Dog's Bar, with new owners, Melbourne-born, Sydney-based, front-of-house manager Erez Gordon and chef Paul Cooper, taking on the Acland Street venue with plans to inject some love and professionalism into the ol' girl.

The room will be repainted, repolished and, in the case of the striking piece by Mirka Mora, restored. Cooper says they are determined to bring Dog's Bar back to being an iconic wine bar with great food, referring to its heyday in the late 1990s under the late Donlevy Fitzpatrick.

Cooper has designed a menu of "wine-focused meals and snacks". There is house-made charcuterie, small plates including kingfish ceviche with avocado and grapefruit, and a changing selection of pastas, perhaps tagliatelle with pork and fennel sausage and tomato sugo​.

Large plates might be whole roasted duck for two and slow-cooked lamb shoulder.

The pair have employed chef Damien Love, who was most recently at Chiara restaurant at Collins Square, and manager Jordan Marr to run the business.

The full list of Australian and international wines is available by the glass.

Open from 4pm Monday to Thursday, and for lunch and dinner Friday to Sunday.

44 Acland Street, St Kilda, 9593 9535, dogsbar.com.au