Hell of the North

Check Smith Street's parking-meter change wells on the way in for extra cash, cos this swish bluestone bar/eatery will test the budget. Three of the menu's dozen or so share-plates will feed two people (within budget): a nutty farro salad with goat's cheese and smoked pumpkin puree stunningly spread along a black slate plate; crisp-skinned mulloway fillet in a red-wine reduction topped with a shave of truffle; and a bountiful cassoulet. The boutique booze and equally intoxicating mood of the place (jokey, in-the-know, well-paced service and smart, intimate multi-room fitout, with a bar and back room for drinkers) are worth a splurge.