The Tilbury

Don't tell The Tilbury, but there's a mistake on its menu. You can order an entire can of 12 excellent Laredo Cantabria Codesa anchovy fillets in olive oil, with two slices of grilled Iggy's sourdough bread, lemon, aioli and a fresh rocket and parsley salad, all for just $8. Those anchovies alone cost $9.95 in my local deli.

Actually I did tell the newish British chef James Wallis about it in case he was still having trouble with the currency exchange since coming on board midway through 2015, but no, it's deliberate. How generous.

Wallis was cooking at The Milestone gastropub in Sheffield when it won Best British Restaurant in the Gordon Ramsay TV series in 2010, and his cooking is best described as half gastropubbish and half fine-dinerish.

You can still have your oysters, steak and cheese, but the Port Stephens Sydney Rocks come with Archie Rose gin, cucumber and dill ($4.50 each); the steak is a 270-day Rangers Valley wagyu skirt steak with hand-cut chips ($36), and the cheese could be Victoria's sublime Holy Goat ($15).

There's another very good reason to dine at The Tilbury, and that's the recent design makeover by Luchetti Krelle, a small interiors team that seems never to put style ahead of the comfort of the user. It's not a sexy word, comfort, but it's the reason we stay longer and spend more than just $8 on an appetiser.

The gorgeous old 1920s pub has been future-proofed with an espresso machine in the bar, cocktail bar and grill on the rooftop, and a courtyard that's like a grown-up's playground with tables set under repurposed monkey bars. I like the soft pastels, the harlequin sound baffles on the ceiling, the leather banquettes, the generous quilt-clad custom-tailored chairs, and the way the light washes over everything.

I also like starting with a slab of classic chicken terrine ($18). Formed into a crazy-paving mosaic of tender, good-flavoured chicken with a hint of tarragon, it's served with a tangy celeriac and apple remoulade. Can't go wrong, really.

Lamb cutlets ($33) sound pub-like, but the frenched Cowra double cutlet is first cooked sous-vide, then finished with a quick roast, split and served with a fried croquette of slow-cooked lamb shoulder, a velvety green pea puree, a few straggly mushrooms and veal jus. I query the sous-vide technique here, as it doesn't allow the lamb fat to render or crisp as it would if cooked directly, in the moment, without the plastic bag.

A perfectly pleasant pan-fried fillet of snapper ($33) is served on an oversized plate with an underpowered lentil dhal, but needs more contrast than bland saag aloo​ potatoes and a drizzle of honeyed lassi​ dressing bring to the table.

There's the added appeal of produce from top suppliers such as Victor Churchill, Game Farm, Iggy's Bread and providores Nicholson & Saville, and a wine list that's well stocked and fairly priced, right up to four different vintages of Penfolds Grange. The floor staff are bright and breezy young things, kitted out in pinafores.

More complex desserts are on offer, but a compatible composition of marinated pineapple wedges served with fennel and pineapple sorbet and walnut crumb ($15) is a simple little charmer.

The refreshed interiors are the perfect fit, but the kitchen isn't quite there yet. It feels as if it needs to relax a bit, lighten up, pour itself a glass of something nice, and get more comfortable. Well, it's in the right place.

THE LOWDOWN
Best bit: It's the new pub.
Worst bit: Waiting for the bill.
Go-to dish: Laredo Cantabria Codesa​ anchovies, sourdough toast, lemon $8. 

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.