Is twice the Pure South twice the fun?

Remember the wicker armchairs that used to grace this Southbank stalwart's terrace? Country comfort at its finest.

For the past 13 years, Pure South has been Southbank's own wicker armchair: rarely a conversation starter, always a dependable riverside go-to with a nice philosophy of focusing on Tassie, Flinders Island and King Island produce and a line of Michelin-star-toting chefs to cook it.

But suddenly here's a new Pure South with a new philosophy that size and looks matter. Re-opened since December after a lengthy reno, it's twice the size with more dining flex and a mass of polished concrete between.

Brunch is here, too. Scrambled eggs and apple-y Ninth Island sparkling downstairs, safely separated by huge glass windows from the magicians who prowl outside.

Maybe in the evening it will be fly-by snacks at the raw bar before a show at Hamer Hall. If that's the case, it's executive chef David Hall's tiny squid ink lavosh tacos filled with smoked Huon ocean trout and avocado mousse you want.

But if there's been an aesthetic shift to the industrial, slick and masculine – upstairs it's all black leather chairs, speckled gum accents and detailing in steely grey – the menu has mostly stuck to its guns.

Stars of the southern lands still thread together a fairly straight-lace menu. And they're producers to respect: Pyengana dairy; Flinders Island wallaby. Robbins Island wagyu becomes low-on-spice, creamy pinches of applewood smoked pastrami with pickles and smoky eggplant puree. 

The grilled wallaby leg may feel a bit Christmas-in-Denmark-in-Melbourne-summer with its twin quenelles of spiced red cabbage, beetroot relish and sticky jus but the week-long marinade in native seeds, citrus and pepper is a smart, sympathetic treatment of the gamey meat.

There again, Hall can sometimes gild the Pyengana. You'll fight another day without the retro tower of crushed peas, kingfish carpaccio and spine straightening lemon gel. I'd also love to see the sweet pan-fried scallops less bedazzled by a mulchy-forest-floor-meets-shoreline party of mushroom-lobster broth, washing around shimeji mushrooms and flash-fried nori. 

Is anyone here quite as concerned with the provenance of their saltbush lamb as Pure South's website? It's quite the page, featuring 10 dudes romping through a field of wheat.

Likely they're more interested in the discount parking from 4pm and the fact that the lamb loin is flush with nice crust, laid out as if with a ruler. And there are cumin-y roasted carrots lobbed with heaps of light goat's curd, or that the creme brulee is pure vanilla silk – get five.

To that end, go ahead and drop in pre- or post-Hamer for a Moo Brew, Lark Distillery whisky or Tamar Valley wine and appreciate having small batch options on one of the most commercial strips of Melbourne.

Watch rowers skim the Yarra through the huge retractable windows. Consider whether the floor team, strong in numbers, surprisingly weak at noticing table's needs, might be more efficient if they too had a coxswain. 

They're not dropping balls here. Pure South delivers tidy food and now a heck of a room, and they're doing it from 7am. Bravo. But it can feel like the dial is set to serve rather than inspire. No matter. Pure South 2.0 now has the perfect canvas to go from good to great.