There was an extraordinary performance over providing the Professor with a half-size glass of wine. The sommelier was summoned (only after we asked twice) and spent a lot of time telling her that "we don't do that, but I will". I know a 750ml bottle makes five glasses, but in a pricey, wine-focused establishment such as this, a 75ml pour should be available on at least some wines.
An amuse-bouche of deep-fried cauliflower bhaji was explosively delicious but nothing for the rest of the evening had anything approaching a wow factor, with the possible exception of a side dish of beetroot gratin with a cream of goat's cheese and chive, decorated with candied walnuts.
Beef tartare, ordered medium spicy, was so flavourless that I assume the mild version is an empty plate. A trio of pork, headlined by a cutlet, failed to answer my unspoken challenge that the meat can be succulent only when cooked long and slow.
Gnocchi filled with goat's cheese were nice enough, but the dish, with pickled and roasted carrots, was more coherent to look at than to eat. And I thought the $18 desserts quite unremarkable, although a green sugar shell on a granny smith sorbet was dexterous.
"You know what's missing here?" the Professor said at one point. "Flavour." And I think that's the size of it. I found myself aching for mustard, chilli sauce, salt, anything to get the taste buds bouncing. That's what the food needs to do to you in a bistro, modest or upmarket. I hope this great institution gets its mojo back soon.
VERDICT: An old favourite, reopened, is looking for its mojo.
Starters $23-$28; mains $35-$45; sides $10; desserts $18