Southpaw has everything you want in a good bar, like cosy corners, a courtyard out the back and an extensive drinks list. But it also has a few extras that make it all the more inviting, like potpourri in the ladies bathroom, candlelit tables and a knack for exquisite cocktails. While these little luxuries make Southpaw sound like quite the fancy-pants venue compared to the typically grungy Gertrude Street, there's no need to be intimidated. Southpaw is a perfect mix of class and casual. The courtyard makes you feel right at home with its rough around the edges look, and there are just as many patrons downing beers, as there are sipping cocktails.

Not only is Southpaw a moody drinking spot, it also serves up some killer food. You'll be tempted by the caramelised peach and pecan piklets with cinnamon, honey ice cream and maple syrup. Or combine a hair-of-the-dog Bloody Mary with The Remedy- fried eggs on organic sourdough toast with ham off the bone, tasty cheese and chilli melted with bechamel sauce, and you'll bounce back in no time.

Dinner is a whole lot more than bar snacks (although the bar snacks are hard to go past). You can sink your teeth into a 400g rib-eye steak, or sample the more delicate Tea-smoked chicken with caramelised apricots, truss tomato, prosciutto and pomegranate molasses among other appetising options.

Gertrude Street is a world of contrasts but Southpaw finds a balance in this bipolar part of town, adding a touch of class while keeping it real. All in all Southpaw has left its print on me.