Inside the New Glass Atrium-Topped Dining Room at Woollahra's The Lord Dudley

Sydney stalwart The Lord Dudley may be a throwback to English-style pubs of old, but its new sister restaurant, The Garden, is a different beast all together. Located on the lower ground floor of the heritage building — beneath a newly installed glass atrium, no less — the tszujed up restaurant boasts a light-filled interior and a seasonal menu of renewed pub favourites.

Designed by the award-winning Amber Road Design Studio, the opulent space houses a marble bar backed by antique glass, pendant lights handmade in Milan, hanging foliage and exposed sandstone walls. These elements work together to maintain the buildings' heritage feel while creating a modern, inner-city oasis that is hidden beneath the classic, family-run pub upstairs. The most unusual feature is a giant taxidermy peacock, dubbed Mark, who overlooks the room.

Warm up by the fireplace in these winter months and tuck into head chef Paul Medcalf's seasonal menu, which takes a modern twist on classic English pub fare. The winter menu champions fresh, local produce, including the cured salmon starter with pickled onion and horseradish crème fraiche ($16) and the house-made gnocchi that has been pan fried and luxuriously topped with shaved Australian truffle ($22 entree, $34 main). Hearty mains also include crumbed veal cutlet and jacket potato with bacon, spring onion and black pepper sour cream ($29) and a Mirrool Creek lamb rack with roast tomato puree and tarragon jus ($36). It's clearly a classy affair, but without straying too far from the original.

For those loyal to The Dudders, don't you fret — The Garden will be completely separate from the main bar and existing food offering upstairs, where the fitout hasn't changed a bit. The fan-favourite Dudley pie of the day ($24) will remain on both menus, too, so you can take your pick when ordering the signature dish.

The Garden is located on the ground floor of The Lord Dudley Hotel, located at 236 Jersey Road, Woollahra.