Constructed in 1936 to service what was then one of the state's busiest railway precincts, the Signal Box officially closed in 2014. Now it is a restaurant and catering for traffic of a different kind.

Restaurant co-owners Andrew Macdonald and Matthew Key, of The Little Nel, together with Dan James (executive chef, formerly of Qualia, The Burwood Inn and The Little Nel) and George Mirosevich (head chef, formerly of The Ledbury, Sepia, Bistro Guillaume and Restaurant Mason), all share a passion for good food and good service. Building the business from the ground up has been a labour of love.

"At a time when there is pressure on restaurants to be profitable and stay afloat, many choose to cut corners with pre-made food," James said. "We believe in sending out food that we are proud of and that is made to the highest standard every day."

Head chef Mirosevich brings a fine-dining background to the menu but has used Little Nel as a point of reference. He'd be silly not to, he says.

"The menu is fresh and full of relatable food," he told Food & Wine. "We have drawn on some dishes and ideas from Little Nel, which is still my absolute favourite place in the world to eat breakfast. It's exciting, it's fun and the space is vibrant. It makes sense to follow Little Nel's lead."

Just about everything leaving the kitchen is made in-house and from scratch. Initial feedback from diners suggests the extra effort is appreciated.

"Our first week was gruelling and testing, to say the least, but I've heard nothing but positive feedback," Mirosevich said. "The past three weeks have been a rollercoaster. The unknown can be daunting but we're getting there. I can't wait to see how much we progress as a team over the next week or so. Bring it on."

The building itself is stunning. Architect Jason Elsley from Derive Design created a steel-framed, glass pavilion structure that houses the restaurant and opens to the Market Street Lawn precinct.

"I feel a lot of cafes nowadays focus primarily on coffee and the dining element is left behind," Macdonald said.

"If you look at a typical Parisian cafe, the food is also hugely important as is the option of an easy glass of wine in the evening. Most are open from morning until night. That's what we have built at Signal Box - a place to feel comfortable at any time of the day. You can have a lovely higher-end bistro meal for dinner and you can also enjoy a more casual evening sitting in the courtyard appreciating a glass of Hunter wine with a cheese board, or 'people watch' from the rooftop over a late evening latte and cake."