Now fans of Braddon's Eightysix need not waste time on such matters, with the team behind one of Canberra's agenda-setting restaurants opening up a new venture in the heart of Woden.

Eightysix South is in Furzer Street, on the west side of the town centre, where the Doma Group has spruced things up with the revitalisation of the Alexander and Albemarle buildings.

Co-owner Gus Armstrong jokes the only reason he opened Eightysix South was because he has always been a southsider himself.

"I only open places that I'd like to go and eat at so doing it close to home was a no brainer," he says.

This is what we've always loved about Eightysix. Since the Braddon restaurant opened in 2013 it's always had a reputation as a place that was casual, sometimes irreverent, but still delivered a fine dining experience.

"Eightysix has always been about great food, cooked and served by a team that were more like your friends," says Miguel Estanillo, who's moved south as co-owner and restaurant manager.

Estanillo is only 22, yet he's been managing the northside venue for two years, with a few years of industry experience before that, first in his parent's cafe and at Locale in Deakin.

He says he's learned a lot from Armstrong and Armstrong sees the new venture as a way of providing his young talented staff with more opportunities.

"A lot of good young staff leave the industry and I want to provide them with the chance to do new things, to feel a part of things," says Armstrong.

Eightysix South has been two years in the making, the pandemic played a part in the delayed opening. Michael Rees, who has been head chef at Braddon since it opened, is in charge of the southside kitchen. Aidan Kidson, who's worked at St Johns in London, was instrumental in the design of the menu but has decided to head to university. The collaboration has produced a menu reflective of the original philosophy but one which gives 86 South its own personality.

The shift is to Italy - Rees loves the idea that they're now doing "white boy pasta" officially.

Think corn and taleggio tortellini given a kick by chilli butter, bitter leaves with pear and gorgonzola, gnocchi with 'nduja cream and bread crumbs, desserts of housemade tiramisu and a lemon tart that's baked right before service.

While there is something comfortably familiar about the decor, the open pass, the simple furniture, the trademark menu written in chalk across the black wall, designers Capezio Copeland have given the venue its own touches too.

There's a floating divider full of wine bottles to section off the back of the restaurant, an area which can be made even more private as a curtain is pulled around.

We love it that Eightysix South is its own restaurant but there's something familiar. Still, there's never been anything same, same about Armstrong and his team.