Our waiter summed it up best: “Martinis Above Fourth has been dragged into the 21st century.” And finally!

Having changed hands numerous times, this second-floor property with the best patio bar in Hillcrest has reinvented itself with a veritable dinner menu, new food suppliers and a cosmetic redo that puts the 1980s to bed for good.

The garish mirrored walls inside are softened by wispy sheers hanging over them. Eye-catching panels of carved metal conceal the kitchen. And the piano, which sucked up space in the middle of the dining room, has been pushed against a wall to show off fresh carpeting and Manhattan-style lighting fixtures. Bravo to the new friendly owners (Chaz, Dale and Johnny) for thrusting the restaurant into modern-day standards with 100 percent less attitude.

Chef Jason Williams still heads up the kitchen and has been given license to tap into higher-quality food purveyors. “It’s like a whole new day,” he quipped. The end result is a contemporary menu that appeals not only to Hillcrest hermits, but one that can potentially rope in a broader patronage prowling the town for snazzy meals.

The drink menu is livelier, too – big, sloshy martinis named after San Diego’s reigning drag entertainers – and some of them strong enough to run a small engine. My friend’s Blushing Babette was shaken to a classic finish. Hailing to Nicole, the Some Like it Hot, made with piquant Absolut Peppar, treats you nice when you take her slow. Fans of chocolate martinis should look to Coco LaChine. And lushes who drink in groups can huddle around Ophelia’s mega martini, which is tailored to be shared by parties of three or more.

From the “starters” food menu, we nibbled from a plate of Papaya and Grilled Asparagus that was artistically arranged with fried beet sticks and pomegranate glaze. The fruit was juicy, and the asparagus, though served unexpectedly chilled, was fresh and tender. A mondo-sized Crab Cake with spicy remoulade sauce also impressed us – tasting similar to those good old-fashioned cakes you find in Maine.

The salad we split was well produced with dried cranberries and fried potato strings, a novel unification of flavors and textures that worked beautifully with the zingy champagne vinaigrette – not to mention a second round of feisty martinis that our easy-to-look-at waiter poured tableside.

From the entrée category, we reluctantly passed up the chef’s signature Filet Mignon, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with blue cheese. It’s reportedly quite sensational. My companion instead sprung for the Roasted Garlic Veal Chop, a succulent 10-ounce slab of meat served with one of the best potato au gratin recipes I’ve had in years. Swiss and Parmesan cheeses bind the spuds, which along with the silky veal, practically danced in the whole-grain mustard demi glace on the plate.

Equally thick in magnitude was my Grilled Chilean Sea Bass coated judiciously in a buttery tasting kumquat buerre blanc. The fresh, flaky fish further proved that superior-quality food is trailing through the pipeline compared to the days when you couldn’t figure out what in the heck was on your plate. Other dinners include Andoulli Parpadelle in a white wine sauce, Boursin Proscuitto Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli.

Chef Williams has also raised the bar on desserts. His creamy Malt-Crusted Cherry Cheesecake is both sweet and sour. And the Caramelized Banana Tart is intensely flavored with an unusually dense pastry crust. Double-Decadent Chocolate Cake and Crème Brulee round out the offerings.

The restaurant still remains an entertainment venue for nightly acts by Carol Curtis, Kenny Ard, Sue Palmer, John Garcia and the Vintage Vegas duo with Laura Jane and Franco Z. And though the dining room retains its loungy, torch-song ambience, it yields more wiggle room and no longer greets you like a Cold War bomb shelter.

Patio dwellers will notice fewer design changes, other than a fresh paint job and clear plastic awnings along the railing to keep out the winter chill. It’s the one area of the restaurant where “good enough” was left alone, as customers are afforded plenty of bar space and tables to sip martinis while gazing cross-eyed to the street below.

By all accounts, Martinis on Fourth is cheerfully back on the map.

Got a food scoop? Send it to fsabatini@san.rr.com