Simon Sandall to lead food and beverage at $915M Powerhouse Parramatta
A hospitality veteran with more than two decades at the Sydney Opera House has been confirmed as the chef behind four new venues opening inside Powerhouse Parramatta, ahead of the cultural precinct's November 7 launch.
Simon Sandall, best known locally for his Hunters Hill bistro Boronia Kitchen, will oversee the Restaurant, Café, Wine Bar and Cinema Bar within the 18,000-square-metre Parramatta institution. The $915 million build is described as the country's most significant cultural infrastructure project since the Sydney Opera House.
Sandall's hospitality career in Australia began after relocating from London roughly 30 years ago, where he had worked at venues including The Ritz Club. He went on to become head chef at Matt Moran's Aria before rising to Group Executive Chef across Moran's restaurant group, ahead of opening Boronia Kitchen.
"Seeing such a significant cultural institute come to life, it's pretty amazing,” Sandall said. “I did 21 New Year's Eves at the Sydney Opera House… so you know going from working in the first most amazing cultural building in the country to work on the second most-significant building: it makes me proud."
The flagship Restaurant will overlook the Parramatta River with seating for close to 300 guests across indoor and outdoor areas. The fit-out is designed by George Livissianis, the architect behind Olympus Dining in Redfern. He is working alongside furniture designer Adam Goodrum, with stainless steel, aluminium, leather and cork chosen to echo the building's industrial steel exterior.
Sandall said he had been unable to discuss the project publicly until now, and remains guarded on further specifics. His approach for the venues will draw on Western Sydney's cultural mix, with a deliberately relaxed positioning rather than a fine-dining model.
"We want to have people – whether they're five-year-olds, or 95 years of age – both feel welcome, wow them and make them feel comfortable," he said. "You don't have to come in and have a three course meal. You can just grab a bowl of chips and share something if you like."
He pointed to his existing Boronia Kitchen team as representative of the multicultural approach he plans to bring to the Powerhouse menus. "Australian cuisine is very diverse, culturally," he said. "I'll be leaning on my amazing staff, because I've got such a cultural diversity in my own business at Boronia: we've got Nepalese, we've got Taiwanese, we've got English, we've got Italians, we've got French…. And that's what Australia is made up of. Leaning on the warmth of different cultures, I think it will sit really well at the Powerhouse."
Produce for the venues will also be shaped by a rooftop farm being developed above the precinct, run in partnership with horticultural specialists and forming part of an education program expected to reach 10,000 young people annually through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. Sandall has already been consulting on the rooftop growing plans but has not disclosed further detail.
Sandall will continue to run Boronia Kitchen alongside the new Powerhouse venues.
Powerhouse Parramatta opens at 34/47 Phillip St, Parramatta, on November 7.
Jonathan Jackson, 24th August 2026
