Sydney restaurants: Where the big dealers sit down and break bread
NEXT time you sit down for lunch or dinner at one of Sydney’s power eateries, take a good look around you — it’s highly likely a multi-million-dollar deal is being thrashed out over their wagyu steaks.
The city’s traditional power lunch venues have been joined by a host of flash newcomers that have taken business meals into the evening and are all vying for the title of the tycoons’ canteen.
After a period of relative modesty, Sydney’s rich and hungry are back splashing their cash in the city’s finest restaurants, wheeling and dealing beside the regular punters, preferring the white linen cloths to the polished boardroom tables.
Veteran restaurateur Michael McMahon from Catalina on the water at Rose Bay said business deals were conducted at his restaurant seven days a week.
“In 21 years it has never been busier, both lunch and dinner, even on weekends,” says McMahon, who counts Lang Walker, Neville Crichton, Jack Cowan and Harry Triguboff as guests. “It’s tycoon canteen because it’s where they live.”
Neil Perry’s relocated stalwart, the 25-year-old Rockpool, now in Bridge St, the marble palace of nearby Rockpool Bar and Grill, plus the underground Spice Temple still get their fair share of high-profile identities. “There’s a tribe of people who go between the three restaurants. We’ve certainly got a mixed bag,” Perry told The Saturday Telegraph.
“Some of our regular Rockpool people will go to Rockpool Bar and Grill and Spice Temple.”
Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart celebrated her birthday earlier this year with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop inside the wine cellar of Darlinghurst institution Beppi’s.
Ms Rinehart always orders fried lambs brains, even though they are not listed on the menu.
Owner Beppi Polese has been entertaining powerbrokers for decades. Frank Packer, Kerry Packer and now James Packer have all sat at his tables. So have Frank Sinatra and Mick Jagger.
One of Australia’s highest ranking CEOs, Ann Sherry of Carnival Australia, uses her work connections to dine out.
“I’m a huge fan of Luke Mangan, who’s a partner with P&O, so whenever I’m entertaining visiting executives I like to take them to lunch at Salt Grill by Luke Mangan, onboard our ships if possible,” she said.
“If we don’t have a ship in port, then I’ll take them to Glass, Luke’s restaurant at the Hilton Sydney.”
With two entrances, via George St and Pitt St Mall, Nino Zoccali’s moody Pendolino restaurant in The Strand is one place where movers and shakers do not fear being snapped by pesky paparazzi photographers.
“We’re smack bang on the centre of the financial district and in the centre of the city, so it’s very much a business restaurant,” said Zoccali, who may see Premier Mike Baird, former premier Bob Carr, or ex Westpac boss Gail Kelly hand over the platinum card.
While the GFC put a dent on dining out, Zoccali said there had been a resurgence in the past two years.
Justin Hemmes’ Merivale chain has a swag of swanky restaurants for powerbrokers to choose from.
Food and beverage director Frank Roberts said there had been a move away from the corporate lunch at their restaurants Uccello, Est and Mr Wong to dinner time.
“There is so much more corporate activity at dinner,” he said. “I think people just have more time.”
He said a restaurant table was still a preferred venue to broker deals or meet rival executives face to face.
The Fink Group’s John Fink has just reopened Bennelong at the Opera House and launched Firedoor in Surry Hills, adding to current restaurants Otto and Quay plus an interest in The Bridge Room.
Fink’s restaurants get their fair share of famous patrons. “It’s hard to pinpoint names but it’s across all disciplines,” he says. “They are people who have got $400k a year jobs.”
(New) Bennelong: “Aussie” John Symond, Sydney Opera House Trust CEO Louise Herron, Richard Roxburgh and wife Sylvia Colloca, bank CEOs.
Tokonoma Bridge St: Mark Bouris, Patrick Keating, Leo Burnett’s Peter Bosilkovski, Goldman Sachs’ Simon Rothery, footballer Anthony Watmough, TV presenter and ad exec Todd Sampson
(Newish) Chiswick: Media favourites Sarah Harris, Caroline Overington, Mia Freedman, Leigh Sales, Mark Ferguson, Kerrie Anne Kennerley, Tom Waterhouse, Nathan Hindmarsh, Richard Roxburgh, Kirk Pengilly, Helen McCabe
Mr Wong: Seven’s Bruce McWilliam, Andrew Denton, Tim Cahill, Toni Colette
The Bridge Room: Sydney silk and author Richard McHugh, Central Park developer Dr Stanley Quek
(Older) Pendolino: Premier Mike Baird, former premier Bob Carr, ex Westpac boss Gail Kelly
Felix: Aussie Home Loans’ James Symond, Ryan Stokes, Tom Waterhouse, Jennifer Hawkins, Russell Crowe, Jessica Gomes
Azuma: Simon Mordant, former Trasury boss Mike Callaghan
Glass Brasserie: Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry, Harry Triguboff, John Symond, Gail Kelly, John Borghetti, Fairfax’s Greg Hywood
(classics) Rockpool bar and Grill: Qantas boss Alan Joyce, property tycoons Lang Walker and Marco Rossi, NRL coach Wayne Bennett, cricketer Shane Watson, Charlie Aitken, Ashok Jacob
Beppi’s: Bob Hawke, John Howard, multi-millionaire Reg Inglis, horse trainer Clarry Conners, Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull, art dealer Ray Hughes, Gina Rinehart
Machiavelli: Media bosses David Leckie and Hamish McLennan, politicians of all colours, including ex PMs and former premiers.
Catalina: Lang Walker, Neville Crichton, Jack Cowan, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, Harry Triguboff, Paul Lederer, Deke Miskin
Source: The Daily Telegraph, Grant Jones, 8th August 2015
Originally published as: Sydney restaurants: Where the big dealers sit down and break bread
