Matt Moran’s Aria will reopen its doors today after months in hibernation.
But things will look a little different at the waterside fine diner in the months to come, with the team switching up its offering.
While the restaurant will continue to operate, the space will also host a wine bar in late 2020.
“In the restaurant industry, you always have to evolve and in this current climate, change comes fast,” says co-owner Anna Solomon.
“The Aria wine bar concept is a great opportunity to show another side of this special place. It’s going to be a wonderful place to enjoy rare wines and watch the world pass by.”
The wine bar will be open for walk-ins and offer more than 80 wines by the glass and 1700 bottles selected by head sommelier Alex Kirkwood.
Executive chef Joel Bickford has curated the bar menu, which he says is “a little more casual than what we’ve done in the past, but still uses the same great produce and techniques our kitchen is known for”.
Aria is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday with new tasting and a la carte menus.
Expect to see kangaroo with palm heart and macadamia and organic pork jowl with caramelised persimmon and cauliflower alongside the return of the Aria souffle.
“The team and I are delighted to be able to open our doors again and bring the very best in fine dining experience to Sydney,” says Matt Moran.
“With over 30 per cent of our guests traditionally from overseas, we knew that in order to sustain Aria’s future we had to evolve our experience. That’s why we’re looking to launch Aria’s wine bar later on in the year.”
The official launch date of the wine bar is yet to be announced.