Sydney’s Bentley Restaurant + Bar will temporarily close its doors later this month to make way for a new-look bar, a new menu and a refreshed dining room.
This will mark the fourth evolution of the restaurant and bar since it opened in Surry Hills 12 years ago.
Chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt, whose other venues include Monopole, Yellow and Cirrus, say they are looking forward to revealing the new-look Bentley in May.
“With the changes we’re making to Bentley, we’re looking to elevate the whole experience, from the restaurant to the bar,” says Hildebrandt.
“This includes everything from the interior through to the menu and wine program – not an easy job, especially when there is nothing wrong with the restaurant.”
Savage has worked closely with long-time Bentley head chef Aiden Stevens to revamp the food, with an integrated bar and restaurant menu offering a new take on the traditional tasting menu.
“When we first started speaking about making changes to Bentley, I didn’t realise just how challenging it would be to look at the menu anew,” says Savage.
“The new Bentley menu has a defined focus on sourcing interesting and unique ingredients and is more of an evolution of what we’ve been doing at Bentley, rather than a new direction.”
A la carte diners will find a more focused menu and the tasting menu will also evolve to include two generous rounds of shared snacks, followed by three to four plated courses and dessert. The new lunch offering will feature a set one-, two- or three-course menu and daily specials.
Dishes from the new menu include Tasmanian hand-dived abalone with hen of the wood mushrooms and roast chicken mayonnaise and Skull Island prawns, served with guanciale, Koshikari rice and sea herbs.
Hildebrandt will also update the wine program to match the new menu.
Pascale Gomes-McNabb, long-term creative partner of the group’s four restaurants, will be leading the interior renovations, which will include new lighting and murals to update the spaces.