North Sydney may not be the first place you think of when you want to head out for dinner and a drink, but that’s set to change with a slew of new restaurants and bars set to open this year, bringing more energy and delicious food and wine north of the bridge. Spearheaded by Etymon Projects, the folks behind The Charles and Loulou, the brand-new dining precinct will feature a bakery, café and wine bar called Sol; artisanal produce store Una; LA-inspired all-day eatery and bar Soluna; and Japanese izakaya Genzo. If everything’s on track, the dining hub will be open this June.
Lisa Hobbs, CEO of Etymon Projects, said: “What opening Poetica bar and grill in North Sydney and Loulou in Milsons Point has shown us is that there’s a real appetite for more hospitality this side of the bridge. North Sydney has a great buzz to it, and we see this growing especially with the Metro opening later this year.”
Bar Lettera, a modern Australian/Italian restaurant and wine bar, will also be opening in May in North Sydney’s Citadines Walker North Sydney. Helmed by head Chef Ryan Perry – whose CV includes esteemed restaurants The Bridge Room and Momofuku Seiobo – Bar Lettera will be serving riffs on classic Italian dishes. Here, a caprese salad will be swapped for a heirloom salad with kombu oil and geraldton wax. And fritto misto will see bay bugs fried until golden and served with a house-made XO sauce.
This news comes off the back of the announcement back in December 2023 that Sydney's brand-new Victoria Cross Station – set to open in 2024 – will also be welcoming Newtown's beloved rock 'n' roll burger joint Mary’s; the one and only Marrickville Pork Roll; Only Coffee, Top Impressions Bakery, Sushi Hub, Dopa, North Sandwiches, Machi Machi and more.
North Sydney’s momentum has been steadily growing over the past few years, thanks to newish openings like chic steakhouse Poetica, lush oasis Rafi, and seafood haven Petermen.
Soon, there will be even more reason to go check North Sydney out, and if you’re a local, then lucky you. We’re hungry just thinking about it.
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