Kin Dining and Bar has opened in Marrickville, bringing Nikkei cuisine to Sydney’s Inner West. The sleek and modern restaurant showcases the harmonious blending of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and techniques, and is headed up by former Sunset Sabi chef Peter Wu. So on the menu you’ll see things like thinly sliced beef with a teriyaki glaze, shiitake mushroom broth and salsa verde; and dry-aged rib eye with roasted bone marrow and ’nduja butter. But the food is only the second most interesting thing about Kin – with the first being that chef-owner Wu has a strict adults-only policy for dinner time. Cue, pearl clutching.
Wu says the reason he wanted this to be a kid-free restaurant was to create an environment where people could come and escape for a few hours without the soundtrack of tantrums. Wu said to Time Out: "More often than not, we plan a nice night out with our partner, friends and family to catch up or celebrate, where you really want to let your hair down and enjoy the night, only to have the evening disrupted by unsupervised children, restless toddlers, a crying baby or maybe a loud iPad."
"There are plenty of great restaurants which cater to that, but I want to cater to the grown-ups, whether parents or non-parents alike, and offer a safe space to relax and escape for a couple of hours and have their night out."
He says that the response has been largely positive. This is mirrored in a poll conducted this morning by ABC Sydney on the matter, with radio host Craig Reucassel telling me that 88 per cent of their listeners who responded to the pool were cool with the idea of restaurants banning kids.
Kin isn’t the first Sydney restaurant to put this controversial policy in place. Handsome subterranean steakhouse The Gidley doesn’t allow children to dine, and flash fine diner Quay doesn't welcome kids under seven.
As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for eight years, I see where Wu is coming from. From meltdowns over chips not being the right shape (to be fair, curly fries are the superior chip) to blasting iPads so loud the couple next to them couldn't hear themselves think, kids in restaurants can be on par with taming wild animals. Except perhaps the cheetah would appreciate the Tomahawk more.
Dining out can be expensive, with many Sydneysiders saving up their money to dine out once in a blue moon. They probably don’t want their romantic experience tainted by a two-year-old losing it. And some restaurants are simply not fit for young palates or patience thresholds. Last year, I dined at the three Michelin-starred L'Enclume pop-up at Bathers' Pavilion. And over the 16 courses, there wasn't a crumbed fish finger in sight.
But to the parents, I get it too. From babysitters cancelling at the last minute to wanting to celebrate a special occasion as a family, sometimes you want to dine out with all the generations.
Here at Time Out Sydney, we love that there are great places to come and eat together with the whole family, including plenty in Marrickville. Places like the Coogee Pavilion and The Newport have massive play areas where kids can run amok – and so does Three Blue Ducks Rosebery.
The Henson in Marrickville is another great family-friendly pub (you can check out our guide to the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney, here, and pubs, here. But do I agree some restaurants are better suited just for adults? You bloody bet I do. Unless, of course, I become a parent one day.