As the better drinking revolution continues, so too has the spread of new venues to new districts. In Sydney, one of the more talked about new districts is Rosebery.
Rosebery’s status as an up and coming destination for good food and drink is one of the chief reasons why new venue, The Clubhouse, is opening in the area, said general manager Julian Damjano (ex-Hugos, Goldfish).
The venue is inspired by its connection with the Surf Life Saving Australia (they’ve got an arrangement to open up more venues in SLSA locations across the country).
The restaurant and bar will be open seven days a week from breakfast through to midnight, and offering a bit of something for everyone at each time of the day — from coffee to wine and cocktails — and with a vibe to match.
“No pretensions: it’s a relaxed, clean beach lifestyle, but sophisticated at the same time,” said Damjano.
The venue is what they hope to be the first of many, he said, but the focus is clearly on Rosebery for now.
“It’s all about Rosebery because for us its the first. You’ve got to do it right, and this is an up and coming foodie district,” he said.
Damjano has received a number of accolades at the Australian Bartender Bar Awards with his most recent nomination being for Bar Manager of the Year 2013. Damjano is in charge of pulling together the drinks, and there’ll be great coffee (they’ve sourced their own, custom blend and a top of the line machine), wine and cocktails available.
“I come from a cocktail background, so there’ll be a seasonal cocktail list,” said Damjano, “with ten to 12 cocktails on the list .”
In terms of wines there’ll be 15 of both red and white wines on the list, with five of each on by the glass. The idea is to combine new and old world wines, with a few biodynamic wines thrown in for good measure.
The idea for the list is for the wines “is to play to each region’s strengths,” said Damjano.
“We also want to support local businesses and we’ve got (wine distributor) Jed Wines just down the road, so we’ll be doing some Argentinian wines [from them] as well.”
The food is being run by ex-Barrio Chino chef Rafael Tonon focusing on seasonal ingredients and international dishes.
The Clubhouse is set to open towards the end of the month at 789 Botany Rd Rosebery. They’ve got a 100 person capacity upstairs along with two smaller rooms in the basement. If what they’re doing sounds of interest to you, drop Damjano an email at jules@clubhouseaustralia.com.