Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, Sydney
02 8969 6900
Sydney’s new Garden Brasserie opened its doors on Anzac Day this year. The new venture occupies a Neutral Bay site that has been vacant for the past six months but which once held an Italian restaurant. The trio of owners Sebastian Gallery, Stephen Gellert and Glenn Ferguson come from various backgrounds. Gallery is the ex- manager of Watershed and Cohi Bar in Darling Harbour whilst Gellert also owns Cantina Bar and Grill, and Pizza Mario. Ferguson on the other hand is the owner of ISEC and HALO security.
The name Garden Brasserie comes courtesy of one of the venues most striking features – a 15 foot high garden wall. The bar and restaurant also plays host to honest, classic French brasserie-style fare.
Feeling like an English summer garden – the restaurant downstairs is all open, clean space with the garden wall overlooking the dining tables. Upstairs in the cocktail bar, there’s recycled timber flooring, provincial chaises and armchairs, and low ceilings creating a warm, intimate feel.
In the cocktail bar the drinks selection has been put together by the bar manger Sam Bygrave who has aimed to offer North Shore Sydney drinkers the kind of cocktails and spirits they’d normally need to commute for. Take for example the ‘Martinez by the Sea-Shore’ a mix of Martin Millers Reformed gin, house-made ‘Islay vermouth’, Luxardo maraschino liqueur and hand crafted citrus bitters. In short, the list is classically inspired utilising fresh produce and loads of attention to detail right down to the meticulous creation of cocktail ingredients like syrups, vermouths (they produce four different ones in house!) and bitters.
Their wine list, put together by their sommelier and restaurant manager Nic Wright, features great wines from around the world with plenty of inspiration on offer by the glass like Hugel Pinot Blanc or Gosset NV Champagne.
Meanwhile in the kitchen chef Adam Howe is producing classic, authentic fare with a French accent. Think share-boards in the cocktail bar consisting of duck liver parfaits, seafood and various charcuterie.