Opera Bar reopens this week – take an exclusive First Look inside

When Opera Bar reopens on Friday, November 6, the venue will unveil a major redesign and a menu inspired by Sydney with a strong vein of Australiana, including spring rolls from Banh Mi Bay Ngo in Bankstown, pizza topped with prawns, miso and chilli, and cocktails that riff on mango Weis bars and the humble lamington.

“It’s not some weird global menu, it’s where Sydney is at,” says Patrick Friesen, the Applejack Hospitality culinary director responsible for overseeing Opera Bar’s menu overhaul. Friesen isn’t seeking out high-end culinary artists, he’s mustered Sydney’s food artisans for the people’s bar at the people’s house.

The Canadian chef wants the signature bar at the Sydney Opera House to reflect the culinary corners of Sydney. He moved to Australia in 2009, but hasn’t lost a traveller’s curiosity with his adopted city, spending weekends trawling its suburban eat streets. “Going to Cabramatta is like getting on a plane and going overseas,” Friesen says. “Sydney is one of the most delicious cities in the world.”

La Stella in Auburn will supply Opera Bar’s mozzarella, the salami is sourced from Pino’s Dolce Vita in Kogarah, Basta in Bondi crafts the falafel and the lamington cocktail is topped with product from Tokyo Lamington in the inner west. Friesen says they can make the product themselves, but prefer to support and promote Sydney’s small businesses. “There’ll still be burgers, plenty of salads and a wagyu rump cap with chimichurri,” he says.

A seat outside at Opera Bar has always been prized real estate, and the redesign has added a welcome feature for the west-facing patrons: a sprinkler system built into the top of the umbrellas shoots a fine mist across the massive outdoor area. “It makes it more comfortable and looks cool too,” Applejack co-founder Ben Carroll says.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up

The granitite face on the new outdoor bar was sourced from the same quarry used in the construction of the Opera House. There’s new blackbutt furniture, and they’ve recycled the steel frames of the tables to keep the project a little greener. The bar’s indoor section – a refuge away from the elements – has had a ground-up renovation with new colour schemes, better use of space and efficiencies designed to get food and drinks out to customers faster. There’ll also be live music daily.

Applejack won the Opera Bar tender 12 months ago, ending celebrity chef Matt Moran and hospitality group Solotel’s joint 24-year reign at the venue. Considered one of the “golden geese” of Sydney hospitality venues, both in terms of location and commercial revenue, there’s been plenty of drama over the years as operators have clamoured to run it. The high-stakes nature of the bar included a decade-long legal battle between restaurateur David Evans and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

Carroll won’t be drawn on exactly how much money Opera Bar makes, but did confirm it does 2 million transactions a year. He’s also aware of its clout. If a beer is put on tap at Opera Bar, it can quickly find itself one of the top sellers in the country.

It’s a busy week for Carroll and his business partner Hamish Watts with Applejack also opening a new Italian restaurant, Gonzo, at 77 York Street in the CBD. The Grace Hotel venue (named after the style of journalism penned by Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) serves pizzas, pastas and cocktails, including a spicy margarita called ’Nduja Wanna. But the scale of their Circular Quay venue isn’t lost on the duo. “Opera Bar is one of Australia’s most iconic venues. It’s known by people all over the world, but it also belongs to the people who live here.”