The Paddington

"I have very fond memories of what Oxford Street used to be and we are looking forward to bringing some of that magic back to such an iconic part of Sydney" says Justin Hemmes with Merivale opening The Paddington this week.

Ben Greeno, whose CV includes Momofuku Seiobo, Michelin-starred Sat Bains and the world’s best restaurant, Noma, has moved from the rarefied air of fine-dining to lead the culinary charge. The Paddington has been designed entirely around his vision for the menu and the style of cooking he loves.

Rotisserie proudly takes the lead with specially-imported, custom-made French rotisseries forming the centrepiece of the pub. Think dishes such as lamb rump with red pepper and almonds; wagyu beef with artichokes, pickled mustard seeds and watercress; whole fish stuffed with olives, lemon and thyme; and of course, roast chicken with French fries. The rotisserie will be accompanied by a delicious selection of small plates including octopus, potato, confit tomato and black olives; smoked trout with English muffin and duck egg; spelt, roast cabbage, kombu and prawns; and parmesan custard with sprouted pulses.

Ben Greeno said “I want to create food that lends itself to a good time, dishes that can be shared amongst friends. I thought, ‘why don’t we do rotisserie?’. There’s no reason why the food can’t be as good and complex as a high-end restaurant, even though it’s served in more casual surrounds”.

Adrian Filiuta, winner of the 2015 Australian Ruinart Sommeliers Challenge, has collaborated with the revered Franck Moreau MS to create a fun yet classic wine list to complement the rotisserie and appeal to all tastes and budgets.

The Paddington which opens on November 24th will also be home to an impressive cocktail bar, led by Sam Egerton and Toby Marshall, the talented team behind the award-wining Palmer & Co. The duo has designed a cocktail list focused on the world’s most-loved classic cocktails. Over 600 cocktails were blind-tasted to create the final selection.