NEW CULINARY TEAM AT BECKETT’S
Located in the heart of Glebe and just minutes from the CBD, Beckett’s mid-century New York-style restaurant is excited to announce its exciting NEW culinary team.
A Euro-duo consisting of French Head Chef, Julien Ombredane (QT Sydney, Intercontinental Marseille) and Italian Restaurant Manager, Philipp Tengler (A Mare, Flying Fish, Four Seasons Sydney) will be breathing new life, updated systems, an international vision and Sydney-venue experience into the famed site that pioneered farm-to-table dining in Sydney, together with founder-owner and famed playwright-director, Wendy Beckett.
Beckett’s restaurant and cocktail lounge in the former Darling Mills site on Glebe Point Road will continue its legacy of exceptional fine dining. Well aware of the army of devoted fans the inner-west institution has, Head Chef Ombredane will bring his own touch to the menus while celebrating Beckett favourites, revived classics and new dishes with a French Mediterranean twist.
The youthful, 34 year-old French Chef who was drawn to Beckett’s intimate and elegant space is keen to make his mark on Sydney’s fine-dining scene and showcase his culinary skills. He says, “I’m looking forward to bringing my joy for beautiful food to the venue and introducing special dishes, including my favourites Prawn Ravioli and Vanilla Creme Brûlée to diners. Beckett’s is such a wonderful space, with so much potential; I’m ready to get started.”
On the drinks front, the team has enlisted Bar Manager Samantha Greaves to revamp and re-create a classics driven cocktail menu to sit alongside Beckett’s elegant wine list that features a mix of domestic and international wines.
The interiors by co-owner Wendy Beckett’s set designer Halcyon Pratt remain unchanged with the iconic spaces continuing its much loved moody ode to the great bistros and cocktail bars of early to mid-century New York and Europe.
The main dining room, which accommodates around 90 people, is divided in half by the olive velvet-lined colonnade. The lounge bar is in the front of Beckett’s; one side a mix of plush low cocktail chairs, banquette seating and small bar tables. The other bookended by a baby grand piano (played nightly) and the bar itself. The lounge is perfect for drinks and grazing, or to experience the dinner menu in a more casual setting. In the dining room, ochre-hued fabric seats are tucked neatly into clothed tables.
Wendy Beckett, a Glebe local, who spent her youth writing in the artists’ colony at Blackwater Studio will continue to champion artists of the stage and screen at her Glebe sanctuary with her immensely popular one-night-only events.
She says, “Beckett’s has been designed to bring New York and Paris/London nostalgia and charm to Sydney. It’s a long time favourite of the locals, packed with artists, writers, theatre, and film producers. Beckett’s is our neighbourhood nook, and we invite guests to pop by for martinis and nibbles on their way home from work or into the night. It’s somewhere beautiful to dine and a reminder of Glebe’s former glamour. It’s a place to get a little dressed up for. A place of dining and drinking, where people talk to the sound of a tinkling piano, and can enjoy beautiful food whilst staying in the humming inner-west.”
The restaurant is open Wednesday – Sunday from 5pm for cocktails, wine and dinner only.
Drop in for a bite or stay for a while. Bookings preferred and walk-ins welcome.
Image credit David Li Photography
Image L-R: Julien Ombredane, Wendy Beckett and Philipp Tengler
