Dean & Nancy cocktail bar opens with chef Jane Strode at the helm
Scott Bolles
Photo: Steve Woodburn
Dean & Nancy on 22, the latest venue from the team at Maybe Sammy, opens this week. And while you mightn t find a real Nancy at the sky-high Sydney CBD venue, there is a Jane.
Chef Jane Strode s opening menu includes smoked eel and cauliflower bhaji, risotto and a molten-centred fireball of cream cheese and nduja.
Despite Strode s kitchen pedigree, co-owner Stefano Catino stresses it isn t a restaurant: It s a cocktail bar with food. The cocktail list shares DNA with sibling venue Maybe Sammy.
Photo: Steve Woodburn
Mimi s brings luxe Mediterranean vibes to Coogee Pavilion
Scott Bolles
Photo: Steven Woodburn
It s only January, but Justin Hemmes new venue has already set an impossibly high bar for 2020 s new restaurant contenders.
There s a squadron of marble-topped kitchen benches that push deep into the dining room Fred s-style. Mimi s is layered in luxe, highlighting its art deco lines.
Photo: Steve Woodburn
Throw in sleek European cooking equipment and a wine room that looks like a shrine to Bacchus. We love a sense of occasion but without the pretentiousness, says Mimi s executive chef Jordan Toft.
That doesn t stop Toft encouraging diners to start a meal with a hit of caviar. The chef also likes to talk about the generosity of space at Mimi s.