Justin Hemmes, Merivale CEO, said on the opening: “We are extremely excited to open in 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. Ben is an undeniable culinary talent, arguably one of the best in the world, and he is going to deliver something truly special at The Paddington”.
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.
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 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.
The Paddington has been brought to life by a design team including Kelvin Ho and Emilie Delalande of Akin Creative, stylist Amanda Talbot and Justin and Bettina Hemmes. Designed as if it was an old local butcher, it boasts a relaxed, quintessential British charm with white glazed ceramic tiles, painted timber paneling and dark timber furniture. Upstairs the space becomes more intimate with booth seating, paneled walls, a leather-fronted cocktail bar and mirrored tables. The private dining room is surrounded by a floor-to-ceiling distressed landscape mural painted by local Sydney artist Desmond Sweeney.
The Paddington precedes the launch of Merivale’s other two Oxford Street properties. Later this year, Greeno will open a chicken shop in the small shopfront next to The Paddington, serving take-away only rotisserie chicken, salads and sandwiches. In early 2016, Merivale will open an additional, new restaurant concept two doors down, led by an alum of Chez Panisse and the Napa Valley’s three-Michelin-starred French Laundry, Danielle Alvarez. Fred’s will be shaped by Danielle’s passionate food philosophy - elevating produce using old-world techniques such as cooking with a wood-fired hearth and oven. The basement of Fred’s will be home to a tapas bar and eatery, with stunning interiors and seasonally-led cocktails that echo Danielle’s focus on enhancing quality ingredients.
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