This Hot Listed boozer in Woolloomooloo needs little introduction. It’s been doing its thing for more than 150 years, adored for its streetside seats and charming front bar, its downstairs theatre and strong community spirit. But there’s some new in all the long-cherished details: the upstairs bistro, which has traditionally leant away from pub fare, now has its very own kitchen and name. Meet Fitzroy Dining Room.
Head chef Ben Richards is at the helm, bringing kitchen experience from Ester, Ante and Bills, as well as at The Old Fitz, during Nik Hill’s impressive tenure. “To be able to come back and put my own spin on the food here feels really personal,” Richards says. “What I learned with Nik really shaped the way I cook today. It’s a super humbling opportunity.”
The walls now have a wash of pale green, and a little prep kitchen’s been set up (relieving the pub kitchen downstairs of responsibility for the bistro menu). The most significant change is the menu, which looks to British pubs and French bistros.
For the opening menu, standouts include a country pork terrine with pear mostarda and hot English mustard; a serve of ricotta gnudi, sauced with corn and parmesan; spring lamb rump on a bed of fennel, peas and green goddess dressing; and market fish served with mussels, capers and preserved lemon.
“We’re going for a comforting feel with the menu. You have all the busyness and pub food downstairs, then you can come up here and have a meal that’s a bit more relaxed and intimate.”
Richards expects the king prawn-filled zucchini flowers with salsa rosa to be a hit, too. “It’s exactly the sort of thing you want to eat in Sydney when the weather starts to warm up,” he says.
The same can be said for the raw bluefin tuna dressed with seasonal citrus, basil and Aleppo pepper, and the classic English trifle, with layers of fresh strawberries, stewed rhubarb, cardamom sponge and lemon cream.
Richards says the dedicated bistro kitchen is a useful back-of-house move, but it won’t change how the Fitz feels on the surface.
“I think making sure we do a great job upstairs just gives people another reason to keep coming back,” he says. “Coming back means a lot to me. I want to build something upstairs that lasts and becomes a part of the great community that the pub already has.”
Fitzroy Dining Room
129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo
(02) 8317 3057
Hours:
Wed to Fri 5pm–10pm
Sat midday–10pm
Sun midday–9pm
@fitzroydiningroom
For more excellent boozers, check out our guide to Sydney’s best pubs.
Dining and Cooking