Ace Hotel Sydney has nabbed two extremely ace individuals to head up its new food and drinks program.

Mitch Orr, the pasta master from Acme and CiccaBella, will lead the kitchen at Kiln, Ace Hotel’s soon-to-open wood-fired rooftop restaurant. The name comes from the site’s former history as the Tyne House brick factory, which was home to one of Australia’s first ceramic kilns.

Mitch Orr’s menu will celebrate umami flavours – soy, fish sauce, dashi, dried mushrooms – drawing inspiration from Italian, Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisine. Dishes will be smoked, smoldered and scalded over the open flame of the kitchen’s wood-burning grill.

“Cooking with fire is the most elemental part of cooking, and something every chef loves doing, whether on a hibachi grill in your garden or on a live fire grill that’s the centrepiece of the restaurant,” Kiln Chef-Partner Mitch Orr said.

“You can do so much more than just grill on a fire – char and smoke will play a big part in the menu, whether in the building of rich, umami sauces, or to lightly touch proteins and vegetables left to cook in the residual heat of the grill.”

“The menu will be structured around sharing — heavy on snacks to start, before moving into a raw section, and then the larger vegetable and protein-led dishes — all with lots of bright acidity to finish the dish, which is exactly the way you want to eat in the open space.”

Set 18 stories above Surry Hills, the new restaurant will feature a glass-walled dining room complete with two spacious terraces with fully retractable ceilings. Acclaimed designer Fiona Lynch will oversee the interiors.

The space will have a distinctly Australian feel, combining sustainable materials, such as Huon pine and stringybark eucalyptus with custom-painted linen drapes, made from a natural pigment found during the site’s excavation.

“The vastness of the space prompted us to create multiple zones to allow for different experiences and moods throughout,” Kiln interior designer, Fiona Lynch said.

“I’ve made sure that natural Australian materials and makers are highlighted – and that everything has been sourced locally. The palette came together quite
organically to reflect the Australian landscape in a beautiful nostalgic way that is reminiscent of ’70s Australia, with muted earth tones that feel inviting and familiar.”

The hotel will also have its own all-day eatery, LOAM, and a coffee shop, which will serve Mecca coffee and draft wine. The onsite bar, Lobby, will boast a drinks list curated by local legend and delicious. contributor, Mike Bennie, from P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants.

“I’m stoked to have the opportunity to create a drinks program that’s truly reflective of the current state of Australian drinks, with a sense of fun and wonderment that engenders a sense of community around the hotel and its spaces – and is as inclusive as the hotel itself,” Mike Bennie said.

“I’m very privileged to have access to so many incredible producers, small runs of drinks and have made a commitment to unearthing new and exciting things that will form a part of the ever-changing menus at Ace Hotel Sydney.”

LOAM and Lobby bar will open in line with the hotel’s opening in autumn 2022, while Kiln will follow shortly afterwards.

Ace Hotel is located at 47 Wentworth Venue, Sydney. Reservations will open on May 1, 2022 at acehotel.com/sydney.

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