Returning to the kitchen for the first time in four years, celebrity chef Manu Feildel will launch his new French bistro, Bistro Red Lion by Manu, in a surprising Inner West location this month; a 196-year-old Rozelle pub.

After nearly two centuries, the Red Lion on Darling Street has undergone an eight-month restoration, transforming it from a landmark old boozer into a history-filled ode to the suburb’s heritage. 

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Now, Feildel in partnership with owners Laundy Hotels (Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Woolly Bay Hotel, Woolwich Pier Hotel) and group executive chef Jamie Gannon, will showcase a menu of bistro-style dishes that reflect Feildel’s family recipes.

Feildel, a sixth-generation chef, is opening the family vault to bring guests his versions of braised baby leeks with truffle gribiche dressing, double baked Comté cheese soufflé, and comforting matelote of Murray cod and mussel with speck, mushroom, and red wine sauce. 

Old-but-new snacks of beetroot-cured devilled eggs, grilled pork tomahawks with braised fennel and grainy mustard sauce, and canelés Suzette – a twist on crêpes Suzette featuring flambéed canelés served with vanilla ice cream – bring a touch of curiosity to familiar dishes.

Feildel described the menu as focusing on “delicious, approachable food rather than aiming for the stars. I want guests at Bistro Red Lion by Manu to forget the outside world and feel as though they’re dining at my home, enjoying a good bottle of wine.”

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Taking over the top level of the pub, Bistro Red Lion by Manu will accommodate up to 120 guests both inside and outside on the restored wrap-around verandah at linen-dressed tables, surrounded by illustrated wall accents and provincial-style pendant lighting.

The ground floor of the Lion will remain an Australia-style pub, albeit an elevated one. The beloved taxidermied lion will remain on display and schnitties will still pump out of the kitchen downstairs.

Bistro Red Lion by Manu will open on July 12 at 726 Darling Street, Rozelle. For more details, head to the website. 

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