Poetica Bar and Grill is bringing new life to Sydney’s ‘other CBD’ North Sydney. Fire, wood, and charcoal are the heartbeat of Poetica, the latest venture from the group behind The Charles Grand Brasserie, Loulou Bistro, and Tiva.

The refined yet relaxed eatery, slated to open in September, is headed up by some of the best new talents in Australian hospitality including head chef Connor Hartley-Simpson (The Charles Grand Brasserie; Gastrologik, Stockholm; Quince, San Francisco), drinks by director of wine, Paolo Saccone and director of bars, Jonathan Carr, and Mathieu Mozziconacci (Loulou Bistro, Felix, Mr Wong) appointed as general manager. 

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Hartley-Simpson’s menu starts with 10 raw and cooked starters before progressing to ‘charcoal’, ‘wood’, and ‘dry-aged’ sections. Sydney rock oysters topped with ‘njuda and a guindilla pepper are treated to an ancient wood fire ‘flambadou’ technique as melted beef fat is dripped from a red-hot cast-iron cone over the top; smoke trap eel doused in charred leek oil; and sweet scallops with yuzu kosho and pickled celery are just some of the starters to get you going.

Whole swordfish, tomahawks and t-bones are aged in-house, and can be paired with a wine from the 450-strong collection, with hard-to-find varietals and vintages stretching back to 1987.

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Speaking of drinks, Poetica’s adjoining bar is worthy of a visit in its own right, the light-filled space opens to a covered terrace where you can grab a drink or two from the largely Australian spirits collection (there’s over 100 to choose from), local beers, and a dozen signature cocktails.

The elegant space designed by COX Architecture (The Charles Grand Brasserie, Bert’s) takes inspiration from the nearby foreshore with sandy oak timber and sea green accents, with a striking 15-metre-long mural by Australian artist Kristian Hawker.

Reservations open Tuesday, August 1, and doors open Friday, September 1.

Poetica Bar and Grill
Mezzanine level, 1 Denison Street, North Sydney
Tue – Sat (restaurant) 12pm – 3pm and 5pm, (bar) 12pm – late 
poetica.sydney