It seems the Mary’s boys are not ones to sit idle. Not content with the handful of inner-city venues that they have welcomed in recent years, the hospitality group has just announced a new addition.

The duo behind the burgeoning Mary’s Group – Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham – has just revealed that they will be taking over the site of former Sydney nightlife favourite The Basement, and turning it into Mary’s Underground. The late-night haunt will be a restaurant and live music venue in one, sitting in the middle of Sydney’s CBD in Macquarie Place. It’s the latest addition to the booming Mary’s brood that includes Mary’s Burgers, The Unicorn, Mary’s Pizzeria, and The Lansdowne.

“We love our city, and are extremely excited about bringing a fat slice of Mary’s slap bang into the middle of the action,” says Smyth of the group’s latest purchase. “We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, inhabited by some of the most talented folk in the world. Sydney 2019 is glorious and we are all about celebrating that fact.”

Of course, the duo are no strangers to the live music scene, as the proud owners of pubs The Lansdowne and The Unicorn, which both host a bevy of live performances regularly. But expect slightly more variety at their new central space – they’ve promised a line-up which will range from bluegrass to jazz.

In keeping with the rest of the Mary’s Group, there has also been ample food promised. Mary’s Underground will offer two separate eating areas – a casual bar upstairs focused on burgers and beer, and a ‘more intimate and involved’ restaurant on the lower floor. Surprisingly for a group who found fame with burgers, this latter, more expansive eatery will be dedicated to vegan cuisine. Expect “a slant in the direction of plant-based foods on the menu,” says Kenny Graham.

“The kitchen set up will also reflect this respecting people’s choices in terms of how they choose to eat. Mary’s will always continue to be inclusive of all choices, without losing their direction of delicious, fun, indulgent food and flavours,” he promises. This menu with a focus away from meat will be partnered with a booze list heavy on the sustainable and the local, with natural wine plentiful.

As for the space itself, the original lower bar will remain untouched. But upstairs is a different story – a revamp of the existing drinking space in already in the works, with plans for a secret wine bar hidden out back. The stage is also to be moved – all in the name of a dance floor of course.

But it seems that it’s not just us that are excited about the impending arrival of Mary’s Underground, but the group’s business partners AMP Capital. “Following a competitive tender process, we are thrilled to welcome and partner with Mary’s Underground to 7 Macquarie Place,” says managing director of office and industrial at AMP Capital. “As experienced operators with a strong track record in The Unicorn, Mary’s and The Lansdowne, Mary’s Underground is set to revive this iconic Sydney Venue with the next generation of great food and live music. This is a great outcome for both music lovers of Sydney and for our clients.” And we’re inclined to agree.

Mary’s Underground
7 Macquarie Place, Sydney