After a lengthy development, multipurpose dining and social space The Alcott has finally made its debut. The 200-seat contemporary venue resides in Lane Cove, and has been designed to cater to the lower North Shore’s burgeoning community. Its key focus is of course feeding its patrons, with Richard Slarp appointed as head chef, formerly of Sake, Aria Catering and Est. Slarp has created a Mediterranean menu using chargrill throughout, with a spritz bar and accompanying outdoor terrace only adding to The Alcott’s Mediterranean feel. “This has been a really fun menu to design, I’ve always been a fan of Mediterranean flavours and diners can expect traditional dishes with a modern Australian twist,” he says, “I have also been working with a number of quality boutique suppliers which will see us have some fun with our specials each week.”

The menu is designed to be shared, with highlights including a charred southern clamari with pickled fennel, rocket, tomato pangrattato and lemon, as well as a whole grilled flathead tail with puttanesca sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers and basil. Wash down your mains with a tipple at The Alcott’s dedicated Spritz Bar, which will host both an ample collection of spritz cocktails, as well as an expansive wine list with a balance of contemporary and classical drops. On weekends, The Alcott will be open for brunch. Dishes will be based around wholesome nutritious dishes, including a warm green bowl with sweet potato hummus, kale, broccolini, peas, puffed wild rice, pumpkin seeds and poached eggs, and the ever-popular smashed avocado on toasted sourdough.

The venue has been designed by Pony Design Co as a multi-faceted space and as such, is home to a variety of different nooks within. The open-air terrace is designed for both drinking and dining in the warmer weather, and overflows with greenery. While indoors sits the dining room, a slightly more refined offering designed for leisurely long dinners, with two separate event rooms available for special occasions. As a community-focused enterprise, The Alcott will also be hosting a number of events throughout the year. These will include art workshops, comedy nights and an ongoing line-up of musical performances on Sunday afternoons, with DJ set to perform on Friday and Saturday nights.

1 Birdwood Avenue, Lane Cove, thealcott.com.au.